TechTabletsAmazon Kindle (2024) review: an affordable wonderThe standard Kindle is still a winnerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictThe 2024 base Kindle is a brilliant bit of kit – even if it doesn’t change a huge amount over its predecessors. It’s a great e-reader for a lower price, even if I’d recommend the Paperwhite more powerfully. But for those on a lower budget, the base Kindle is a great option that can’t really go wrong.Reasons to buy+Simple design is comfortable to use+Great battery life+Solid displayReasons to avoid-It’s on the small side-Slower than the fancier modelsWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechTabletsAmazon Kindle (2024) review: an affordable wonderThe standard Kindle is still a winnerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictThe 2024 base Kindle is a brilliant bit of kit – even if it doesn’t change a huge amount over its predecessors. It’s a great e-reader for a lower price, even if I’d recommend the Paperwhite more powerfully. But for those on a lower budget, the base Kindle is a great option that can’t really go wrong.Reasons to buy+Simple design is comfortable to use+Great battery life+Solid displayReasons to avoid-It’s on the small side-Slower than the fancier modelsWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The standard Kindle is still a winner
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictThe 2024 base Kindle is a brilliant bit of kit – even if it doesn’t change a huge amount over its predecessors. It’s a great e-reader for a lower price, even if I’d recommend the Paperwhite more powerfully. But for those on a lower budget, the base Kindle is a great option that can’t really go wrong.Reasons to buy+Simple design is comfortable to use+Great battery life+Solid displayReasons to avoid-It’s on the small side-Slower than the fancier models
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
T3 VerdictThe 2024 base Kindle is a brilliant bit of kit – even if it doesn’t change a huge amount over its predecessors. It’s a great e-reader for a lower price, even if I’d recommend the Paperwhite more powerfully. But for those on a lower budget, the base Kindle is a great option that can’t really go wrong.Reasons to buy+Simple design is comfortable to use+Great battery life+Solid displayReasons to avoid-It’s on the small side-Slower than the fancier models
T3 VerdictThe 2024 base Kindle is a brilliant bit of kit – even if it doesn’t change a huge amount over its predecessors. It’s a great e-reader for a lower price, even if I’d recommend the Paperwhite more powerfully. But for those on a lower budget, the base Kindle is a great option that can’t really go wrong.
T3 Verdict
The 2024 base Kindle is a brilliant bit of kit – even if it doesn’t change a huge amount over its predecessors. It’s a great e-reader for a lower price, even if I’d recommend the Paperwhite more powerfully. But for those on a lower budget, the base Kindle is a great option that can’t really go wrong.
Reasons to buy+Simple design is comfortable to use+Great battery life+Solid displayReasons to avoid-It’s on the small side-Slower than the fancier models
Reasons to buy+Simple design is comfortable to use+Great battery life+Solid display
Simple design is comfortable to use
Great battery life
Solid display
Reasons to avoid-It’s on the small side-Slower than the fancier models
It’s on the small side
Slower than the fancier models
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Amazon might have basically come to dominate the e-reader market with its Kindle lineup, but the only one simply called ‘Kindle’ is its most affordable version. While this more basic Kindle doesn’t always grab headlines or get its flowers, just like thePaperwhiteandScribeit has been refreshed for 2024.
I’ve been using this new base Kindle for a couple of weeks now – and it’s impressed me to the point where thebest Kindleis no longer a simple question. This might not be the most premium of e-readers, but it has its place and is a great low-cost option.
Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Price & Availability
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024 deals$109.99ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024 deals$109.99ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024 deals
$109.99View
$109.99View
$109.99View
$109.99View
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$109.99
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
The Kindle’s 2024 version is available worldwide now, priced at £94.99 / $109.99 with ads, or £104.99 / $129.99 / AU$199 without. The weird twist here is that Australians can only buy the version without ads – although I’d recommend that regardless.
That makes it the cheapest Kindle on the market, although it’s worth noting thatBlack Friday 2024brought immediate discounts despite the Kindle’s recent release, knocking £15 / $20 off its price. So, you could hold out for sales that replicate that saving if you like.
This pricing overall is a slight increase over the 2022 Kindle, though, which is worth noting – as it could be that a refurbished 2022 version for a lower price could see you have an almost identical experience for less of a cost.
Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Design & Features
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The 2024 Kindle comes in two colours – a Matcha green, like the one I’ve been using, and a standard black for those who want a more stealthy option. Both look great, and either makes a good choice depending on your taste.
This is a 6-inch e-reader in terms of display diagonal, but with a bit of a lip around that display on all sides, the device has actual dimensions of 157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0mm. That makes it very slim, and probably the only Kindle in the current lineup that could be called pocketable.
That would require a big pocket, admittedly, but compared to the larger Paperwhite and brand newColorsoft, there’s no doubt that you’ll notice an uplift in portability and lightness when you use the normal Kindle. This is a rare advantage for a more affordable device.
Another way to look at the Kindle’s design is to zoom in on the edge of its display. Unlike the other, more expensive Kindle models, which now all have flat displays without any plastic lip, the standard Kindle still has physical bezels. These can actually be weirdly useful for your grip, but they also don’t look amazing and can collect dust. What would be most amazing, of course, would be page-turning buttons on them, but Amazon seems committed to leaving buttons behind.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
On the bottom of the Kindle, you’ll find the one button that remains – a power key – alongside the USB-C charging port. There’s a tiny LED indicator light to clue you in when it’s powering on or off, too. You get 16GB of onboard storage, which’ll be plenty for the vast majority.
Those brightness options should make finding the right level for your lighting fairly easy, though, and it can indeed get impressively bright when needed. The display itself remains 300ppi in sharpness terms, which translates to a really crisp reading experience that shouldn’t have you squinting. Of course, you can also change font sizes really easily on the fly.
Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Kindle’s performance hasn’t been shouted about on Amazon’s side, so there’s no expectation of a huge generational leap in speed. Indeed, while page-turning is indeed a little quicker than on the 2022 model, I’m not convinced most people would notice this unprompted.
The e-reader performs really ably, in short, doing basically exactly what you expect from it at all times. Text renders clearly and cleanly, but any comparison to the Paperwhite (2024) makes it clear that the latter has superior tech, with better contrast and the ability to make its display warmer, too.
Battery life is another area where nothing has changed, with Amazon continuing to quote six weeks of life on a single charge as the maximum. That’s still really impressive, even assuming that you read every day. Heavy use will see it drain a little quicker, especially on higher brightnesses – but you’ll still get around a month as a heavy reader, which is excellent.
A full recharge takes around 2 hours, which is almost exactly what you’d expect, and while there’s no wireless charging, I’m not sure that’s something many will be pining for here.
Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The standard Kindle is really easy to recommend to quite a wide slice of people who want a Kindle without breaking the bank. You get an extremely capable e-reader with support for most file types, in a clever little design that feels ultra-portable.
It’s well-priced and solidly made, even if using a Kindle Paperwhite for any amount of time will immediately make it clear that the cheaper version misses some nice features. There’s still a lot to like about the 2024 Kindle regardless – especially if you see a seasonal sale to sweeten the deal.
Also consider
I’d recommend that most people consider stretching their budget a little further to pick up theAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024, which just feels a little nicer to use for extended periods. Its display is both warmer and a little better to read from.
For those looking to shop outside the Amazon ecosystem, though, the Kobo Clara BW is well worth a look. It’s the direct equivalent of the standard Kindle, but adds waterproofing, a better-contrast display and warmer lighting. It’s slightly more expensive, but potentially worth the uplift.
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and Clara BW dealsAmazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024$109.99ViewSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and Clara BW dealsAmazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024$109.99ViewSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and Clara BW dealsAmazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024$109.99ViewSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and Clara BW deals
Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024$109.99ViewSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024$109.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024$109.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024
Amazon Kindle 11th Gen 2024
$109.99View
$109.99
$109.99
See all prices
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024
$159.99View
$159.99
$159.99
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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