Amazon has refreshed its entire Kindle lineup, giving every model a flush-front display and a design that wraps color around the body. The company also eliminated the recessed screen that had distinguished the entry-level Kindle from its pricier siblings. Amazon describes the new 6-inch Kindle as its most pocket-sized e-reader to date. The devices reach the US market first, with the entry-level Kindle and its aluminum variant on sale starting today and the Paperwhite and Colorsoft available for preorder.
The base Kindle measures 6.8mm thin, a full millimeter slimmer than the previous generation, and weighs 140 grams. It runs six weeks on a charge and opens books 30 percent faster than the prior entry-level model, according to Amazon. It carries 16GB of storage and starts at $150 with lockscreen ads. Buyers can choose Ube, a shade named for a purple yam from the Philippines, or Graphite.
A second entry-level variant swaps plastic for an aluminum back that Amazon says provides a premium feel, though it weighs 20 grams more than the standard model. That version doubles storage to 32GB and comes in Alpine Sky Aluminum and Seaglass Green Aluminum. Amazon is also offering Kids versions of all three models, which include child-friendly covers and an Amazon Kids+ subscription, with prices starting at $180.
The new Kindle Paperwhite is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and can run up to 12 weeks per charge. It keeps 16GB of storage, waterproofing and an adjustable warm light. Amazon says it has the largest screen and highest contrast ratio of any Paperwhite, which it says improves reading in bright sunlight. It starts at $200 in Graphite, while the Paperwhite Signature Edition adds an aluminum back, 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting lights and double-tap page turning for about $50 more, in Graphite and Seaglass Green.
Amazon redesigned the Kindle Colorsoft display for edge-to-edge color and better clarity. The standard Colorsoft offers 16GB of storage for $290 in Graphite. The Colorsoft Signature Edition has aluminum housing, 32GB of storage, an auto-adjusting front light, dock charging and double-tap page turning, priced from $320 in Graphite and Fig. The Paperwhite and Colorsoft are set to roll out for preorder across the same regions as the entry-level models.
After a hands-on session in New York, Engadget editor Cherlynn Low said the Ube color looked lovely in person, but she found its paint texture noticeably scratchier than the smoother finish of Kindles she owns. She noted the soft-touch paint may simply be similar to the previous generation's, and that her unit might not be representative. The Signature Edition models she handled felt cool, thin and light, and pages turned responsively in Amazon's new Page-Turn-Cover, with no lag she could detect.
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