Amazon has given its Kindle range a sizeable refresh, with a new aluminum finish across the family, faster performance for the basic Kindle and a few handy extras for anyone who takes their reading seriously.
The Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft can now all be bought in aluminum variants, marking the first time Amazon has moved away from the traditional plastic construction. The more premium finish does come at a higher price, but it gives the range a noticeably different feel.
The basic Kindle gets the most attention. Amazon says its upgraded processor opens books 30% faster than the previous model, while the display now sits flush with the chassis. That should make reaching the edges of the screen easier than on older models, which had a more pronounced gap between the display and body.
The standard Kindle is available from October 1 in Ube Purple and Graphite, starting at £134.99 / $150 with ads or $149.99 / $170 without. The aluminum version costs $190, has no ads and comes in Alpine Sky Aluminum or Seaglass Green Aluminum. It also includes a magnetic cover attachment.
The Paperwhite gets the flush display and keeps its waterproof design, while the Signature model adds an adaptive front light, 32GB storage and, for the first time, an aluminum shell. Prices start at $200 for the ad-supported Paperwhite, $220 without ads and $250 for the aluminum Signature.
The Colorsoft also returns, with the Signature model getting aluminum, an automatically adjusting front light and a double-tap option for turning pages. It starts at $290 and rises to $320 for the aluminum Signature. Both Paperwhite and Colorsoft models ship from October 28.
There are new Kids versions across all three models too, each with artist-designed covers and 12 months of Amazon Kids+ included.
Amazon is also finally adding a proper page-turning accessory. The $35 Kindle Click has two physical buttons for turning pages and works with the new Kindles and models from 2024 onwards. There are also $60 magnetic charging stands and $80 Page-Turn covers for Signature Paperwhite and Colorsoft models, plus new fabric, plant-based leather and premium leather cases for $40.
So while the new Kindles aren’t a complete rethink, Amazon is clearly putting more attention into how they look, feel and work as physical reading devices.
