Amazon releases new Kindle & Kindle Kids with USB-C

Amazon's new Kindle device

On Tuesday, Amazon released a pair of Kindles with USB-C, a new high-resolution display, and twice the storage of older models.

Both eReaders include a new 6-inch 300ppi display that bring dark mode to the Kindle lineup for the first time. Amazon says that the improved screen brings the digital reading experience closer to paper books.

The new Kindle's 16GB of storage provides more space for ebooks, and it has a longer battery life of up to six weeks on a single charge. The Kindle app in the App Store also offers a more simplified device setup process for the new products.

All of these features are also included in the new Kindle Kids tablet. This model has a kid-friendly cover and a free year of Amazon Kids+.

The Amazon Kids+ subscription provides unlimited access to children's books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Artemis Fowl, and the Percy Jackson series. Audiobooks from Audible are also available.

Amazon's new Parent Dashboard for Kindle Kids offers parental controls to set reading and bedtime schedules. Kids can request books for parents to add to their library, and tools such as Word Wise and Vocabulary Builder help teach difficult words through flashcards.

New Kindle Kids

The new Kindle will be available starting at $99.99 in 16GB and in Black or Denim colors. New fabric covers will be available in Black, Rose, Denim, and Dark Emerald.

Kindle Kids will be available starting at $119.99 in 16GB in Black. Customers can choose from three kid-friendly cover designs: Space Whale, Unicorn Valley, and Ocean Explorer.

Customers can preorder each device starting on Tuesday. Devices start shipping on October 12.

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16 Comments

future man

said about 1 year ago

I think that the progression of time has passed the Kindle device as an all-in-one iPad device offers so much greater device utilization!

doal

said about 1 year ago

future man said:

I think that the progression of time has passed the Kindle device as an all-in-one iPad device offers so much greater device utilization!

But the kindle is great for night reading and doesn’t keep me up.

Eric_WVGG

said about 1 year ago

future man said:

I think that the progression of time has passed the Kindle device as an all-in-one iPad device offers so much greater device utilization!

You can throw a kindle in a beach bag, get sand all over it, no worries.

Shove it in your jeans pocket, don't worry about sitting on it, not even a huge deal if it gets stolen

I am definitely an iPad reader as well, but I can't deny that the Kindle has a strong niche.

AniMill

said about 1 year ago

I hope that this set of upgrades comes to the Kindle Paper White. USB-C, waterproof, larger screen with dark-mode…all pluses for me. iPad for productivity, Kindle for chill.

charlesn

said about 1 year ago

future man said:

I think that the progression of time has passed the Kindle device as an all-in-one iPad device offers so much greater device utilization!

The Kindle is and always will be a unitasker focused on providing the best reading experience. It's understandable that many tablet owners would decide that the reading experience on their device is "good enough," and see no need for a Kindle. But there's no doubt that the Kindle provides a significantly better experience for reading, which is why it has a loyal customer base of users.

Why is a Kindle superior? When you read from a book, the words are illuminated by the ambient light, whatever its source, that's reflected off the page. Your eyes aren't staring into the light source. Kindle is the same. Either you're reading via ambient light that's reflected off the "page" of a Kindle, or you're using Kindle's own illumination, which is not--unlike a tablet--backlit. Through a sophisticated system, Kindle channels its lighting to illuminate the screen from above, so you're still reading via light that's reflected off the "page," which is much easier on the eyes. And Kindle's more recent "warming light" feature optimizes color temperature of the lighting for whatever environment you're in, including complete darkness, which further increases eye comfort when reading.

Tablets, on the other hand, are backlit--when you're reading, you are literally staring into the light source behind the screen, which is much more fatiguing on the eyes. It's as simple as that. And while Apple now has Night Mode lighting on iPads, which eliminates blue light, it is not as flexible as Kindle's warming light. Most tablet owners would never even consider the purchase of a Kindle, but I think that would change somewhat if they had the experience of reading a book on a Kindle. I still do all of my short form reading on the backlit screens of my iPhone, iPad or iMac. But when it's time to sit down to reading a book, I'd never reach for anything other than a Kindle. The fact that Amazon keeps churning out new models of the Kindle in 2022 (two more new models just released today) makes it clear that I'm far from alone.

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