Amazon is giving its e-reader a fresh start. In this fall of 2022, the e-commerce giant has just discreetly formalized a new Kindle model which will be responsible for replacing the one released in 2019. This “New Kindle”, as Amazon calls it, does not come shake up the market, but still enjoys a nice upgrade over the previous generation.
16GB storage, 300 DPI, USB-C
The device, positioned as Amazon’s entry-level e-reader, gets back this year many advantages previously reserved for the Paperwhite model. The screen resolution goes from 167 pixels per inch on the 2019 model to 300 pixels per inch on the 2022 model. This is enough to display sharper and chiseled characters when reading.
Storage has also been increased from 8 GB to 16 GB. For those who only use their Kindle to read, this shouldn’t change much, unless you still want to have a few thousands of volumes always at your fingertips. On the other hand, if you download audio books (significantly heavier than text files), this increase in storage memory is welcome. Finally, the Kindle 2022 adopts USB-C instead of micro-USB. Great news for anyone who has ever stepped into the wonderful world of the universal charger.
From €99.99
For reasons of economy, Amazon has not granted this Kindle any certification against dust and water (IPXX) and the device has only 4 backlight LEDs (compared to 17 on the Paperwhite for a more uniform finish). The newcomer is also more compact and lighter than its predecessor.
Amazon being Amazon, the company even displays a small eco-responsible label next to its Kindle, explaining that the packaging is “100% recyclable” and “75% of plastics” used in the manufacture of the device are recycled. We will try to forget that the plastic and the packaging do not weigh heavily in the carbon footprint of a Kindle since, as on smartphones, the bulk of the A device like this is to be found in the extraction of rare earths and the manufacture of electronic circuits.
The Kindle 2022 will be released on October 12, 2022 and is already available for pre-order for the most impatient. The version with ads on the home screen is sold for €99.99, while the model without ads will cost €10 more.