Long battery life, adjustable lighting, and a paper-like display make this e-reader a book lovers dream
It had been a while since Amazon updated its most affordable e-reader, and 2022’s base model Kindle knocked it out of the park. It’s more compact and slimmer than its predecessor, with up-to-date features like adjustable backlighting and, at long last, USB-C connectivity. It happily continues the Kindle tradition of comfortable, paper-like displays and a user-friendly interface, while costing less than ever.
In today's world of multifunctional, do-it-all electronics, it's uncommon to find something that does exactly one thing, does it perfectly, and costs next to nothing. That's exactly how we'd describe the new 2022 Amazon Kindle e-reader. The previous model was sorely overdue for a refresh, and the latest iteration comes through in a big way. It's an even more enticing buy than normal right now when one of Amazon's best Kindles yet is on sale for only $75.
Amazon held off on updating its entry-level Kindle for years, but it also listened to Kindle owners and included a number of important improvements. Chief among them is the new, high-resolution display that boasts a 300ppi pixel density, on par with many high-end e-readers. Where the 10th-generation Kindle was somewhat maligned for its blurry text, the new one is crisp, clear, and consistent.
Other upgrades might not be so immediately prominent, but they greatly improve quality of life. For example, Kindle fans have long awaited the switch to USB-C over the antiquated micro USB. Plus, the battery life is even better than before, with real-world usage right about in line with Amazon's six-week claim. And while the base Kindle has never been huge, it's now smaller and lighter than ever. Then there's the dual-band Wi-Fi 5, a massive upgrade over the Wi-Fi 4 (formerly 802.11n) technology the previous version was stuck with. Finally, 16 GB of storage basically guarantees you'll never run out of space for new books.
There aren't any major downsides to the new Kindle, but it does lack most high-end features found in the premium (and highly regarded) Kindle Paperwhite. It isn't waterproof, doesn't offer a warm lighting mode, and can't self-adjust its brightness automatically. As one of the smallest e-readers on the market, it's also not quite big enough for absolutely everybody, especially if you prefer to read magazines or comics. But for day-to-day convenience and satisfaction that we're certain will last for years, it's hard to pass up the 2022 Amazon Kindle at its current sale price of $75.
Chris has spent the last several years writing for numerous online tech magazines, of which Android Police is the latest and most fun. Chris has been a freelancer with AP since early 2022, writing comparisons of cutting-edge smartphones and gathering the most powerful and convenient smart home devices for beginners and experts.
His focus lies on straightforward, helpful buying guides that make it easy for the average electronics user to make informed decisions on the most cost-effective devices. In particular, he loves recommending affordable wireless headphones that outperform far more expensive brands.
Chris’s first foray into electronics included fixing and destroying early PCs in his dad’s basement while testing the overclocking capabilities of an Intel 486 CPU. Since then, he’s melted considerably fewer processors while pushing increasingly powerful gaming hardware to its limits.
