What do you look for when buying an e-reader? Effortless reading, portability, clear text and a long battery life would be at the top of most people’s list of reasons. In fact, it is these factors that made Amazon Kindle a favourite of millions of people across the world ever since it was rolled out in 2007.
So, what's new in the latest Amazon Kindle (11th generation)? Let’s have a look.
The device is snappier and navigation is buttery smooth compared to previous editions. There is no glitch or noticeable delay when sifting through menus, modes, pages and features, and overall, interacting with the device is a much more pleasant experience.
Pros
- Slightly lighter and smaller design than previous model
- 300 ppi high-resolution display
- Built-in light
- Good value for cost
- USB-C charging
Cons
- Not waterproof
- Display temperature isn't adjustable
Sharper display, but no warm light yet
The device has a sumptuous 300ppi display, almost double the previous version, which was only 167ppi. The basic Kindle now has the same resolution as its high-end premium e-readers - Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature and Scribe - released in 2022. As a result, the text, book covers, and images come out more live on the sharper screen. It is easy on the eye and more pleasing in different lighting settings. You are now closer to reading actual text on paper, on a basic model. Truth be told, the lower resolution was never an issue that serious readers were bothered about but it now suddenly seems like a solid reason to put down the old Kindle basic and go for the upgrade.
While we are in the display department, it is worth noting the continuing absence of the warm light feature on the basic model. The lack of adjustable warm light will make reading at night or in dark spaces a not-so-advisable option. It will put a strain on your eyes and it's likely your bedtime reading will suffer with the new device. Additionally, there is also no auto adjustment for brightness on the base model, as it continues to be a premium feature.
Simple design with storage boost
There’s no change in the look and feel of the device. But the new body colour 'denim' is a pleasant change from the black and white options in the previous editions. Of course, you can still have the black version, but the white one is no longer available. It is still all plastic and a rather cheap-looking gadget. However, it is sturdy enough to make you feel confident handling it. But I honestly don’t want to think about what would happen if it hits the floor.
The good thing is, this is the Kindle I'd take to places where I wouldn't usually take my 2019 Oasis, though that doesn’t mean anywhere near water, as it is not waterproof, yet. Its plastic is also not as cold to the touch as the aforementioned device, but then there is an attractive cover that Amazon is offering for the new Kindle. This fabric cover fits perfectly on the device and opens and closes like a book to wake up or put it to sleep, much like the premium devices. It also makes me a little less anxious about the impact of gravity on the new Kindle.
It certainly feels light and more pocketable than its premium siblings and I hope I will use it more often. It also has lots of memory - 16GB - to carry thousands of books wherever you go. Now, e-books don’t need that much space, but the added storage will become handy if you want to store and play Audible audiobooks using the Bluetooth feature.
USB-C charging cable
The new Kindle sports a USB Type-C port for charging and it is a nice update, as more and more devices have moved on to the C port, compared to the micro USB port. You can now use the same charger and cables as your phones, instead of being forced to carry a near-obsolete micro-USB cable, exclusively for the Kindle.
PDF reading experience
The Kindle basic was able to handle the PDF texts and images quite comfortably. There was no glitch or lag and it rendered images quite capably when zooming in, out or moving through the pages and images. It’s good news, along with the new sharper screen, for manga and comic lovers, but the smaller screen size spoils the fun, in my opinion.
The device has Bluetooth integrated and can read out text on the screen when paired with a speaker. No, not just audiobooks, any text on the page. This feature was available in the previous version as well and is actually quite a useful bonus. It continues to baffle me why Amazon is not adding a speaker or at least providing an audio output on any of their Kindles.
Technical Specifications
- Display: 6-inch display with built-in light, 300 ppi, optimised font technology and 16-level grey scale.
- Size: 157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0 mm (Size represents total device measurements)
- Weight: 158 grams
- System requirements: None, fully wireless and doesn't require a computer to download content.
- On-device storage: 16 GB
- Cloud storage: Free cloud storage for all Amazon content.
- Battery life: A single charge lasts up to 6 weeks, based on half an hour of reading a day with wireless off and the light setting at 13. Battery life will vary based on light settings and wireless usage. Audible audiobook streaming over Bluetooth will reduce battery life.
- Charge time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours from a computer via USB cable; fully charges in less than 2 hours with a 9 Watts USB power adaptor.
- Wi-Fi connectivity: Supports 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz networks with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication or Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). Does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
- Accessibility features: Kindle includes the ability to invert Black and White, adjust font size, font face, line spacing and margins.
- Content formats supported: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, EPUB, PRC natively; HTML DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PMP through conversion; Audible audio format (AAX).
- Generation: Kindle 11th generation (2022 release).
- Software security updates: This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase.
Conclusion
Kindle 2022 is worth considering if you own a basic Kindle but are looking for better display and storage options without having to shell out too much money for the top-end models. And if you still don’t have an e-reader in 2023, look no further, it is certainly worth buying as your first one.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
