Amazon Drops 4 New Kindles 2025?-?Hands-On First?Look
Amazon Drops 4 New Kindles?—?Hands-On First?Look
At a special event in New York, Amazon announced four new Kindles for 2024. I got some special hands-on time with all the new devices, and in this article, I’m going to break down everything you have to know about these new Kindles.
Now, before jumping into all the details, I have to say this was a very cool experience. As a relatively small blogger, it’s always been a dream of mine to experience an event like this. Even though I’m not sponsored by Amazon, and they have no influence whatsoever over the articles I write, I have to say thank you for this opportunity. Hopefully, I can do more fun stuff like this in the future.
Now, like I mentioned, Amazon announced four new Kindles, but in reality, what that means is they actually refreshed three of their existing Kindles and announced one new one. I bet you could probably guess what that new one is. Let’s start from the bottom of the product lineup and work our way up.
New Amazon Kindle?Basic
New Kindle Basic Specifications
- Display:
- 6-inch E Ink display
- 300 pixels per inch (ppi) for crisp, clear text
- 25% brighter front light for improved readability in various lighting conditions
- Storage:
- 16GB, which can store thousands of ebooks or hundreds of audiobooks
- Battery Life:
- Up to 6 weeks on a single charge, depending on usage
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi only; no 3G options
- Weight:
- Lightweight at 158 grams, making it easy to carry
- Design:
- New green bezel option for a fresh look
- Compact and travel-friendly design
The first device that Amazon announced at this event was the brand-new refreshed Kindle Basic. Now, I have to say, during the event, this device felt almost like an afterthought.?
They breezed through the details of this refresh in under one minute. There really isn’t too much to it.
The new Kindle Basic is basically the same thing as before. It still has that 6-inch screen, it still fits in your pocket, and it’s still the most affordable Kindle you can buy.?
The only new differences in the new Kindle Basic are the fact that it’s 10% faster and 25% brighter, and it also comes in this new fun matcha color, which I know my wife is absolutely going to love.
They did mention that the new Kindle Basic has a slightly improved contrast ratio, but honestly, when I used it, I did not see much of a difference. It wasn’t very noticeable compared to before.?
Now, the biggest drawback of the Kindle Basic has not changed. The new version also does not have warm light, so when you’re reading at night, you cannot adjust the temperature of the screen to be a bit of a warmer hue. I personally find that very useful when reading in bed.
It also does not have any kind of water resistance, so depending on your needs, those two things might be a dealbreaker.
Now, the new Kindle Basic is out as of today, and it starts at a price of $109.?
New Kindle Paperwhite And Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition?
Specs For The New Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
- Display: 7-inch, glare-free E Ink display
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Page Turns: 25% faster compared to the previous version
- Contrast: Highest contrast ratio of any Kindle yet
- Storage: 16GB
- Battery Life: Up to 3 months on a single charge
- Waterproof: Yes, IPX8-rated for water resistance
- Charging: USB-C
- Price: $159.99
Specs For The New Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)
- Display: 7-inch E Ink display (same as Paperwhite)
- Storage: 32GB
- Additional Features:
- Wireless charging
- Auto-adjusting front light (ambient light sensor)
- Battery Life: Also up to 3 months
- Price: $199.99.
Updates to The Refreshed Kindle Paperwhite And Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition?
The next new Kindle that Amazon released is the refreshed Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.
The first difference between the new Paperwhite and the old one is a slightly larger screen. They were able to shrink the bezels just a little bit and increase the screen size to a full 7 inches diagonal. When I first picked up this new Kindle Paperwhite, I definitely noticed the increased screen size. It is a very nice quality-of-life update.
2. More Colors?
The next update to the Paperwhite is the addition of three color options. You have a nice Jade option, a new Raspberry option, and also the standard Black option. I’m a big fan of these new colors; they’re so fun and bright.
Now, there is a slight difference in color between the Signature Edition and the regular Kindle Paperwhite. The Signature Edition has a bit more of a metallic look to it. They told me there’s a bit of aluminum plating to it. It does not feel like a metal material at all?—?it feels more like plastic?—?but it definitely has more of a shine when you compare it to the soft-touch baseline Kindle Paperwhite. The Signature Edition definitely has more of a brighter tone to it.
3. Oxide Screen?
The last update to the Kindle Paperwhite, and certainly not least, is the new oxide screen technology. Let me explain what that means. The first improvement, thanks to this new screen, is a better contrast ratio. Supposedly, you’re going to get deeper blacks and sharper text. Again, this is very subtle; I didn’t see much of a difference when I looked at it for the first time, but it’s supposed to be there, and I do believe them.
On the other hand, something I did notice right away is the speed improvement that we get with this new screen technology. We’re getting 25% faster page turns. I’ve got to say, this thing is shockingly fast when it comes to page turns. It is very noticeable, and if you really want to tap with your finger very, very fast, you can swipe through an entire book within seconds.
Turning pages on a Kindle is the thing we’ll all be doing the most while reading books, so having a speed improvement does make a big difference across the entire Kindle software. I really do enjoy any kind of speed improvement when it comes to Kindle.
Now, in terms of the Signature Edition, it is exactly the same as before. It’s the same as the Kindle Paperwhite with a few extra bells and whistles, such as wireless charging, an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment, and some additional storage.
The new Kindle Paperwhite will be available for $159, or you can get the Signature Edition for $199. Both of these devices are available today for order.
My Favorite Part Of The Amazon Kindle Launch?Event?
Now, before telling you about the new color Kindle that was announced, I want to share that my favorite part of the event wasn’t actually about any of these new Kindles. It was the emphasis the Kindle team placed on the love they all had for reading. At the end of the day, we use a Kindle to read books. It doesn’t matter which one you have; all that matters is that you have a love for reading, that you enjoy the books you have, and that really shone through in all of their presentations.
New Kindle Colorsoft
Key Specs For The Kindle Colorsoft
- Display: 6.8-inch E Ink Gallery 3, supporting over 50,000 colors at 300 ppi in both color and black-and-white modes.
- Storage: Available with 32 GB and 64 GB.
- Color ePaper technology: Uses Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP) with rich and vibrant color reproduction.
- Battery: Offers weeks of reading on a single charge.
- Price: Starts at $279.99 for the Signature Edition.
领英推荐
Alright, we saw this coming for a long time now?—?it’s been years in the making, but it’s finally here. Amazon has officially announced their color Kindle. They’re calling it the Kindle ColorSoft.?
The ColorSoft is the same exact shape and design as the Paperwhite but with a much more advanced screen that can show colors and not just black-and-white content.
During the event, Amazon kept telling me what their goal was for the Color Soft. They wanted to make a color Kindle with no compromises. They wanted to make a color Kindle that would live up to the same expectations you have for a black-and-white Kindle but also have that brand-new color technology.
Now, whether or not Amazon achieved their goal of no compromises with the Color Soft Kindle is still a question mark in my mind. I did get a chance to use the Color Soft for a short period of time during the event, and I did enjoy it a lot, but I still have the same hesitations I have with any other color e-reader.
The new Kindle Color Soft is using the same Cido color filter technology that we’re seeing in other devices such as the Kobo Libra Color. Because of this new filter that’s being added to the display, the screen brightness is noticeably dimmer, and the clarity is not as sharp as what we’re used to with black-and-white Kindles.
Whether or not you read color books or just black-and-white books, if you buy a Kindle Color Soft, the screen will always have this hazy effect to it.?
I did try my best to take some close-up images, especially side by side with the regular black-and-white Kindle, and you can clearly tell the clarity is not as sharp on the Color Soft.
Now, even though the Color Soft is not as crisp and has a bit of a darker screen, Amazon did put a lot of effort, time, money, and energy into inventing technology for the Color Soft that would ensure the colors are as enhanced as they possibly can be.?
For example, I had the chance to speak to one of the engineers who worked on the display when designing the Color Soft Kindle, and they told me about the nitrate LEDs that are pointed at a very specific angle to ensure the light is absorbed in the correct way for color accuracy. They also mentioned the display coating they’re using, along with an algorithm to ensure the colors are saturated in the right way.
There are so many technical details that went into this Color Soft to make it as high quality as possible. So, in theory, it should be much better when compared to a regular Cido filter. This device has a few extra layers of tech to make the colors that much better.?
Now, I haven’t had the chance yet to compare the Color Soft against other color e-readers to see if that color accuracy is actually better or not, but I can definitely tell they put a lot of time and energy into the details, and I really do appreciate that.
Simplicity of The?Software?
One detail that stood out to me was the simplicity of the software. If you ask me, simplicity of software will be a major feature that sets the Color Soft apart from other color e-ink devices. When I was reading on the Color Soft, I quickly found out that the device is really smart. It actually knows when I’m looking at a color page versus a black-and-white page.?
When I’m swiping through random black-and-white pages, the refresh is very quick?—?almost as fast as the regular Kindle Paperwhite that we just talked about. But when I’m reading color pages, it slows down a little to refresh the entire page and prevent ghosting.
This smart software operates entirely in the background; there are no modes or settings you need to change. The Kindle will just know when to refresh the screen for you and at what frequency, ensuring you get the best experience.?
There are two color options you can choose from in the settings if you want to adjust one small detail: a standard color profile and a vivid profile. So, when you’re reading comic books and some details are missing, you can try turning on the Vivid mode, and that might help bring those details out.
Price of The Kindle Colorsoft?
The new Color Kindle is coming out on October 30th at a price of $279, so it’s definitely a more expensive and premium Kindle. Pre-orders start today. If you read color comic books, manga, or graphic novels, this might be a no-brainer for you.?
However, if you primarily read black-and-white books, this might be something you should investigate a bit more. I can’t wait to get my hands on one to do a deeper dive review.
The New Kindle?Scribe?
Specs For The New Kindle Scribe
- Display: 10.2-inch E Ink, 300 ppi resolution, glare-free, with adjustable warm light and 35 LEDs.
- Storage options: 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB.
- Dimensions: 196 x 230 x 5.8 mm.
- Weight: 433 g.
- Battery life: Up to 12 weeks for reading (based on 30 minutes per day) or 3 weeks for writing. It charges fully in about 2.5 hours with a 9W USB-C adapter.
- Pen: Two types available, Basic and Premium. Both attach magnetically and never need to be charged. The Premium Pen includes an eraser and a customizable shortcut button.
- Writing tools: You can use a pen, highlighter, and eraser with 5 thickness options. Active Canvas allows in-book notetaking, and handwritten notes are organized and exportable.
- File support: You can annotate eBooks, PDFs, Microsoft Word files, and more via Send-to-Kindle. However, it currently doesn’t offer handwriting-to-text conversion.
- AI features: The Scribe introduces note refinement and summarization tools, using generative AI to clean up and summarize handwritten notes.
The last new Kindle announcement we have today is the brand-new Kindle Scribe. During the announcement, they spent the most time talking about the Kindle Scribe, so clearly this is a high priority for Amazon.?
New Kindle Scribe?Updates
Redesign of The Kindle Scribe Front?
In terms of hardware, they redesigned the entire front of the device.?
They replaced the black bezels with these new white borders, and I have to say, I’m a big fan of them. Usually, I’m not a fan of white bezels because they can be distracting when you’re reading, but for a device like the Scribe, where you’re primarily writing and aiming for a paper-like feel, the white bezels make it more like a notebook experience. That’s exactly what they were going for.
Multiple Colors?
This new design also comes in two colors. You have the regular black and tungsten options that we’ve been used to, but you now also have this new Jade color, which is like a teal.?
I like this one a lot because it makes the device feel much more fun and less formal. So, if you’re using this device for personal use, the Jade color might be a fun option to choose.
Redesigned Pen
What I think really enhances the notebook feel of the Kindle Scribe is the redesigned pen. It’s now made from a new metallic material, and I have to say, the best feature of this pen is the redesigned eraser. A common complaint with the previous Kindle Scribe pen was the plastic eraser?—?it felt very unnatural.?
But with the new Scribe pen, they’ve used a rubber material, and now it feels like using a real pencil eraser. When you use it on the Kindle Scribe, it feels so realistic that you almost want to wipe away the eraser marks, just like when using a real pencil on paper. I have to applaud the Kindle Scribe team for making this experience so natural.
Everything else new with the Kindle Scribe is software-related, and the good news is these updates will also be available for the old Kindle Scribe. So, if you already own a Scribe, you’ll still get all the new software features. Another great thing is that the new pen announced is backward-compatible with the old Kindle Scribe, which is an awesome move by Amazon.
New Software Updates
In terms of what the new software features are, they’re bringing AI functionality into the notebook experience. There are two new AI features: Refine Writing and Summarization.?
Refine Writing Feature?
The Refine Writing tool is a game-changer, especially for those with messy handwriting (like me!).?
If your notes are scattered and misaligned, you can hit the Refine Writing button, and it will clean up your handwriting, making it look neat and organized on your page.?
Summarization Feature
The Summarization feature is also quite interesting. After refining your handwriting, it sends the data to the cloud, where an AI model will summarize what you wrote.
?You can then choose to add that summary to the beginning or end of your notebook.
Amazon has also emphasized privacy by ensuring that all these AI features are end-to-end encrypted, and they won’t be using your data to train AI models. These new AI additions are going to make the notebook functionality on the Kindle Scribe much more useful.
Reading Features?
I often use my Kindle Scribe to read books, and they’ve also added new features for readers. One of these is the Active Canvas feature.
Active Canvas Feature.
When the Kindle Scribe first came out, writing directly in Kindle books wasn’t an option?—?you had to use sticky notes or take separate notes, and for markups, you could only use PDFs. But now, with Active Canvas, you can write directly in Kindle books. You just start writing anywhere on the page, even on top of the text, and a text box will appear, wrapping the book text around your notes.?
You can resize the text box as needed, and the cool part is that it will stay anchored exactly where you put it, even if you change the font size in your Kindle book.
Expandable Margin?
Another feature I’m really excited about is the Expandable Margin, which will be available early next year. You can swipe out a margin from the side of the page to write notes, then swipe it back to hide it.?
The margin is scrollable, so you can add as many notes as you want on a single page. This feature allows for a seamless, integrated note-taking experience that will always be there for you when needed.
Highlighting And Underlining?
One more quality-of-life improvement that I love is the addition of an option to choose between highlighting and underlining when using the pen. When you underline text, the line will automatically snap to the text and be perfectly straight, and the same goes for highlighting?—?it will snap to the text to make your highlight clean and aligned.?
These are small but meaningful changes, especially for people like me who love to annotate while reading.
New Kindle Scribe Price And Release?Date?
This new Kindle Scribe is available for pre-order today and will be shipping on December 4th at a price of $399. I plan to do several in-depth reviews of all the new Kindles over the coming weeks and months, as there’s a lot to cover that couldn’t fit into this one article. Stay tuned and follow if you haven’t already!?
If you have any questions about these Kindles, leave them in the comments, and I’ll be happy to answer them. Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll see you next one.?