The Best Kindle of 2025: Paperwhite, Scribe, or Colorsoft?
Evaluating Our Favourite Kindles
What In regards to the New Kindle Scribes?
I obtained to check two of Amazon’s new Kindles, the Kindle Scribe ($500) and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($630), although the Scribe Colorsoft will not begin transport till January. Each have the same look, although the Scribe Colorsoft has a colour display and a shorter battery life (solely eight weeks of studying time, in contrast with 12 weeks for the black-and-white Scribes). Each have a brand new, taller design with an 11-inch display, barely slimmer kind issue, and up to date stylus. They each even have a quad-core chip and have a brand new homepage, will help quite a lot of AI options together with AI search (together with some AI instruments for summarizing books you are studying with out giving spoilers, however these will not arrive till subsequent yr). Customers can connect with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to mark up paperwork.
General, I would say they’re good gadgets, however so long as the cheaper second-generation Kindle Scribe is on the market, I believe it is the higher purchase. It additionally has AI capabilities and can get the identical up to date house web page subsequent yr, so you actually needn’t improve. I am additionally upset that these value a lot; for the value of the Scribe Colorsoft, you may get the extra highly effective reMarkable Paper Professional, which additionally has a colour display however can double as an e-paper pill and nearly laptop computer with its keyboard equipment.
There is a base mannequin Kindle Scribe with out the entrance mild ($430) due out subsequent yr, however as somebody who likes to learn in the dead of night, I do not love this idea. We’ll see how I really feel as soon as it arrives; this information will probably be up to date with testing notes as soon as it is obtainable.
Equipment for Simpler Studying
{Photograph}: Nena Farrell
When you’ve ever had a protracted studying session that offers you hand cramps, these equipment may assist. You may take a look at extra choices in our Finest Kindle Equipment information.
Strapsicle E-Reader Hand Straps for $20: Connect one or each of those to the again of your Kindle—one is angled on your proper hand and the opposite on your left—and slide your hand in. Your arms will not cramp, you will not by accident hit the display and flip pages, and the reader will not slip out of your arms. There are three sizes meant to carry various kinds of e-readers. You must see precisely which fashions they work with on the Amazon pages, in addition to on this web page on the Strapsicle web site.
Lamicall Gooseneck Pill Holder for $18: I really like this system. Whereas I would not name it fully hands-free, it’s an excellent handy and comfy expertise, significantly when you have persistent ache in your wrists. The clamp is simple to connect to mattress frames and facet tables (there’s additionally a flooring stand model for $60). It’s light-weight to deploy anyplace and has sufficient resistance to the neck that it doesn’t fall ahead or out of the place you place it in. It did wobble a bit once I touched it to show the web page (or it obtained bumped by a curious cat), so I normally preserve a relaxation hand on it to carry it regular. If you wish to go totally hands-free, add a page-turner distant so you may learn with out lifting a finger.
PopSockets PopGrips beginning at $10: PopSockets PopGrips aren’t simply on your cellphone. Additionally they work nice on e-readers if paired with a MagSafe case or adhesive ring. The extra reasonably priced PopSockets work with adhesive, whereas the dearer ones use MagSafe adapters, letting you are taking them on and off with out leaving sticky residue behind. My private favourite is the Coronary heart of Silver ($40), since it is a bigger PopSockets and I’ve small arms. The Coronary heart of Silver one makes the seven-inch Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft actually snug to carry, and comes with an adapter ring to transform any case you have got right into a MagSage one.
Nomad 65W Slim Energy Adapter for $55: Kindles have lengthy battery life, however former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar appreciated to hold a charger together with her on the go simply in case. This one from Nomad is her favourite. It is tremendous skinny and comes with two USB-C ports, so she makes use of it to cost her e-reader and cellphone concurrently (the left facet delivers 45 watts and the fitting delivers 20 watts when charging two gadgets on the similar time). The prongs additionally fold up, so it suits properly within the facet pocket of a bag.
Finest Kindle Circumstances and Covers
{Photograph}: Nena Farrell
Amazon Kindles are, fortunately, not as fragile as our expensive smartphones, however you should still need to add a canopy to guard the display in the event you’re continuously toting it round in a bag. These aren’t padded for critical drops, however are the most effective Kindle circumstances we have discovered for each day safety from scratches and scuffs. The Youngsters’ editions include circumstances.
PopSockets PopCase Kindle for $40: These Kindle circumstances are designed with a MagSafe adapter within the again, so you may simply add a MagSafe PopSockets grip to the again. You used to have to stick the grip or purchase a MagSafe adapter to make use of PopSockets in your Kindle, however now you may customise freely with these circumstances. These circumstances are additionally a pleasant high quality, however they do not embody a canopy, and the grip can solely be connected to the predetermined decrease middle spot. If in case you have smaller arms like I do, get one of many larger PopGrips, just like the Coronary heart of Silver ($40) or Coronary heart of Gold ($40) to extra simply attain it.
Cloth Covers for Kindle for $32 and Paperwhite for $37: These open like a e-book and are available some variation of black, blue, pink, or inexperienced. They’re constituted of postconsumer recycled cloth.
Cloth Cowl for Scribe for $60: This one flips up and over like a notepad, and you’ll place it right into a stand, too. There’s additionally a slot for the pen if you do not need it to connect it magnetically on a regular basis. It is also made with recycled supplies. It is designed for the second-generation mannequin of the Scribe that I choose.
The Bookish Kindle Circumstances beginning at $36: I actually like that this cowl additionally has a built-in strap, so you may benefit from the safety of a hand strap whereas studying and have the safety of a canopy if you’re not. There are a bunch of enjoyable colours, too.
The Quirky Cup Collective E-Reader Sleeve for $29: Our staff loves these attractive sleeves, significantly the Solar and Moon model. They’re stunning and can shield your system if you aren’t utilizing it, so you may throw it in your bag with out fear. The skin is velvet and the within is satin, with some padding in between and a zipper closure. On the again is a small zip pocket. On every product web page, you may see which gadgets match, however seek the advice of the measurements. There are additionally separate, bigger e-book and iPad sleeves (beginning at $38).
CoBak Clear Case for $9: The perfect half about having a transparent case is that it protects the again of your Kindle and lets you embellish it with stickers beneath.
Nice Studying Lights
{Photograph}: Simon Hill
When you learn earlier than mattress however do not need to disturb sleeping accomplice, youngsters, or roommates, put money into a studying mild. All of the Kindles now have a entrance mild, so you do not want one, however these can nonetheless be helpful, particularly in the event you change between your e-reader and bodily books. Beneath are a couple of of our favorites. You will discover extra in our Finest Studying Lights information.
Vekkia 14 LED E-book Gentle for $16: That is our high decide. It is a clip-on mild with an adjustable gooseneck and two swiveling mild bars that pack seven LEDs every. You may cycle by means of 5 ranges of brightness and three heat colours. It is comparatively massive, although, so it isn’t nice for small paperbacks. The clamp opens as broad as 2.1 inches and serves as a secure base to put on a nightstand.
Glocusent LED Neck Studying Gentle for $22: This studying mild wraps round your neck, so it appears to be like foolish. However it’s a wonderful various to a clip-on studying mild whereas remaining hands-free. It is light-weight, adjustable, and comes with three colour temperature modes in addition to six brightness settings. It is rechargeable and presents as much as 80 hours of battery life at dimmer settings.
About These Older Kindles
Amazon would not launch new Kindles usually—the corporate normally takes a couple of years between fashions. Each time a brand new one arrives, its predecessor’s inventory begins to dwindle. It is not that we do not advocate these per se, however we solely counsel these if you could find them on sale for the fitting value. In any other case, we advocate shopping for the newest model.
Earlier than making your buy, cross-check the value with the newest mannequin to be sure to’re spending a good quantity much less on the older system.
- Kindle (2022, eleventh Technology): That is the smallest of the lot at 6.2 inches tall and 4.3 inches broad, with a 6-inch display. When you discover tablets too cumbersome to carry with one hand, contemplate this one. With this mannequin, Amazon doubled the storage to 16 gigabytes and upgraded the show to 300 pixels per inch (PPI) decision (up from 167 PPI). It is powerful to seek out, however in the event you handle to snag one, you should not spend greater than $50.
- Kindle Paperwhite (2021, eleventh Technology): That is the following step up from the essential mannequin. It has a vibrant 6.8-inch display with adjustable heat lighting, a quick page-turn fee, a USB-C port, and 16 gigs of storage. It is waterproof too. We just like the Signature Version, which additionally contains auto-adjust brightness and 32 gigabytes of storage. Do not advocate spending greater than $100 if you could find them.
- Kindle Scribe (1st Technology): The unique Scribe is a superb possibility for note-takers. It has an enormous 10.2-inch display for taking notes, marking up PDFs, or drawing, and quite a few paper codecs you may select, like college-ruled or dotted. It additionally comes with the Primary Pen, which feels pure to put in writing with and attaches to the facet of the Scribe magnetically. It is solely value it for $230 or much less.
- Kindle Youngsters (2022): That is an older kid-friendly mannequin. It comes with a canopy, a yr’s subscription to Amazon Youngsters+, parental controls, and a two-year guarantee. Do not spend greater than $70 on this one.
- Kindle Paperwhite Youngsters (2021): This older Paperwhite model is a step up from the earlier fundamental Youngsters fashions. It has a high-resolution 300-ppi show with an adjustable heat display and can be waterproof. You should not spend greater than $110 on this one.
FAQs
What’s the Finest Solution to Purchase or Promote an Older Kindle?
Have an previous Kindle mendacity round? Are you a used one on the market? When you’re attempting to determine what mannequin it’s, this Amazon web page contains images, specs, and launch years for all the lineup. As soon as you understand which one you have got, you could possibly commerce it in for credit score towards a more recent mannequin.
Most aged Kindles in all probability nonetheless work, simply with fewer bells and whistles. It is best to keep away from Kindles with keyboards or another bodily buttons aside from page-turn buttons. Some older fashions misplaced the flexibility to browse, buy, or borrow new books straight from the system. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless be capable to do that through Amazon in your laptop or cellphone and have it despatched to your Kindle, which is a greater expertise anyway. These fashions embody the Kindle 2nd Technology (Worldwide), Kindle DX Worldwide, Kindle DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4th Technology, and Kindle fifth Technology.
How Do You Get Free Ebooks on a Kindle?
When you purchase each single e-book you need to learn on a Kindle, it may well add up! However there are methods to avoid wasting cash whereas studying as a lot as your coronary heart wishes. You could need to subscribe to Kindle Limitless for $12 a month. You may solely select from the Limitless catalog, however there are hundreds of thousands of titles there, together with audiobooks and magazines. Begin out with the 30-day free trial.
When you already pay for a Prime account, you are eligible for some free ebooks by means of Prime Studying. There usually are not as many choices as with Kindle Limitless, and in a variety of circumstances, you may see each Limitless and Prime choices lumped collectively; you may need to look carefully to seek out the free ebooks. It is nonetheless one thing, and there are even a couple of magazines.
If you do not need one other month-to-month subscription and do not need to proceed giving your cash to Amazon, make the most of the ebooks obtainable together with your library card. Looking a digital catalog shouldn’t be as magical as spending a day trying over each shelf in a library, however such is the book life (nobody says you may’t learn each!). We have now an in depth how-to on this you must take a look at, however listed here are a few of the takeaways:
- Get a library card on your native department.
- Verify your department’s web site for its book choices. Many libraries use a service referred to as OverDrive.
- Obtain on to your Kindle library. They will routinely be eliminated once they’re due again.
If you understand another person with a Kindle, you may lend books between your libraries, simply as you’d with a bodily copy. Comply with these directions from Amazon if you wish to share an book, however take into account that not all books may be loaned.
Do All Kindles Have Darkish Mode?
Darkish mode is a giant attraction of any e-reader, whether or not it is a Kindle or one other model. And nearly all fashions have it now that the majority e-readers embody a entrance mild. (Older Kindles do not all the time have one, so in the event you’re getting an older refurbished one, double-check it.) Nonetheless, one new mannequin would not have a real darkish mode: the Colorsoft. The Colorsoft cannot have a full darkish mode attributable to its display design, in response to Amazon, however as an alternative you may change the web page colour to black within the Fast Actions menu. It is not the identical, although, particularly in case you are studying one thing that is not an everyday e-book (like a file despatched to your Kindle) or need the menu pages to even be darkish, you are out of luck.
What Else Can a Kindle Do?
Kindles have useful options it’s possible you’ll need to make the most of. Lengthy-press a phrase or phrase to see its definition, spotlight it, or take notes. It’s also possible to search all the e-book for that individual phrase or phrase or translate it to or from different languages.
Phrase Smart reveals brief definitions in small textual content throughout the strains. Sadly, it isn’t obtainable for all books, however when it’s, you may flip it on or off and select extra and fewer hints. Clicking the brief definition opens an extended one from Phrase Smart and the New Oxford American Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary of English (you may change between the 2), plus translations, and a Wikipedia web page, if relevant.
Whereas studying, faucet the highest of the display and click on “Aa” to alter font dimension or kind—there’s even a font referred to as OpenDyslexic that helps make studying simpler for folks with dyslexia. You may management margin sizes and line spacing from that menu too.
When a Kindle is linked to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, VoiceView Display screen Reader (accessed by means of Settings > Accessibility) lets you use gestures to navigate your system and reads aloud what you’ve got pressed. It would additionally learn a e-book aloud, although it would not sound almost as good as an audiobook.
Amazon owns Goodreads, so it syncs seamlessly to Kindles (press the three-dot menu > Goodreads). If in case you have a Goodreads account, you may assessment the Kindle books you’ve got learn or browse your bookshelf and suggestions. Lengthy-pressing a phrase or phrase, along with what’s talked about above, opens up an choice to share quotes on to Goodreads.
There is a internet browser too in the event you’re linked to the web (three-dot menu > Internet Browser). It is not the most effective, so I would reserve it for emergency searches.
How Do You Replace a Kindle?
When Amazon releases a brand new software program replace, it’s going to obtain and set up to your Kindle routinely when it is linked to Wi-Fi. You may examine in the event you’re on the newest software program by going to Settings > Machine Choices > Superior Choices > Replace Your Kindle. If it isn’t on the newest software program model, you may see an replace obtainable and the Kindle will then immediate you to obtain and set up it.
Is This a Good Time to Purchase a Kindle?
The perfect time to purchase a Kindle is throughout a serious sale occasion like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday, as a result of Amazon usually has steep reductions. Each Amazon Prime Day (and Amazon Massive Offers Day, which it named the 2025 October sale occasion) has handed, together with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We’ll preserve an eye fixed out for winter and spring gross sales, however these occasions are normally good to purpose for in order for you an on-sale Kindle.
Amazon refreshed its line of Kindles simply final yr, and already launched a couple of new Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe fashions this yr. Whereas there’s another new Kindle Scribe system due out subsequent yr, the present lineup is general nice to buy.
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