Amazon releases new Kindle & Kindle Kids with USB-C

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

Amazon's new Kindle device
Amazon's new Kindle device


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
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.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    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!
    JP234ronnwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 16
    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.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    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.
    gregoriusmlkruppwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 16
    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.
    gregoriusmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 16
    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. 
    edited September 2022 muthuk_vanalingamgregoriusmwatto_cobraJaiOh81jony0
  • Reply 6 of 16
    AniMill said:
    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.
    The Paperwhite already got those upgrades more than a year ago.
    watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 7 of 16
    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 and iPad are great complements to each other.  I regularly switch between my iPhone, ipad and kindle when reading a book depending on my location.  When traveling, I generally don't have to worry about my Kindle's battery for a week long trip, its always ready to go.  If I could only have one, I would take the ipad, but would definitely recommend an Kindle to anyone who is an avid reader and is not tied to paper.  
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 16
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    The main advantage I see to a Kindle is price. The others are weight and battery life. I can set my iPad screen in any book reader to emulate the look of a Kindle. As we know, the eye and brain can’t distinguish between transmitted light and reflected light, despite what e-book reader advocates state. This has been proven, and a number of biologists have acknowledged that. It’s all about the settings.

    as far as blue light goes, again, it’s about the settings. There’s nothing inherently blue about tablets that’s not also true with reflected light on e-book readers. It all depends on the light source and settings.

    as long as all you plan to do with these book readers is read basic books, they’re great. If you plan to do anything else, including anything with photos or graphics, they’re not great. I can see some people having both.
    watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 9 of 16
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    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!
    And yet, they keep releasing new ones every year. And people keep buying them. Perhaps more people than you think actually appreciate the refined experience a specialty tablet provides. 
  • Reply 10 of 16
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    melgross said:
    The main advantage I see to a Kindle is price. The others are weight and battery life. I can set my iPad screen in any book reader to emulate the look of a Kindle. As we know, the eye and brain can’t distinguish between transmitted light and reflected light, despite what e-book reader advocates state. This has been proven, and a number of biologists have acknowledged that. It’s all about the settings.

    as far as blue light goes, again, it’s about the settings. There’s nothing inherently blue about tablets that’s not also true with reflected light on e-book readers. It all depends on the light source and settings.

    as long as all you plan to do with these book readers is read basic books, they’re great. If you plan to do anything else, including anything with photos or graphics, they’re not great. I can see some people having both.
    Do you own, or have you ever owned a Kindle?
  • Reply 11 of 16
    I've owned many ereaders, including both the smaller and larger Kindle Oasis. I much prefer the more expensive Kobo Sage, which has a 7-inch screen and also the Elipsa, which is even larger. There are many reasons for this -- clarity and size of the screen, the weight of the device, how easy the reader is to hold, and other more subjective things. One thing I like is that Kobo uses epub format and that the more expensive Kobo's allow you to download from a folder on Dropbox. On the Sage and Elipsa one can take notes, but I use my iPad for that. I only use the e-readers for reading. At night I always use night mode (with a dark background), which is much easier on my eyes than the brighter daytime mode.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    Fun fact: kindles won’t play audio books. Including Amazon owned audible.
    jony0
  • Reply 13 of 16
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,362member
    My favorite reading devices are the Kindle reader app on iPad followed by the Kindle Paperwhite. The Kindle device is more comfortable to hold and is more distraction-proof than the iPad as long as you keep your iPhone out of earshot and dock your Apple Watch.

    One would think that the iPad mini running the Kindle reader app would the absolute perfect e-reader based on my preferences, and is was, until they removed the bottom bezel where the Home button used to live. Maybe it’s just me, but if you look at the physical design of every Kindle ever made, and especially the Oasis model, readers seem to like having a big target to place their hammy hands on when holding an e-reader. This kind of makes sense. Have you ever seen a physical book that runs the content/text all the way out to the very edge of the page? Maybe all those book printers over the past several hundreds of years were on to something with that “margins” thing.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    The kindle and the iPad are not the same, so they shouldn't be compared.

    Reading on the Kindle is a way better experience.

    I just wish they release a new kindle Oasis!
  • Reply 15 of 16
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Japhey said:
    melgross said:
    The main advantage I see to a Kindle is price. The others are weight and battery life. I can set my iPad screen in any book reader to emulate the look of a Kindle. As we know, the eye and brain can’t distinguish between transmitted light and reflected light, despite what e-book reader advocates state. This has been proven, and a number of biologists have acknowledged that. It’s all about the settings.

    as far as blue light goes, again, it’s about the settings. There’s nothing inherently blue about tablets that’s not also true with reflected light on e-book readers. It all depends on the light source and settings.

    as long as all you plan to do with these book readers is read basic books, they’re great. If you plan to do anything else, including anything with photos or graphics, they’re not great. I can see some people having both.
    Do you own, or have you ever owned a Kindle?
    For a shot time. For how I use my iPads, it wasn’t very useful and non read advantage in reading. I read about four books a week.
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