Amazon Kindle – The lightest and most compact Kindle, with extended battery life, adjustable front light, and 16 GB storage – Without Lockscreen Ads – Black

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

1. 

   TC – February 23, 2025

   A device with a single purpose: reading
   Everyone has a smartphone these days, so at this point the Kindle is for one very particular audience: people who want to read a lot of books, and read them with a minimum of distractions. With this version, Amazon has refined the Kindle to the point where it’s just about ideal for this purpose. I’ve owned several previous Kindles, including an early Paperwhite, and currently own a couple of iPads, an iPhone, and a MacBook. For the purposes of long, immersive reading sessions, this Kindle is my best option. The battery life is long enough so that even with constant reading you only have to recharge once or twice a week (you can extend that by turning off wireless). The Kindle also has by far the best screen for immersive reading: it’s sharp and clear, with many options for different lighting conditions ranging from bright sunlight (Kindles leave tablets in the dust as far as bright-sun reading is concerned) to pitch black (the dark mode format is ideal for this). You can choose whether to read with a vertical orientation or a horizontal one — and this option of a horizontal orientation allows you (among other things) to read poetry on a Kindle without imposing premature line breaks. This Kindle is also extremely light and easy to hold for hours on end (my iPad mini is too heavy for that). And as with all Kindles, you can adjust the type size and font so that reading is comfortable for you – I love paper books, I really do, but I need bigger type.In a way, though, what’s best about this Kindle is what it doesn’t have. You can’t read your email. You can’t go on social media. Amazon’s Kindle browser is perpetually “experimental” — good! I pick up the Kindle when I want to read books, not when I want to lose my afternoon down an internet rabbit hole. That said, you do get just enough of the internet to assist in your reading. From within any book you can look up unfamiliar names/places on Wikipedia, and there’s a great built-in dictionary too. (You can download dictionaries for any language you read, and set them as your default in settings). But apart from those features, the internet might as well be on Mars. Fine by me. If I want to look at videos of puppies or lose my temper about politics, I have my phone (and several other machines, unfortunately). When I look at my Kindle, I can feel my blood pressure go down. More to the point, I can hide my phone under a cat and read books for hours and hours.That might not be your idea of an ideal afternoon. If it is, and you know who you are, this Kindle is pretty inexpensive and much lighter and easier to carry than tablets or physical books. It allows you to carry thousands of books around with you and then sit and read them without distractions. It’s limited in its other functions – and that’s exactly what makes it ideal.As you can probably tell from the above review, I have the patience of a gnat when it comes to content I don’t want to see, and for that reason I opted for the ad-free version. This allows me to have the lock screen be the cover of the current book I’m reading, which is extremely endearing. That said, the version with ads does not insert ads into your books; they’re not obtrusive in that way. So you can definitely save a few bucks by getting the version with ads – it won’t mess with your reading experience.

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2. 

   Sparky – February 23, 2025

   Maybe my favorite Kindle yet! (And I’ve owned a bunch)
   I’ve been buying Kindles ever since the second model came out way back in 2009 or so. The Kindle is a marvelous invention that got me reading again and reading 3-4 times as much as I ever did with paper books. I have no romantic notions about paper and glue anymore.I’d go as far as saying the Kindle is arguably the most underrated invention of the early 21st century. But you’re here for the review, so…As for why I like THIS Kindle so much, well, I love the fact that all of the most important features have finally trickled down to the base model. I can afford to buy any Kindle I want and I usually buy one of the middle or high-end Kindles. This one was actually replacing an older Paperwhite, but I wanted to give the base model a try since it checked all the right boxes, aside from color temperature adjustment.The fact that all the best features are present on the base model now makes me feel better about Kindles and Amazon in general honestly. My first Kindle was $399, so I love the fact that this one is so affordable and within reach of a lot more people now.This Kindle also gets the fastest SoC (microprocessor) that the newest Kindles have. That means it’s as fast, or faster than any of the Kindle models.It’s finally got a generous amount of memory for anyone with anything but the biggest book collection. I’ll never fill it up I’m sure.It’s even got the higher dpi (resolution) Paperwhite screen now, so you’re no longer penalized with pixelated fonts or less contrast for buying the entry-level model and I LOVE that.One of my favorite features, though, is that it’s super small and light, which I really love. It’s the smallest, lightest, most pocketable Kindle there’s ever been. That’s a nice feature that makes you more likely to take it with you everywhere.The only things you’re really giving up versus a Paperwhite that I know of are the extra LEDs (I don’t miss them a bit, backlighting is more than enough) and the warmer color backlighting option (nice to have, but I can definitely live without it).This model also has a bit less battery life than the Paperwhite (maybe 15-20% less?) But it’s still a Kindle, which means it will last longer than any other device you own. I doubt the battery life will be a complaint from many.The final feature it’s missing is actually a PLUS to me. It’s the fact that the screen is recessed. I actually prefer that (I can’t be the only one). I like being able to tell by touch precisely where the screen begins. It makes it easier to avoid touching the screen accidentally and I just think it looks better to be honest.The only feature I WISH it had is PAGE TURN BUTTONS. I have no idea WHY Amazon has limited them to only the Oasis models. Other eInk book manufacturers like Kobo managed to find a way to include page turn buttons on nearly every model. Come on, Amazon.I had been planning on buying an Oasis for several years, specifically to get the page turn buttons. But I simply got tired of WAITING for Amazon to make an Oasis with USB-C charging already and update the hardware to match the newer models.I finally gave up on waiting for a USB-C Oasis after I read rave reviews of the new base model and Prime Day rolled around with a price drop on it.I’m super satisfied with it though. Lack of buttons aside, I think it’s my favorite Kindle yet due to the exceptional value, ultra-pocketable size and feature set.This model has everything I think most people really need and want in a Kindle at a very fair price (especially when you buy it during Prime Days like I did!).I also really appreciate the opportunity to buy a Kindle in a color other than black or white for a change. The Denim Blue is cool and different and that’s a feature you cannot get in ANY other Kindle model. Amazon should consider making a few more color choices here and there. I guarantee it would juice up sales.If they just added some sturdy page turn buttons to this, a physical switch to disable the touch screen, the “warm” backlighting option and gave it a bigger battery that’s designed to be easily replaced, it would be the PERFECT Kindle for me.That and I wish Amazon would give us greater control over our Home Screen. I just want a simple list of folders or my collections. I don’t want to see “suggestions” or any eye candy marketing fluff. Minor complaint though.All-in-all I think when you take price into consideration, this is the BEST KINDLE Amazon has ever made, hands down.

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3. 

   Jessica Crawford – February 23, 2025

   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely Amazing – I Use It Every Day!
   I cannot say enough great things about this Amazon Kindle! It’s lightweight, compact, and incredibly comfortable to hold for long reading sessions. The adjustable front light makes it perfect for reading in any lighting condition, whether I’m outside in the sun or reading in bed at night.The battery life is unbelievable—I go weeks without needing to charge it, even though I use it every single day. With 16GB of storage, I can carry my entire library with me wherever I go. No more lugging around heavy books! The screen is crisp and easy on the eyes, making it feel just like reading a real page.If you love reading, this Kindle is an absolute game-changer. It’s perfect for travel, commuting, or just relaxing at home. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing e-reader! 📖✨

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