A new chapter for Amazon’s Kindle e-reader
I love books. Real books, that is, made of paper. I love the look, the smell, the feel – everything about them.
I also know that in 2022 packing up books into boxes and transporting them around the globe may not be the best idea for the environment.
There is, of course, an alternative – the e-book. And, although the e-book has its own environmental impact in manufacturing and distribution, it has to be a better way of getting the written word out there.
You would be forgiven for thinking there is only one manufacturer of e-books in 2022 – Amazon. The Kindle is far and away the biggest selling e-book device on the planet. And Amazon has recently updated its baseline model. The basic Kindle comes in just shy of £85 for a model that displays ads on its lock screen.
It’s not the best Kindle Amazon makes – the honour goes to the much more expensive Oasis. There’s also the mid-range Kindle Paperwhite which adds a better screen and waterproofing for an extra £50.
To my mind, the baseline Kindle is good enough – and the new model adds some great features.
Amazon says it’s the lightest and most compact Kindle ever made, although it still has the 300 DPI e-ink screen, it’s also backed by the excellent Kindle bookstore.
The paper-like display offers glarefree reading experience in direct sunlight. There’s a built-in front light for when the sun goes down. On this new Kindle, you will also find better battery life, with USB-C charging, lasting up to six weeks on a single charge depending on usage. There’s also expanded storage – the 16GB included is double that found on the previous model and enough to store thousands of books.
I’m not sure it’s worth an upgrade if you already have a Kindle less than a couple of years old, but the lighter body and the more compact design certainly make it a desirable device for those using older models.
This Kindle remains the e-reader to beat, and far and away the best value for money.
The 2022 Amazon Kindle starts at £84.99