Amazon Kindle (2024) review: an affordable wonder

Amazon might have basically come to dominate the e-reader market with its Kindle lineup, but the only one simply called 'Kindle' is its most affordable version. While this more basic Kindle doesn't always grab headlines or get its flowers, just like the Paperwhite and Scribe it has been refreshed for 2024.

I've been using this new base Kindle for a couple of weeks now – and it's impressed me to the point where the best Kindle is no longer a simple question. This might not be the most premium of e-readers, but it has its place and is a great low-cost option.

Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Price & Availability

The Kindle's 2024 version is available worldwide now, priced at £94.99 / $109.99 with ads, or £104.99 / $129.99 / AU$199 without. The weird twist here is that Australians can only buy the version without ads – although I'd recommend that regardless.

That makes it the cheapest Kindle on the market, although it's worth noting that Black Friday 2024 brought immediate discounts despite the Kindle's recent release, knocking £15 / $20 off its price. So, you could hold out for sales that replicate that saving if you like.

This pricing overall is a slight increase over the 2022 Kindle, though, which is worth noting – as it could be that a refurbished 2022 version for a lower price could see you have an almost identical experience for less of a cost.

Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Design & Features

The 2024 Kindle comes in two colours – a Matcha green, like the one I've been using, and a standard black for those who want a more stealthy option. Both look great, and either makes a good choice depending on your taste.

This is a 6-inch e-reader in terms of display diagonal, but with a bit of a lip around that display on all sides, the device has actual dimensions of 157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0mm. That makes it very slim, and probably the only Kindle in the current lineup that could be called pocketable.

That would require a big pocket, admittedly, but compared to the larger Paperwhite and brand new Colorsoft, there's no doubt that you'll notice an uplift in portability and lightness when you use the normal Kindle. This is a rare advantage for a more affordable device.

Another way to look at the Kindle's design is to zoom in on the edge of its display. Unlike the other, more expensive Kindle models, which now all have flat displays without any plastic lip, the standard Kindle still has physical bezels. These can actually be weirdly useful for your grip, but they also don't look amazing and can collect dust. What would be most amazing, of course, would be page-turning buttons on them, but Amazon seems committed to leaving buttons behind.

On the bottom of the Kindle, you'll find the one button that remains – a power key – alongside the USB-C charging port. There's a tiny LED indicator light to clue you in when it's powering on or off, too. You get 16GB of onboard storage, which'll be plenty for the vast majority.

The Kindle still hasn't received a boost to its water-resistance, which means that unlike the Paperwhite you won't be able to drop it in water without fear. It's not waterproof, after all. What has improved, though, is the screen's integrated light brightness – as this is not a backlit screen, remember – has been boosted by 25%. That's great in full sunshine, although there's no Signature Edition option with automatic brightness like there is on the Paperwhite.

Those brightness options should make finding the right level for your lighting fairly easy, though, and it can indeed get impressively bright when needed. The display itself remains 300ppi in sharpness terms, which translates to a really crisp reading experience that shouldn't have you squinting. Of course, you can also change font sizes really easily on the fly.

Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Performance

The Kindle's performance hasn't been shouted about on Amazon's side, so there's no expectation of a huge generational leap in speed. Indeed, while page-turning is indeed a little quicker than on the 2022 model, I'm not convinced most people would notice this unprompted.

The e-reader performs really ably, in short, doing basically exactly what you expect from it at all times. Text renders clearly and cleanly, but any comparison to the Paperwhite (2024) makes it clear that the latter has superior tech, with better contrast and the ability to make its display warmer, too.

The Kindle's user interface is now long-established, and works well enough – although the fact that by default its library shows all your Audible books is crazy to me. On the rare occasions that you have to type something in, it's responsive enough, which is a nice change compared to years ago when typing took minutes.

Battery life is another area where nothing has changed, with Amazon continuing to quote six weeks of life on a single charge as the maximum. That's still really impressive, even assuming that you read every day. Heavy use will see it drain a little quicker, especially on higher brightnesses – but you'll still get around a month as a heavy reader, which is excellent.

A full recharge takes around 2 hours, which is almost exactly what you'd expect, and while there's no wireless charging, I'm not sure that's something many will be pining for here.

Amazon Kindle (2024) review: Verdict

The standard Kindle is really easy to recommend to quite a wide slice of people who want a Kindle without breaking the bank. You get an extremely capable e-reader with support for most file types, in a clever little design that feels ultra-portable.

It's well-priced and solidly made, even if using a Kindle Paperwhite for any amount of time will immediately make it clear that the cheaper version misses some nice features. There's still a lot to like about the 2024 Kindle regardless – especially if you see a seasonal sale to sweeten the deal.

Also consider

I'd recommend that most people consider stretching their budget a little further to pick up the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024, which just feels a little nicer to use for extended periods. Its display is both warmer and a little better to read from.

For those looking to shop outside the Amazon ecosystem, though, the Kobo Clara BW is well worth a look. It's the direct equivalent of the standard Kindle, but adds waterproofing, a better-contrast display and warmer lighting. It's slightly more expensive, but potentially worth the uplift.