The new Kindle (left) and Kindle Paperwhite (right).
Image credit: Amazon
Amazon is updating its Kindle e-readers with thinner, lighter designs, a faster basic Kindle, and new aluminum options. The lineup also introduces Kindle Click, a $34.99 Bluetooth remote that lets you turn pages without touching the screen. It works with Kindles released in 2024 or later, giving owners of recent devices a way to add physical page controls without buying another e-reader.
The new devices are arriving in two stages this month. The Kindle and Kindle Kids are available now, while the Paperwhite, Colorsoft, and Kindle Click are available for preorder, with shipping beginning October 28.
Kindle Click adds wireless page-turn buttons
The Kindle Click with the new Kindle in the background.
Image credit: Amazon
As a Kindle owner, I'm the most excited about the new Kindle Click, which lets you leave your e-reader propped up while controlling it from your hand. I get hand fatigue during extended reading sessions and the Click will solve this problem. The $34.99 Bluetooth remote has large forward and back buttons you can identify by feel, making it useful for reading in bed or on a treadmill. You can choose which button advances the page in Kindle settings.
Kindle Click also puts brightness and sleep controls within reach. Dedicated side buttons adjust screen brightness without opening a menu, and pressing both puts the Kindle to sleep. Its rechargeable battery is rated for weeks of use, and it charges over USB-C; the cable and power adapter are sold separately.
Kindle gets thinner, lighter, and faster
The redesigned Kindle is about 14% thinner and 11% lighter, and opens books 30% faster than the previous model. It measures 6.85 mm thick and weighs 140 grams (4.9 ounces), down from 8.0 mm and 158 grams. It is also 5 mm shorter while retaining the 6-inch screen, making it more compact without reducing the reading area.
The basic Kindle’s new flush-front screen eliminates the raised border around the display. The device’s body color now extends around the front as well as the back, including the purple Ube option, along with Graphite. The 16GB model costs $149.99, with adjustable screen brightness and battery life rated at up to six weeks.
A new aluminum Kindle gives readers a different finish and twice the storage for another $40. The $189.99 model has an aluminum back and 32GB of storage, with Alpine Sky Aluminum and Seaglass Green Aluminum color options. Its 6-inch screen and six-week battery rating match the basic model, so the extra money buys the finish and capacity.
The new Kindle Kids shown with the Lakeside Retreat cover.
Image credit: Amazon
The updated Kindle Kids brings the thinner, lighter design to Amazon’s children’s reading bundle. For $179.99, it includes a 6-inch e-reader with 16GB of storage, a cover, and one year of Amazon Kids+, which provides books for ages 6 to 12. Battery life is rated at up to six weeks.
The included reading tools in Kids+ help children tackle difficult words and let parents follow their progress. Children can look up definitions and enlarge the text, while parents can check reading activity through the Parent Dashboard app. Kids+ renews automatically at the applicable rate after the included year unless you cancel.
Paperwhite gets thinner, with aluminum for Signature Edition
The new Kindle Paperwhite sits next to a phone showing the anti-reflective properties of the Paperwhite's display.
Image credit: Amazon
The redesigned standard Paperwhite is about 13% thinner and 3% lighter than the previous model. It measures 6.8 mm thick and weighs 204 grams (7.2 ounces), compared with 7.8 mm and 211 grams, and is 2 mm shorter while keeping the 7-inch screen. The Paperwhite 16GB model costs $199.99.
The Paperwhite Signature Edition gains an aluminum back, double-tap page turning, and charging through metal contacts on a new dock. The $249.99 model has 32GB of storage, automatically adjusting lighting, and no lock-screen ads, with Graphite and Seaglass Green color options. The separate $59.99 dock holds the device upright while charging it.
Both Paperwhite models continue to offer the features that make it a useful step up from the basic Kindle. Its 7-inch glare-free screen provides more reading space, adjustable warm lighting lets you shift from white to amber, and waterproofing suits reading by the pool or in the bath. Battery life is rated at up to 12 weeks.
A new $79.99 magnetic Page Turn Cover adds physical page buttons to the Paperwhite Signature Edition and Colorsoft Signature Edition. The buttons require no battery, charging, or pairing. It’s a more expensive option than Kindle Click, but keeps the controls attached to the device’s cover.
Colorsoft gets thinner and lighter
The new Kindle Colorsoft Signature Editor has an aluminum housing.
Image credit: Amazon
The redesigned Kindle Colorsoft is about 13% thinner and 5% lighter than the previous 16GB model. It measures 6.8 mm thick and weighs 204 grams (7.2 ounces), down from 7.8 mm and 215 grams, while retaining the 7-inch color screen. The $289.99 model includes 16GB of storage, adjustable warm lighting, waterproofing, and no lock-screen ads.
Colorsoft’s redesigned display targets clearer, more evenly lit pages. Small light-directing structures reduce stray light and improve lighting uniformity, while a thin optical coating improves clarity. The practical benefit would be easier-to-read illustrations and text, though the improvement over the previous screen needs firsthand testing.
The $319.99 Colorsoft Signature Edition adds an aluminum body and new page-turning and charging options. It supports double-tap page turning, the magnetic Page Turn Cover, and the charging dock. It has 32GB of storage and automatically adjusting lighting, and comes in Graphite or Fig.
Color remains the reason to spend more on Colorsoft, particularly if you read illustrated material or organize highlights by color. You can mark passages in yellow, orange, blue, pink, or green, and the screen displays color at 150 pixels per inch compared with 300 pixels per inch for black-and-white content. Battery life is rated at up to eight weeks; readers who mainly read novels can save $90 with the standard Paperwhite and get a longer 12-week battery rating.
