There are two main Kindle ranges: Colorsoft and Paperwhite. If you're in the market for a new Amazon ereader but aren't sure which one to buy, this article is here to help. I've put together a cheatsheet of what you need to know to make your decision, starting with the key differences between the two lines, the current Paperwhite options and Colorsoft options, a specs comparison table, and a summary of which to buy. I've also included a section on your other options in the Kindle range.

Ready to choose your new ereader? Let's get started...

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft vs Paperwhite: similarities & differences

In this section, I'll be discussing the standard Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft models, as well as the Signature editions, but not the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

Let's start with the similarities. Regardless of whether you buy a Colorsoft or Paperwhite, you'll be getting a seven-inch, glare-free screen, IPX8 waterproofing, and an option of either 16 or 32GB of storage. All offer 300ppi resolution when used in black and white.

The big difference to know is that the Paperwhite models only display in black-and-white, whereas the Colorsoft Kindles can also display in color (at 150ppi, which is standard for a color ereader). This has a knock-on effect on battery life: Amazon says the Colorsoft models will last eight weeks on a single charge, whereas the Paperwhite can go up to 12 weeks. That's based on half an hour of reading per day, on a brightness level of 13, which is just below halfway.

It also has an effect on price — regardless of if you opt for a Signature or standard model, at list price the Paperwhite Kindles are cheaper than the Colorsoft models.

Kindle Paperwhite models

There are two main Paperwhite models: the regular Paperwhite and the Paperwhite Signature. The only difference is that the Signature has double the storage (32GB compared to 16GB for the standard model).

Kindle Colorsoft models

There are three main Kindle Colorsoft options: the standard model, the Signature edition, and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. The first two are basically the same, except the Signature packs twice as much storage (16GB compared to 32GB). The Scribe Colorsoft offers writing capabilities alongside color reading, and it's different enough that I've relegated it to the 'Other options' section of this article.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft vs Paperwhite: which should I buy?

The only real reason to choose a Colorsoft over a Paperwhite is for its color display potential. Aside from that, the specs are either the same or better on the Paperwhite, and Paperwhite models are cheaper, too.

So how good is the color? Our tester was extremely impressed. You can get the full low-down in the Display section of our Kindle Colorsoft review, but the short version is that panning and zooming is smooth and speedy, with no ghosts or artifacts popping up, and refresh is "nearly undetectable".

On the subject of picture quality, our tester had this to say: "The Kindle Colorsoft lights the color and black pixels evenly, and color pages look fantastic. They look like paper, as they should... Get an iPad if you want bright and saturated." You can get a taster of what to expect in the carousel of images below.

You can use color to highlight text in different hues, which could be useful to students, for example. However, the obvious market for a device like this is graphic novel fans. On this point, be aware that because the Kindle Colorsoft can't run third-party apps, you'll be limited to the titles available via Amazon's own ComiXology platform. This offers a decent selection of comic books, but is more limited than the likes of Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe Infinite.

Note that you can read graphic novels on a Paperwhite, but they'll just be in black and white. Just like on the Colorsoft, there's a Panel view feature that expands each individual frame on the page — see it in action on a Paperwhite below.

If that has convinced you that color is something you'll want to make use of, buy a Colorsoft model. If not, pick up a Paperwhite and enjoy the cheaper cost and longer battery life.

Other Kindle options

If you're in the market for a black-and-white ereader, you also have the option of a standard Kindle, which has a smaller screen than the standard Paperwhite and Colorsoft ereaders, is cheaper and lighter in weight too. There are a few concessions you'll need to make, though: the battery life is on the shorter side, and it's not waterproof.

There's also the Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which you can use for writing as well as reading. Both have larger (11-inch) screens, and neither are waterproof. Note that if you go for a Scribe Colorsoft, you can't use the two parts in tandem — so you can't take notes on a color page — which weakens the proposition somewhat.

Specs compared

Did you use the Prime Day sales to snap up a new Kindle Colorsoft at a bargain price? Great thinking! Now, don't ruin it by forgetting to kit yourself out with a case. The good news is that a whole load of my favorite 7-inch Kindle cases are also on sale right now — including the official Amazon ones and a bunch by third party brands. It's almost like they wanted to capitalize on all those new Kindles being purchased, or something.

I've rounded up my favorites below, in the US and in the UK. I strongly suspect these deals will disappear with the ones on the ereaders themselves — that is, at midnight, when the Amazon Prime Day sales officially end. Oh, and if you went for a Kindle Paperwhite instead, I have more good news: it's the same size as the Colorsoft, so all of these cases will be good for either.

Not yet made your purchase? I wouldn't drag your feet too long, or you're going to miss your chance for those bargains (we likely won't see another good discount until the next Prime Day event — which won't be any time soon). If you're looking for more information to help you decide, TechRadar's Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review and Kindle Colorsoft review should help you out, or head to my Kindle range guide, which should help you make sense of your options.

• US: Kindle Colorsoft now $159.99 at Amazon (was $249.99)
• US: Kindle Paperwhite now $124.99 at Amazon (was $159.99)
• UK: Kindle Colorsoft now £154.99 at Amazon (was £239.99)
• UK: Kindle Paperwhite now £134.99 at Amazon (was £169.99)

US deals on Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft cases

UK deals on Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft cases

Just because I fall asleep every night with the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition does not mean I do not love it. This is my go-to reading device, and before I say more, I should inform you that the Prime Day deal on my favorite ereader is just about to end. You'll want to act fast if you want to sleep with your own e-reader.

I've been reading on Amazon Kindles since the second edition rolled out in 2009. I think I was sold on the gadget when I watched horror master Stephen King read his short story, Ur, on it.

• Browse all early Prime Day deals at Amazon

Multiple models (and design changes) later, my Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition travels the globe with me; it recently accompanied me to California and South Korea in the space of two weeks (on one charge).

Wherever I go, I read and, if it's at night and I'm in bed, I fall asleep with the Kindle Paperwhite resting on my chest. It doesn't judge and just eventually falls asleep on its own (or goes into low-power sleep mode) until someone pulls it off me and puts it on the end table beside the bed.

There are cheaper models than my Signature Edition. The base Kindle is during Prime Day 23% and comes in at just $84. That's a bargain. My signature Edition doubles the storage to 32GB, adds a front ambient light sensor (to auto-adjust the lights that can illuminate the reflective display), and includes wireless charging. On the last bit, I've found that I can drop my Jade Paperwhite on any Qi charger and it will start grabbing juice.

At 28% off, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is $144.99 (was $199.99) for Prime Day, which ends tonight at midnight. In the UK, it's just £137.74 (down from £189.99). Also, remember you need a Prime subscription to access these deals.

Today's best Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition deals

I know, wireless charging is probably a nice-to-have since my Paperwhite Signature Edition lasts for weeks on a charge. Seriously, how many gadgets can you take on a week-long trip without having to charge even once?

The other reason I still love Kindle ereaders is that they are single-purpose devices. When I go on vacation, this is generally the one gadget I'm looking at on the beach and am happy to leave email and social media behind. I read for hours and only occasionally fall asleep (the beach lounge chair is simply not as comfortable as my bed). The 300ppi screen is sharp, fast (20% faster than the last model), and in the sunlight, bright without needing a backlight.

Also, since I can burn through books on the sand, I'm always happy that the 32GB of storage can hold thousands of books and magazines.

One thing I do not worry about when on the beach is a splash of water. The Paperwhite Signature Edition is fully waterproof (I have dropped them in pools to prove this feature works as promised).

Look, you may never fall asleep with your Kindle, but I bet you will have a few sleepless nights if you miss this chance to grab a cheaper one. Happy reads or snoozes (or both).

More early Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More early Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

Editor's note: This piece was written before Apple raised its prices across a variety of its Macs, MacBooks and iPads, leading to a surge in purchasing of iPad Air deals. Some seem to still be available, but supplies are short, so act fast and check the widget below for live pricing in your area. The rest of this article remains as originally written.

It's been years since I last owned my own Kindle, as I ultimately do prefer physical copies to add to my collection, and only otherwise used my OG Kindle while travelling. However, whenever Amazon Prime Day rolls around, I do tend to second-guess myself when I see the meaty discounts on some of the best Kindles.

• Browse all early Prime Day deals at Amazon

In particular, I was tempted by the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft; as an avid manga reader, I was super excited by the idea of freeing up some shelf space (and if you read manga, you'll know that comes in short supply once your collection grows) by reading some of my less-favored series digitally. However, after trying it for a couple of weeks, I'm only using it for its primary function: as an ereader.

Sure, I'm pretty impressed by this all-in-one E Ink notepad, comic and book reader, but especially right now, the price is a huge turn-off. Put it this way; the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is currently $519 (was $679) in the US and £442 (was £569) in the UK.

Meanwhile, the Kindle Paperwhite is on sale for $124 (was $159) at Amazon US and £113 (was £159) at Amazon UK and the significantly more performant and multifunctional iPad 11-inch (A16) is $299 (was $349) at Amazon US and £309 (was £329) at Amazon UK. That's a $96 / £20 saving for an arguably better combination.

Below, I've detailed the key differences between each device.

Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the latest, most performant ereader from Amazon, offering a combination of three different Kindle types: the standard E ink display Kindle, the notepad-like Kindle Scribe, and the color display Kindle Colorsoft.

Each is useful in its own right; reading comics and manga on the Scribe Colorsoft is a delight, though text boxes that spread across panels can be cut off if you use the full page panel view. It's pretty well optimized for the task, though even in vivid mode, colors can be a little washed out.

The writing experience is great. The screen is super responsive, the stylus is comfortable in use and features a shortcut key as well as a functional eraser, and the addition of color to the display means you can select different pen and highlighter colors to create more detailed annotations.

It packs all the usual useful Kindle features (including Word Wise, which is great for younger readers or language learners) as well as AI features like note summary and handwriting-to-text conversion.

However, there are three major things to note when it comes to the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

First is that you can't actually use all of these features in tandem, meaning you can't markup comics or manga, though that's likely not a use case many people would want.

Second is that even outside of major sales events like Prime Day, you can get a Kindle, a Scribe, and a Colorsoft at almost the same price as this all-in-one device; and if you don't really need either the note-taking or the color display at the same time, you might as well do that.

Third is that while the large slate might be what you're looking for in terms of drawing, writing and graphic novel reading, it makes it a lot less portable than the standard or Paperwhite Kindle experience, which for me is the main reason I prize an ereader over a book.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

A step up from the basic Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite offers a bright and beautiful screen for reading your favorite books. At this point, I'd very rarely recommend the standard base model for any reason beyond its low price, whereas the Kindle Paperwhite is genuinely enjoyable to read on, and that includes comics and manga.

With its E Ink Carta 1300 display, the 12th-generation Kindle Paperwhite offers great contrast for easy reading, a slightly larger screen, comfortable bezels for long hours of reading and 16GB storage (though we're not thrilled 4.5GB of that is dedicated to the operating system.)

If you've tried the 11th-generation model, there's a slim margin of upgrade with this newer, 12th-generation model, but if you're currently using any older Kindle Paperwhite or standard Kindle, you'll certainly feel the difference.

It's fast, the battery is great, and it excels at exactly what it was created for; reading. That's doubly true thanks to its slim profile, making it easy to grab and stash in your bag; at 211g, it's super lightweight to carry.

It's worth noting that, at list price, we're not 100% happy about the Kindle Paperwhite's value proposition. This goes for a lot of Amazon devices, which only feel like a good deal during major sales events, but for context, spend a little more on the Kobo Libra color which costs $219.99 / £219.99 and you can get a color ereader with a screen of the same size, double the storage, a more ergonomic design and writing capabilities.

Of course, if you're bedded into the Amazon ecosystem with access to its vast library of books through a Prime Membership, it's still a no-brainer.

Apple iPad 11-inch (A16 chip)

While the latest, 11th-generation iPad didn't reinvent the tablet-shaped wheel, it brought a nice refresh in the form of the A16 chipset, powering a fast, responsive iPadOS experience.

It's a great productivity machine, and especially when paired with an Apple Pencil, it offers everything you could want from a Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and more, with its app library including fantastic options for note-taking, drawing and more intensive creative functions like video editing; though you're better off with an Apple Silicon-powered tablet like the iPad Pro (M5) or iPad Air (M4) if that's your rodeo.

It weighs just over a pound, so it's less primed for travel, and an e-ink display offers weeks of battery life, whereas the 11th-generation iPad only stretches to roughly 10 hours with general use; that's why pairing it with a Kindle Paperwhite for your reading needs is my top recommendation.

Still, even on its own, it stands as a solid alternative to a Kindle altogether, but especially at its price, I'd wager it's a superior choice to a Kindle Scribe Colorsoft for most. After all, you can just install the Kindle app and read your favorite books, comics, and manga on the vastly superior display.

More early Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More early Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

I've covered the ereader space for decades and watched as the industry struggled to make usable color E Ink displays. The early displays were slow, with low contrast and faded colors, and were roundly rejected by those who happily scooped up and held onto monochrome ereaders like the iconic Kindle Paperwhite.

One ereader changed all that, and now the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft, which we called "the fastest, smoothest e-reader we've ever used," is on sale for Prime Day for $159 in the US and £154.99 in the UK for the 16GB model.

• Browse all early Prime Day deals at Amazon

Here's what makes these Prime Day prices more remarkable: the Colorsoft is, in the US, just $35 more than the Kindle Paperwhite, and about £20 more than it is in the UK. So basically, the cost of two or three Matchas to switch up from black and white to thousands of colors? Feels like a no-brainer.

Today's best Kindle Colorsoft deals

What's exciting about the Colorsoft is not just that it finally brings color to a reflective screen, but that it does it so well. I remember seeing the 7-inch, waterproof ereader for the first time in 2025. Initially, it looked and felt much like the Kindle Paperwhite I was familiar with, but the new color screen was a revelation. It's sharp, bright, crisp, and the colors pop across a range of content styles. Graphic novels are especially well-suited to the screen technology. You can tap or swipe through various full-screen panels, or view the full page of panels as you might on a physical graphic novel.

Books and, especially, magazines like National Geographic look good, too.

Best of all, there are no real trade-offs here. You get 16GB, which is more than enough space for thousands of tomes. As a reflective display, battery life is still strong, at 28 hours (according to our tests), which means multiple days or even weeks of multi-hour reading sessions. And like the monochrome Kindles, it has side illuminators that bathe the screen in light.

Plus, it's just as durable and waterproof as monocrhome Kindles.

Of course, even though it's color, you can still read your black and white text book and novels on the device. I suggest you get the latter from your local library by using an app like Libby.

My point is that there's very little reason to just buy a Paperwhite when, for just a little more money, you can have the best of both worlds: all the features of a Paperwhite and that really cool full-color reading experience. If you're a fan of graphic novels, there's no way you can pass this Prime Day deal by.

Looking for a great deal on a monochrome Kindle? We got you covered.

More early Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More early Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

They say you need to own at least 1,000 to constitute a home library, and while I love a compelling novel as much as the next bookworm, finding the space is tricky — but that's why we have the Amazon Kindle, a budget-friendly e-reader that just got even cheaper this Amazon Prime Day.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I've always enjoyed physical books, simply because nothing quite beats the feeling of achievement you feel at the close of the final page. I have a summer getaway coming up, and reading by the poolside or at the beach is one of the best forms of relaxation.

However, squeezing multiple novels into my luggage isn't realistic, so with that in mind, this could be the year I decide to go digital — for a reasonable price that is. Right now, Amazon's most recent standard version Kindle is now down to $84.99 in the US (was $109.99), and it's even cheaper in the UK at £75.99 (was £94.99).

Today's best Kindle deals

Amazon has some of the best e-readers out there, and they range from basic models to more advanced ones like the Kindle Scribe which are designed for note-taking and productivity. But they're often very pricey, even after a Prime Day discount is applied.

The 2024 Kindle is our best budget e-reader even when it's not Prime Day, and it's an ideal model if you're only after reading tools and not the bells and whistles of its Scribe sibling. This model is also not a bulky device that's going to take up loads of room when on the move (it has an easy-to-read 6-inch screen).

Additionally, many previous-generation Kindle owners may not be too thrilled with Amazon's recent decisions to axe support for older devices, even though you're still using them despite their declining functionality. If an upgrade is what you're looking for, we believe the performance alone will be worth your while.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

I've been trying out Amazon's latest — and possibly greatest — e-reader, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and while I love it for reading comics in full colour and note-taking, I've been waiting patiently for Amazon Prime Day to see how the device fares in the megasale.

As expected, it's seen a sizeable discount; 20% off, knocking it from £629.99 to £504.99, which is, to be honest, much closer to the value proposition I think the slate offers. Still, though, it's pricey for what it is; and the fact that it's actually cheaper right now to buy a Kindle, Kindle Scribe and a Kindle Colorsoft separately leaves me perplexed.

Right now, the Kindle (in graphite) is £79.99 (was £94.99) at Amazon, the 32GB Kindle Scribe (in tungsten grey) is £244.99 (was £399.99) and the Kindle Colorsoft is £154.99 (was £239.99). That totals £479.99; £26 cheaper than just one Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. Make it make sense.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft isn't without its selling points entirely; if you really do want to read comics and take notes on one device, it's the only Kindle that offers both functions... just not in tandem, so you can't annotate comics or manga.

That means the main benefit is access to colour pens and highlighters, which isn't a big enough sell for me to drop half a grand on an e-reader.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

Figuring out a Father's Day gift can be tricky at the best of times, and especially if you have a dad that buys everything he wants, or has an aversion to having too much stuff in the house. If your dad falls into that category, a great idea is to buy him a subscription.

There are plenty about, but I'm thinking especially of entertainment options — audiobooks, music, movies and TV. I've rounded up some of my top picks below, many of which have a deal available, so you might be able to pick up, say, six months of a service, when usually your budget would only stretch to a couple. Then, when that period is up, your dad can decide if he wants to continue on with the subscription himself or not.

One standout is Audible. This is Amazon's audiobook service, with 900,000 titles to choose from. A subscription entitles you to one new download a month, and you'll get to keep your previous downloads for as long as you're a member. Unlimited access to podcasts in an added perk that means you won't have to app-hop. This is a great gift for dads who commute — I know so many people who love to listen to a book on the way to and from work.

If your dad is an avid reader and owns a Kindle (or might be buying one in the upcoming Prime Day sales), an Unlimited subscription gives you access to millions of ebooks for free — as well as unlocking thousands of audiobooks, and a selection of digital magazines, too. Scroll down for more subscription-based gift picks...

US — super subscriptions

UK — super subscriptions

Got yourself a new Kindle Paperwhite or Colorsoft? Great! Let's get a cover on that ASAP. A good cover will guard against scratches, scrapes and potential breakages, as well as adding a general protective layer. (These models are all IPX8 waterproof, but you can't be too careful.)

I've rounded up a selection of my favorite Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft cases below — these e-readers have the same proportions, so all the cases will work for either. I've included Amazon's own-brand options and covers from third-party retailers; patterned and plain options in a range of materials; covers that just snap over the front, and cases that envelope the entire Kindle. Most of these have auto-Sleep/Wake functions — so your Kindle will automatically sleep when you close the cover — as well as useful things like handles for a more secure grip. If you like to read and eat at the same time, look out for a case with a built-in stand, so you can keep both hands free.

Our Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review and Kindle Colorsoft review will provide more info about the models these cases are designed for, or if you haven't yet purchased your Kindle, my Kindle range guide can help you make sense of your options. If you're not in a rush, it might be a good idea to wait for Amazon Prime Day before you buy, because I'm expecting a number of Kindles to drop in price for that event. You can also hop to the bottom of this page for a more in-depth guide to which models these cases will fit.

I'll start with US cases — jump down the page for my top UK picks.

US — Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft cases

UK — Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft cases

Which Kindles will these covers fit?

The Paperwhite and Colorsoft Kindle models have a 7-inch screen. These cases should fit the regular and Signature versions. Note that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is larger and won't fit these cases.

The cases in this roundup will fit any Kindle with a 7-inch screen (occasionally referred to, more accurately, as a 6.8-inch screen), which is the Paperwhite and Colorsoft models (excluding the Colorsoft Scribe, which has a larger screen). They'll definitely all work with the current generation of each model, which for the avoidance of doubt is:

• Kindle Paperwhite: 12th gen (2024)
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature: 12th gen (2024)
• Kindle Colorsoft: 1st gen (2024)
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature: 1st gen (2024)

They might also fit older Paperwhite models, but double-check the proportions to make sure before purchasing. The cases in this roundup won't fit the Classic Kindle (6-inch screen), Kindle Scribe (11-inch screen), or Scribe Colorsoft (11-inch screen).

Thinking of buying a Kindle? It's a good shout — they're some of the best e-readers around. I'm on my third, and I use it almost every day. And now's a good time to be planning your purchase, because we're currently in the middle of an Amazon Prime Day event, and because Kindle is an Amazon brand, almost the entire range is discounted in both the US and the UK.

Figuring out which Kindle will best suit your needs can be tricky. Below, I've rounded up all your options, and if you scroll down the page you'll see a table comparing the key specs for each one. I'd start by deciding if you need a color screen, in which case you'll want to look at the models with Colorsoft in their name (as opposed to the basic Kindle and the Paperwhite models, which are black-and-white only). This function is essential if you want to use your Kindle to read graphic novels, but might also be helpful for students, as it'll allow you to highlight text in different colors.

• View all Amazon Prime US deals / Amazon Prime UK deals

Some Kindles will let you go a step further, and make handwritten notes as well as reading. These are the options with Scribe in their names, and they also have bigger screens than the rest of the range. Utilizing the writing functions will drain the battery much quicker than reading will, but you're still looking at up to two weeks of note-taking before you need to recharge.

Me? My ereader of choice is the classic Kindle. I'm just using it for novels, there's ample storage for my needs, and the small and light format is perfect for travel. Scroll down for a run through all the Kindle options, and the best prices for each model right now.

UK: Kindle models

US: Kindle models

Specs compared

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: Two-minute review

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft delivers everything you could want from an e-reader (mostly). Amazon packed this device with all of the key features of its other Kindles, but unfortunately, it commands a much higher price as a result.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft nails all the e-reader basics, and that chunky upcharge brings some color into the mix so you can experience comics and the like. You also get a fancy pen to annotate and take notes. Those features function well overall, but they're not perfect.

Despite combining the “Scribe” and “Colorsoft” portions in the Kindle, you actually can't use them in tandem. You can't annotate or take any notes when you're reading comics or manga, which is ironic considering this is meant to be an all-in-one solution.

However, the 11-inch display is large enough to mimic the size of some graphic novels. That means you have plenty of room to take notes, too. The screen also captures images in strong detail.

So, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a great e-reader, but unless it's on sale, I'd only recommend it to folks in a higher tax bracket.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: price and availability

• From $629 / £569 / AU$999
• Launched in the US and UK on December 10, 2025
• Launching in Australia on June 10, 2026

No. I simply cannot recommend the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to the average Kindle user. It’s just too damn expensive. Adding color and a pen to your Kindle is a luxury that I would only recommend to those invested in Amazon’s eBook ecosystem or someone with significant disposable income.

At its starting price with 32GB of storage, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft costs $629 / £569 / AU$999 (it will launch in Australia on June 10). For 64GB of storage, that price jumps up to $679 / £629 / AU$1,099. As someone who just wants to read a book, that makes my wallet cry. But keep in mind that this is the peak premium Kindle device.

You can break down the features of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft into three categories — Kindle, Scribe, and Colorsoft — and it's quite simple to pick apart its value proposition as a result. The Kindle is just your traditional Paperwhite device for $159 / £159 / AU$199, and then the Colorsoft adds a splash of color to that for $249 / £269 / AU$399, and finally, you’ve got the Scribe for $399 / £379 / AU$649, which is like the Paperwhite, except you can write on it. Combine all that, and you get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

If, for some reason, you need all three features packed into one device, then obviously, your only option in the Kindle ecosystem is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. But focusing on one key feature will save you some decent coin, so I recommend doing just that before committing such a princely sum to this all-in-one device. Not to mention, there are cheaper color e-readers out there, like the Kobo Libra Colour ($219 / £199 / AU$359).

• Value score: 3 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: Specs

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: design

• Slightly less portable, but more reading room
• Pen placement is awkward

The 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is almost as big as some of the taller graphic novels I have on my shelf, which seems appropriate considering its purpose. It does make it somewhat more difficult to carry around than the 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft, but it feels more authentic. And despite the larger 189 x 245mm body, it weighs only 400g and is 5.4mm thick, so it’s still more portable than some hardcover books.

As far as the overall design goes, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft looks exactly how you imagine a Kindle would look, except without that chunky bottom bezel. The bezels are still large enough for your hands to grip the device without getting in the way of the screen.

I reviewed the Graphite model with the white pen, but you can get the Fig colorway, which also comes with a Fig-colored pen. I usually don’t say this about tech, but I think I prefer the black model, only because the Fig colorway might be a little distracting while reading.

At the bottom, you’ll find the USB Type-C port for charging, and the power button is located on the top-right side. Just below that is the space where the pen attaches.

If you’re thinking that the pen might get in the way while attached to the right side, you’d be correct. It’s a silly design choice, especially when the pen is small enough (155 x 8.8mm) to easily fit on top of the Kindle.

Overall, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is sleek and inoffensive. It’s thin and light, albeit a bit harder to carry around than previous models, but who doesn’t want a little more reading and writing space? However, I am frustrated by the pen placement.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: display

• There’s color, but it’s not colorful
• Text and images are sharp

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft covers the black-and-white spectrum at 300 ppi and adds a splash of color at 150 ppi. There isn’t much the 11-inch display could do to elevate the average book reading experience, but it didn’t have to. Text looked clear and crisp, and the 36 white LEDs and 34 amber LEDs made it so I had a more comfortable reading experience depending on the setting I was in.

Like with other e-ink displays, the LEDs do create a layer of color (white or amber) that warps the image on the screen a little bit. With black text, it’s perfectly fine, as the difference is negligible. However, when introducing color, it’s more noticeable.

The problem is that, while it’s nice to have color, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is just not as colorful as I’d like it to be. I read “Hellblazer Vol. 1,” and when John Constantine heads to Africa, there are supposed to be these bright and bold pink and yellow hues, but they are muted on the Scribe Colorsoft’s screen. Even when set to “Vivid” mode, the color doesn’t pop. Honestly, this is to be expected from an e-ink display. But it doesn’t change the fact that you won’t get the same experience as looking at a real graphic novel. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we can experience color at all, but at this wild asking price, it’s definitely not worth it for the color alone.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: performance

• Relatively smooth
• The response times you expect

You’re not looking at a racehorse here; this is a little pony, and that's OK. You don’t need all the performance in the world to run an e-reader.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is relatively smooth across the board but still suffers from slightly slow response times during navigation. This isn’t a huge turn-off, since most of the experience comes down to turning a page. I did have to restart my Kindle once because it simply refused to connect to Wi-Fi no matter how many times I tried, but it resolved itself afterwards.

When doing more involved things like annotating or taking notes, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft kept up with all of my movements and demands with little issue. Zooming in around the pages also looked and felt smooth, although there’s still a slight awkward delay for the image to refresh, as I could clearly see the ghost of an image from the previous screen.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: software

• Surprisingly fast performance on E Ink
• Smooth zooming, whether color or black and white

All of the important bits of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, or any e-reader, come down to the software experience. I am generally happy with what this Kindle provides, and it’s not that much different from other e-readers.

You’ve got the essentials that allow you to adjust the layout, font, spacing, etc. There are little things like the “Popular highlights” and “About this book” info, which are neat. Then there’s Word Wise, which defines unfamiliar words but also still needs a lot of work — it identifies overly simple words even at its lowest setting instead of exclusively honing in on the university-level vocabulary that most people would struggle with.

One of my personal favorite software features is being able to isolate comic panels. Double-tapping on a comic panel will make it full screen, and then you can flip through the following panels with ease. When it gets to a new page, it’ll show you the full page and then break down each panel at full screen. This is super cool because you don’t have to zoom in to get a closer look at what’s happening. However, it’s not perfect. I noticed an issue when reading “Attack on Titan” where, when there are two panels and text sprawled across them, sometimes the Kindle won’t combine the panels, and it cuts off the text.

Another cool feature is being able to simulate page turns, which I love in theory, but it doesn’t look the best in practice. The problem is that it’s a fade-in and -out effect instead of an actual flipping animation. It looks a bit more natural when reading a book because it’s a quick fade between texts, but it’s a much uglier transition with comics because there’s a lot of ghosting happening. It looks like it fades in chunks, and it was visually unsatisfying to the point where I turned it off.

To highlight the “Scribe” portion of this Kindle, the notetaking and markup process is rather smooth. The pen is equipped with an eraser on the back and a shortcut button on its side (defaulted to highlight). When reading a standard book, there are two important icons, one on the left and right. The leftmost icon is for all of your pen settings to customize the look, change between highlighters and erasers, and even insert notes and canvases between the text.

The right side of the screen is where you take your notes; it can expand and either split the screen with the text or hover over it, and wherever you write notes, it’ll attach a note symbol next to the closest text. That’s pretty intuitive, since you can change the layout of the book, so naturally it would move the space of your notes. You can even expand the size of notes to take up the full page if you want, so there’s plenty of room to write.

There are a lot of features for folks interested in the “Scribe” portion of things, and they operate pretty seamlessly overall. There’s even a workspace section where you can take full notes unrelated to what you’re reading. In that workspace, there are two AI features, one of which can summarize your notes, and the other can “Refine writing,” which basically transforms your notes into a text font that you can customize.

The only absent feature I noticed is that you can’t take any notes in comics. That means no drawings, notetaking, or even highlighting.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: battery

• Light readers can go for weeks
• Heavy readers can go for days

According to Amazon, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can survive for eight weeks if you're reading for 30 minutes at just under half brightness. I'll save you the math: that's 28 hours of reading time. For light readers, you could probably stretch that for a few weeks. Heavier readers will likely kill that battery in a few days.

I spent several weeks with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, reading roughly an hour every day, and I didn't need to reach for a charger until toward the end of the month. That gives credit to Amazon’s battery life claim.

The reading time you experience will vary heavily based on the brightness of your screen. If you're someone who reads at close to zero brightness, you're going to get a lot more longevity out of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

Unfortunately, the battery does not charge fast. When I first got it, the battery was completely drained, and I had to wait quite a while before the Kindle showed any signs of life. It'll make you think it's broken, so I do not recommend letting it die.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

• Review test period = four weeks
• Testing included = books, comics, manga

I spent a month bouncing around between books, comics, and manga. I read “The House Witch,” “The Time of Contempt,” “Hellblazer Vol. 1,” and “Attack on Titan,” most of which were available on Prime Reading. I spent roughly an hour a day reading. Logging into my Amazon account and getting them on the device was easy. Downloading comics and manga takes a little longer than books, but not significantly so.

For the “Scribe” portion of the review, I highlighted portions of dialogue and wrote little notes to myself to come back to later because the text was either written impeccably well or it was just a funny line. I also drew canvases between the text — just silly doodles right in the middle of the book.

First reviewed: May 2026

• The Zerowriter Fold is a new word processor with simple features for distraction-free writing
• It has an e-ink display, similar to Kindles
• It's currently taking pledges on Kickstarter, with first-wave shipping set for January 2027

Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if the next Kindle had a built-in keyboard?’ The Zerowriter Fold is a new device with an e-ink display, and it’s the closest thing to it — well, sort of.

While Kindles are perfect for reading, the Zerowriter Fold is a modern typewriter and word processor developed in Canada with a display that’s similar to the best ereaders. However, it’s purpose-built for writing text instead of reading books, and the best part is that there are no subscription catches. It’s one device, one payment.

At the moment, the Zerowriter Fold is being crowd-funded on Kickstarter, and the shipping for the first wave of orders is scheduled for January 2027, which includes the Zerowriter Fold, a charging cable, a handbook, and a keycap puller for switching out the keyboard. It’s currently accepting pledges of CAD$355 (around $256/ £192) for the next wave of devices, which are set to be shipped in March 2027.

Admittedly, this is quite a bit of time to wait, but looking at the demand for the first round of pledges (it was capped after hitting 500), this is something that consumers are actually passionate about.

The Zerowriter Fold’s main aim is to eliminate as many distractions as possible, ensuring that 100% of your focus goes into your writing. Unlike desktop word processors, you're not getting advanced features and settings, as they can easily welcome distractions.

Instead, the Zerowriter Fold sticks to the basics: a 6-inch e-ink display and a low-profile mechanical keyboard that can be replaced, so it’s easy to customize to suit your level of comfort. It offers two different writing modes: Drafting Mode for an always-forward, distraction-free experience, or Word Processing Mode, which gives you access to more editing tools such as amending text types and sizes and bookmarks.

As for its exporting functions, you can either save texts to SD cards as you would with a digital camera, scan a QR code to export to your smartphone, or use a USB-C cable to manage texts directly — but the stand-out feature is its impressive battery life.

Its built-in battery can run up to 100 hours in a single use, mainly because the Zerowriter Fold uses a low-power-consumption e-ink screen. Realistically, no one is going to be writing for four days straight, so the Zerowriter Fold can last for weeks before it needs another round of juice.

The company behind the Zerowriter Fold only started its journey in 2024, but has come a long way since. Prior to its latest Kickstarter campaign, the team developed the Zerowriter Ink, which is essentially the Fold but without its laptop-like enclosure. The company describes its latest word processor as “the first fully-realized Zerowriter”, as it states on its web page.

• Amazon's next Kindle lineup could come with user-replaceable batteries
• The company could also start selling its own replacement kits
• Support for older Kindles is ending on May 20, and users have started jailbreaking their devices

Amazon could be hiding something up its sleeve, and its next lineup of Kindle e-readers could be getting an upgrade every bookworm would be thankful for — replaceable batteries.

In the MobileReads forum, a handful of users sparked a discussion that pointed to messages found in Amazon’s Kindle 5.19.4 firmware update referring to user-replaceable batteries, as well as replacement kits and instructional guides. The firmware was then pulled, but eagle-eyed users managed to share it before it disappeared.

Though it’s speculation for now, one user in the forum shared they believe that “it is very likely”, who also shared the following messages found in the firmware release:

“This battery cannot be recognized and may not perform as expected. Charging has been limited to protect your device.”

“To return your device to its original performance specifications, we recommend installing a battery that complies with Amazon specifications.”

“Go to Settings > Device Options > Battery for battery troubleshooting guidance and support.”

“Scan the QR code below to purchase a battery replacement kit and view instructions for replacement.”

The move would align with a new EU regulation that will enforce tighter requirements on consumer electronics. As of February 2027, gadgets such as smartphones and tablets will need to have easy-to-repair batteries that don’t require specific tools, making it easier for users to replace certain hardware parts themselves.

In addition to replaceable batteries, it’s likely that Amazon’s next Kindle range could come with design upgrades to make switching out batteries easier. Most older models are sealed with adhesive, making it difficult for users to pry open their e-readers, while some Kindle batteries are glued into the device.

It would be a welcome upgrade for avid e-readers everywhere, but whether it’s enough to make up for shutting down support for pre-2012 models is another question.

Is Amazon doing this because it has to?

From May 20, Kindle devices released prior to 2012 will lose support meaning that, while you’ll still be able to read books already downloaded to your device, you’ll no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download additional books on them after that date. Not only that, but the company also unveiled it would be pulling the plug on its Send to Kindle function — which allows you to wirelessly transfer ebooks you bought elsewhere, as well as documents and other files, to your Kindle.

To say this upset owners of these models would be underplaying the response it got from avid readers, but despite Amazon’s attempt to force users to needlessly upgrade to pricier devices, the jailbreaking bug has hit bookworms everywhere. With Amazon’s cease of support looming, users on Reddit aren’t being quiet about how they’re modifying their devices to download third-party apps such as KOReader to continue purchasing books and for most, it’s the best thing they’ve ever done.

You should note that jailbreaking your device isn’t recommended, and it comes with a handful of risks. For starters, it could lead to bugs, battery life deficiency, and other performance issues, and then there’s the matter of piracy. But for those who are dead set on avoiding having to upgrade their device, it’s become a common practice, as has sideloading books.

Amazon hasn’t been giving readers much of what they want, but now that replaceable batteries could be its next hardware upgrade, perhaps this will redeem the series of poor choices it's made lately.

• The Xteink X4 ereader has gone viral for its compact size
• It's 4.3 inches, weighs under 80 grams and can be attached to Qi2-compatible smartphones
• It's the first non-Amazon ereader to make the top 10 list

Amazon has been the reigning champion of the best ereaders and its range of Kindle devices continue to dominate the market — but this viral mini ereader has taken social media and bookworms by storm.

The Xteink X4 is the latest gadget that users online can’t get enough of, and it’s all because of its compact size. Coming in at 4.3 inches and weighing 2.72 ounces (which is just under 78 grams), the Xteink X4 is small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket and can even be attached to Qi2-compatible smartphones such as newer iPhone models and Google Pixel phones.

Besides offering the features of a regularly-sized ereader but in compact form, its reasonable $70 price mark is another big selling point — a decent budget option compared to newer Kindle models which can be quite the investment. But following its popularity surge thanks to its online hype, it’s become a new rival for Amazon’s own ereader brand, and it could ring alarm bells for the retail juggernaut.

In a rare turn of events the Xteink X4 has ushered its way into Amazon’s top 10 best-selling ereaders, making it the first non-Amazon device to make the list. It currently sits in the number six spot, surpassing the Kindle Colorsoft and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, the former which still takes one of the top spots in our list of the best Kindles.

Despite the positives, reviews of its software have been a bit of a mixed bag as Trusted Reviews puts it, with some owners highlighting that its software offerings can be quite basic. But even then, this isn’t a massive setback that’s pushing away prospective owners, and it still offers an adequate casual reading experience, which could be even more of a threat to Kindle devices — especially given Amazon’s latest Kindle crackdown.

Just a few weeks ago Amazon announced it would be pulling the plug on older devices despite them still being used, which frustrated users believe is a way for the company to get you to needlessly upgrade to a new and thus pricier Kindle. The decision affects Kindle devices released in 2012 and before, meaning that as of May 20, you’ll no longer be able to purchase or download new books to your device, but you’ll still have access to read content that’s already downloaded.

Looking ahead to a summer of travel and relaxation? Or at least a couple of weeks of it? Reading is always one of the things I aim to do more of while I’m chilling, and there’s no better way to do so than through an ereader. Right now, you can buy a certified refurbished Kindle at Amazon for £60.99 (was £75.99), which is the cheapest possible way to get the ereader right now.

This particular model is the last-gen version, but it’s still very good, and the refurb has been officially certified by Amazon, so it’s in good condition. This Kindle offers a comfortable 300 ppi high-resolution display that is glare-free and effortless for your eyes. Six weeks of battery life and storage for thousands of books make this ideal for the longest of vacations, too.

Today's best Kindle deal

Our Amazon Kindle review gave it four stars out of five, appreciating that it’s a “great basic ereader.” For some people, it may be a little small and simple, but I really enjoyed my time with the Kindle. It has excellent battery life and its compact design is good for travellers.

Its place as the best Kindle for those on a budget has been lost to the newer Kindle, but this one is about £30 cheaper, which makes it very tempting. You’d struggle to find any of the best ereaders for this low a price.

The certified refurbished Kindle works just as well indoors as it does outdoors, and it handles nighttime well. At this price, you won’t get a colour screen, but when reading, that’s hardly essential.

If you need more functionality and crave the notifications that the Kindle saves you from, take a look at the best cheap tablets available right now. There are often some excellent iPad deals going on.

• Pre-2013 Kindles will soon lose Send to Kindle support
• This follows news that they'll lose access to the Kindle Store
• The changes are set to happen on May 20

It’s fair to say that a lot of Kindle owners aren’t particularly happy with Amazon right now, as the company recently announced that pre-2013 models will no longer be supported from May 20.

The support page detailing this change initially just mentioned that these devices would no longer be able to access the Kindle Store or use Kindle Unlimited, but now — as spotted by GoodEreader — the page has been updated to say that Send to Kindle will also stop working.

Send to Kindle is a feature that lets you wirelessly transfer ebooks you bought elsewhere, as well as documents and other files, to your Kindle, but from May 20 the only way to get content onto affected Kindles will be via USB cable.

So it’s a change that makes these older models even more useless than they were previously set to become.

Unhappy readers

There haven’t been many reactions to this Send to Kindle news yet, but in the days since Amazon first announced that these older models would lose access to the Kindle Store there has been no shortage of annoyed responses to that.

On Reddit this includes things like “I hate this”, “screwing the most loyal early adopters is extremely not cool”, and “this is a revolting waste.”

Amazon is offering a 20% discount off new devices, but given that the same fate might eventually befall those too, this could end up pushing users to rival services like Kobo, or perhaps to something with direct access to multiple ebook stores, like a Viwoods or Boox device.

Another week, another seven days of some seriously big tech news, and we're here to help you catch up on what you might have missed.

From Mac shortages to Artemis II iPhone photos, we have recaps of the seven biggest news stories of the week below for you.

When you're finished, make sure to also check out the eight new movies and TV shows you should watch this weekend.

7. Pebblebee built an excellent AirTag rival

This week, personal safety device company Pebblebee launched its new Halo tracker, a new AirTag rival but with added functionalities.

Built on that ‘what if something goes wrong’ feeling, the Halo tracker can be registered on Apple’s Find My app or Google’s Find Hub, so no additional app is required. When activated, the tracker signals a 130dB siren when activated to attract attention from passersby in the area, and will also emit a flashing strobe of light (which doubles as a 150-lumen flashlight), all while sharing your real-time location with up to five trusted contacts called your Safety Circle

It’s retailing now for $59.99/ £55.28/ AU$87.88, and each device comes with a free 12-month subscription to Pebblebee’s Alert Live plan, which is required for live location sharing.

• Read the full story: Pebblebee’s new personal tracker is an AirTag crossed with a safety siren

6. We tried DJI's robovac

The people at DJI know a lot about drones, but it turns out they’re no slouches when it comes to robot vacuums, either. We tested the new DJI Romo P, with its funky transparent case that lets you see its cleaning components while it works, and its obstacle detection and navigation blew us away.

The Romo P surpassed expectations in our vacuuming tests, too, getting right into the corners of the room, and did an admirable job mopping up messy spills on hard floors. It’s expensive, yes, but it’s one of the best robot vacuums that has ever roamed our floors, and we highly recommend it.

• Read the full story: DJI’s first foray into the pantheon of home cleaning

5. We experienced Sony RGB TV

We've been waiting for Sony's formal entry into RGB TV, and this week we got a first look at what the TV giant has dubbed True RGB. It's an eye-catching name amongst the crowded RGB TV space, with Samsung, TCL, and Hisense all already taking up space.

Our early first impressions of Sony's True RGB TV tech proved good, though, with punchy colors, high brightness, and overall impressive visuals. Sony says its first consumer TV model with True RGB will launch in Spring 2026, and Sony's RGB TV tech is a three-diode system with one red, one green, and one blue, plus a new backlight driver controlled by Sony's unique mix.

As always, Sony will strive not to skew reality and, ideally, deliver visuals that match the creator's intent.

• Read the full story: I saw Sony’s True RGB TV tech in action

4. We poured one out for Samsung Messages

We said goodbye to Samsung Messages this week, as the South Korean tech brand announced the service is shutting down in July.

The announcement came with a suggestion to switch to Google Messages, but many folks are frustrated by the change.

There's no workaround to keep access to Samsung Messages, but if you don’t like Google Messages, there are at least alternative apps you could use, including Textra SMS and Handcent Next SMS messenger.

• Read the full story: Samsung Galaxy owners rebel against being forced to switch to Google Messages

3. Amazon stopped support for some Kindles

As of May 20, Amazon will be pulling the plug on support for Kindles and Fire tablet models released before 2012. However, most of the affected devices are still widely used today (mainly the Kindle 3, Kindle 4, and the first generation Kindle Paperwhite), and it’s rubbed keen e-readers the wrong way.

When the day comes, you’ll still be able to read content that’s already downloaded on your device, but you won’t be able to purchase or download new books after the date has passed. For most users, the simplicity of a Kindle is what has kept them glued to older models instead of upgrading to Amazon’s more advanced, and therefore pricier, models. Besides, this isn’t stopping users from sideloading new books as a workaround — but how long will it be until Amazon clamps down on this, too?

• Read the full story: Amazon is pulling the plug on old Kindle devices

2. NASA shared its otherworldly iPhone snaps

The Artemis II mission has been wowing us, mere earthlings, this week with its deep-space adventures — and that included shooting what are probably the best iPhone and GoPro photos ever taken.

Two of these, showing astronauts Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman looking back towards their home planet, were shot using the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s selfie camera, no less. And outside the ship, a 12-year-old GoPro captured a mind-blowing photo of a lunar eclipse from the far side of the moon.

Our camera roll looks decidedly underwhelming by comparison. Still, it was fascinating to see NASA using some of the same dusty old camera tech – including the decade-old Nikon D5 DSLR – that we’ve been eyeing up in secondhand stores.

• Read the full story: The first iPhone 17 Pro Max photos sent back from the Artemis II mission really are out of this world

1. Mac stock ran low

Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and MacBook Neo stock has been running low across various Apple stores, and problems may persist.

You could be waiting several weeks, or even months in some cases, to receive your Mac Mini or Studio order, depending on your configuration. While Apple hasn't confirmed the rumors, many suspect the ongoing RAM crisis is to blame.

As for the MacBook Neo, the delays are instead being blamed on a weirder source: a lack of iPhone 16 Pro chips. The theory is that these chips were chosen because Apple had a stockpile of A18 Pros with a faulty CPU core; the five-core chips wouldn't work for phones but could be repurposed into Neo chips. However, the incredible popularity of the Neo may have taken Apple by surprise, leading to shortages.

• Read the full story: Mac shortages hit, and the RAM crisis is probably to blame

• Kindle owners are frustrated with Amazon's decision to end support for old models
• Users say they shouldn't need to upgrade if devices are working as normal
• Sideloading is still an option, but Amazon could stop this workaround.

It’s official, Amazon is ending support for a wide array of older Kindle models as of May 20, and it’s shaken up a lot of keen e-readers to say the least.

Since users online shared that they received an email detailing the change, it garnered a slew of comments and reactions, particularly on Reddit — none of which seem to welcome Amazon’s decision to cease support. If your pre-2012 Kindle hasn’t let you down yet, I’m afraid the time for an upgrade might come sooner than you think, but you’re not the only one in this boat.

If it's not broken, don't fix it

As mentioned, all Kindle models released in 2012 and before will no longer receive support. This means that you’ll still be able to read content that’s already downloaded on your device, but you won’t be able to purchase or download new books after May 20 this year.

The reaction speaks for itself, and a vast majority of these users are quite pressed about it, especially since it will affect devices that are still widely used today — most notably the Kindle 3, Kindle 4, and the first generation Kindle Paperwhite. If there are so many users who are satisfied with how these older devices are still performing, then why the need to end support?

Some are convinced it’s a classic Amazon money-grabbing scheme, with one user questioning “Why replace something so simple like this that still works?”.

Most Kindle users in the Reddit thread have come to a collective agreement; if it’s not broken, don’t fix it (or end it in this case). For most users, the simplicity of a Kindle is what has kept them glued to older models instead of upgrading to Amazon’s more advanced, and therefore pricier, models. It's simply because advanced features aren't a huge necessity for those who just want a device for reading books.

Unlike devices such as phones, computers, and tablets that require new hardware iterations to keep up with evolving software and security updates, e-readers have a singular flagship purpose and that’s for reading. “It's a text reader, that's it, no need to turn it into a brick other than money,” one user shared, while another commented “if the device isn't broken, and can still be used, and all of the features we want and/ or need are on the devices we already own, then we shouldn't have to upgrade”.

However, despite this, there appears to be a silver lining. Yes, you won't be able to purchase and download new books to the affected devices, but this won't stop users from sideloading books from sites that aren't Amazon as a workaround.

A popular way of sideloading books onto a Kindle is by sending files and EPUBs to your Kindle email which will then appear in your device's library. One user in the Reddit thread revealed they sideload books to their Kindle "with a wire and (my) laptop", but even then, the burning question — how long this trick will still work come May 20 — is still on everyone's lips. Will sideloading be Amazon's next target?

• Kindles from 2012 and older are being sunsetted on May 20
• Amazon has started emailing users about the imminent loss of support
• First to fifth-generation Kindle and Kindle Fire devices will be affected

RIP, Kindles with keyboards, it was fun while it lasted.

A decade after users of older Kindles were required to update the software to retain access to the Kindle Store, Amazon has decided to completely sunset them on May 20 this year.

Reddit user Amorisaiya posted that they've already received an email from Amazon advising them that Kindle and Kindle Fire devices "from 2012 and earlier" will no longer be supported. Others still using these older models, however, are yet to be notified.

While owners of these older Kindles will still be able to use them to read already downloaded content and access their accounts, they will no longer "be able to purchase, borrow or download additional books on them after that date".

Kindle removing support for OG devices from r/kindle

If any of these devices have been deregistered or a factory reset performed, users will not be able to re-register them after the May deadline, making them entirely defunct.

The full list of Kindles affected are:

• Kindle 1st generation from 2007
• Kindle 2nd generation released in 2009
• Kindle DX from 2010
• Kindle DX Graphite also released in 2010
• Kindle Keyboard also from 2010
• Kindle 4 launched in 2011
• Kindle Touch also released in 2011
• Kindle Fire 1st generation from 2011
• Kindle 5 released in 2012
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st generation also launched in 2012
• Kindle Fire 2nd generation from 2012
• Kindle Fire HD 7 tablet also released in 2012
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 from 2012

It's clear from the Reddit thread that users of the third and fourth-generation Kindles are still quite happy with their ereaders, but it doesn't surprise me in the least that Amazon has finally pulled the plug on these pioneering models.

First, the 3G-enabled Kindles lost internet access, although that wasn't Amazon's fault, then the company announced it would pull Kindle Store access across devices that were older than 10 years.

Every time, Amazon offered its customers an incentive to upgrade and this time is no different. Amazon will discount new Kindles by 20% for affected users and throw in a $20 ebook credit for the Kindle Store for US customers. In Australia, where most of the users receiving the email notification are seemingly based, Amazon will offer the same 20% discount on the hardware, and an additional AU$30 credit for the Kindle Store, with the offer ending June 20, 2026 globally.

So, is it time to re-Kindle?

Unless you factory reset or deregister your older Kindle, the affected older models will still be usable, albeit you'll only be able to read books you've already downloaded to the device. And while you can still purchase new content through the Kindle mobile app or via a web browser, you won't be able to access the fresh content on the affected devices.

That said, you might still be able to sideload books onto these older devices as USB Download & Transfer was stopped only for newer models.

I would still recommend an upgrade at this point, mostly for ease of use and staying connected to the Kindle Store via the device. Also, in all honesty, the performance on the newer devices is excellent, although I struggle to justify Amazon's price hike across the current 2024 range of Kindles.

If you are looking to upgrade, my pick would be the base model of the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite (2024), especially if it's discounted. It's fast and the screen is excellent — I think the implementation of the E Ink Carta 1300 display on the latest Paperwhite alone justifies the upgrade, but I am a little biased as it's the best grayscale ereader screen I've used to date (and I've used a fair few since 2008, when I purchased my first ereader).

You can take a look at my picks of the best Kindles below or, if you'd like more options, consider something else from what I consider to be the best ereaders available right now.

• Audible has launched a new reading tool that gives users the option to use text synchronization to follow audiobooks
• It's rolling out in the US now, and will be available in the UK, Australia, and Germany in the coming months
• Despite its accessibility focus, users must own both the audiobook and eBook versions of a title in order to use the feature

Amid the growing popularity of e-reading, Audible’s position as one of the best audiobook providers hasn’t budged, and now it’s redefining how you immerse yourself in your favorite audiobooks.

Rolling out to US customers today (February 18), and to those the UK, Australia, and Germany in the coming months, Audible's new ‘Read and Listen’ tool is a new way for you to follow along with audiobooks by combining reading and listening in the Audible app. Previously, the use of this feature was restricted to the Kindle app as part of the Whispersync for Voice tool.

Using text synchronization, Read and Listen gives you the option to read along as you listen to an audiobook, introducing another way to engage with and enjoy your favorite books — but it’s much more than that according to Audible’s Chief Product Officer, Andy Tsao.

"Audiobooks count as reading,” says Tsao in a press release announcing the feature. "But now at Audible, you can read with your eyes too. Read & Listen gives book lovers the best of both worlds. Whether you're learning a new language, studying for school, or lost in a story’s world, you no longer have to choose one format over the other".

As well as the new Read and Listen tool, Audible revealed that it’s been testing another feature that intertwines digital and physical reading, seemingly taking inspiration from Spotify’s audiobook upgrade that allows you to purchase physical books right from the app. As it stands, select customers in the US have access to Audible’s version of the feature, which includes direct links to physical book listings on Amazon’s site.

You can enable Read and Listen just with a tap of the toggle button, switching you between that and the standard ‘Listen’ mode, as well as packing hundreds of thousands of titles across a multitude of languages. This isn’t Audible’s only goal with Read and Listen — accessibility is another key factor, but it comes with a catch that I just can’t get past.

An accessibility feature, or new business model?

Read to Listen isn't just about giving book lovers more ways to enjoy audiobooks, but it also opens another door for those with accessibility needs to immerse themselves in new ways of reading just like the rest.

As Audible puts it; “Read & Listen serves as a powerful tool for differentiated instruction. Research indicates that simultaneous reading and listening improves comprehension and retention — benefits that are particularly valuable for students, language learners, and individuals with dyslexia, ADHD, or low vision.”

It all looks great on paper, but there’s a catch that I can’t get past — you need to own both the eBook and audiobook version of a title in order to take advantage of Read and Listen, which is a little back-handed.

Audible hasn’t shared the reasons behind this, and it could simply be that Audible hasn’t quite mastered the full potential of Read and Listen, and is starting small before expanding, but the obvious answer is that it’s a business model, as it means users will have to spend more money to buy multiple versions of their favorite titles through Audible and Kindle if they want a taste of what Read and Listen has to offer.

We’ve reached out to Audible for a comment on why this is the case, and we’ll update this story once we receive more information.

• Kindle ebooks are now available DRM-free
• This means you can read them on other ereaders
• But publishers and authors need to opt in first

Kindle ebooks have a lot going for them – there’s a vast selection of them on the Amazon Kindle store, and you can read them on some of the best ereaders, but they also have a major issue in the form of DRM (digital rights management).

This means that Kindle books can only be read on Kindle devices or the Kindle app. So if you have other brands of ereader that you’d like to read on, or devices that lack the Kindle app, you’re out of luck. But that might be about to change.

Amazon has now rolled out a DRM-free option for ebooks, allowing authors and publishers to choose whether they want to apply this DRM or not. For any books that don’t have DRM, you’ll find the option to download an EPUB or PDF version under the ‘More Actions’ dropdown in the ‘Digital Content’ section of your Amazon account.

These formats are far more widely supported, allowing you to read your books on almost any device that supports ebooks or documents. So this is great to see, and could mean you’re less locked in to a single ecosystem.

A good feature that publishers might not use

But there’s a catch. Well, actually there are two catches, but the biggest one is that this being voluntary, we might not see many publishers choose to remove DRM – since doing so also makes it easier for people to pirate the books.

Indeed, as Goodereader notes, no major publishers yet seem to offer DRM-free Kindle books. That might change – after all the feature has only just launched, but it also might not. So you’re probably more likely to see this option from small publishers and self-published works.

The other catch is that there doesn’t currently seem to be a way to tell whether a book is available without DRM until you’ve purchased it, so you can’t really make purchasing decisions based on this feature. That seems like it would be an easy fix for Amazon, though it may not be something that company wants to do.

In other words then, this DRM-free option very much seems like a ‘wait and see’ feature – it has game-changing potential, but unless or until it’s widely embraced its usefulness will be limited.

Black Friday is one of the best times to invest in a Kindle, and even though the price-slashing event hasn't arrived yet, I've spotted a deal on the first colour model on Amazon's ereader. You can now get this Kindle Colorsoft Bundle on sale at Amazon for £210.68 (was £300.97).

That's a £90 saving and the cheapest price we've ever seen. On top of the 4.5-star ereader, this bundle includes a plant-based cover that will keep your Kindle free from scratches and a power adapter for charging.

You might be wondering whether it's worth investing in the Colorsoft given that the basic Kindle costs less than £100. Only you can decide what's right for you, but if you read a lot of image-heavy content such as graphic novels and comics, or love to see the full-colour covers, then this is the ereader to buy.

Today's best Kindle Colorsoft deal

In our Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review, we gave the ereader a seriously impressive 4.5 out of five stars and said, "It’s going to change the way we see Kindle forever." Our reviewer praised its "amazing performance on E Ink, with Amazon’s robust Kindle library and e-book simplicity."

Boasting a seven-inch glare-free display that auto-adjusts its brightness based on the surroundings, you'll never need to fiddle with the brightness setting again. It's also incredibly smooth in its responsive performance. That means whether you're enjoying a graphic novel, a comic, or a standard novel, it's guaranteed to look fantastic.

This bundle includes a black plant-based cover, which further extends the durability of the ereader itself. The cover has a microfibre interior, which helps protect the screen from scratches. This, alongside the power adaptor, makes it the complete package.

The Kindle Colorsoft is one of the best ereaders around, and those who have experienced its colourful beauty are finding it hard to go back. That being said, if you'd like something simpler, then our best Kindles guide has all the options.

Amazon held a huge devices event yesterday and introduced some exciting new products such as the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. That’s led to a huge price cut for another Kindle as we approach the retailer's upcoming Prime Big Deal Days sale - and one that will suit more bank balances.

Right now, you can buy the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft at Amazon for £169.99 (was £239.99). The £70 discount works out as nearly 30% off, which makes it even cheaper than the £185 price tag we saw in the summer and a new record-low price. It only costs £10 more than the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, and honestly, it’s making me look at my older Kindle and wonder if I could spring for an upgrade.

The Amazon Kindle Colorsoft has a seven-inch colour display which is high-contrast and provides paper-like colour, which is easy on your eyes. It’s optimised for reading in colour compared to the Paperwhite, while you can even colour the pages yourself to make highlighting text clearer. Its battery life isn’t quite as good, but you can still expect up to 8 weeks between charges and enough storage for thousands of books.

Today's best Kindle deal

When we reviewed the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft, we called it “the Kindle of your dreams in color”. We loved its “amazing performance on E Ink” with “speedy refresh and zooming”. It’s pricey at its usual price, but with this discount, that’s far less of an issue.

In our best Kindles roundup, we raved about its “good colours, responsive performance, and excellent battery life”, with it also featuring highly among the best ereaders overall.

As with other Kindles, it’s a different experience from the best tablets, but in a good way. It’s distraction-free reading without any temptation to check TikTok for five minutes (turning into hours). It's a great buy for any book lover.

There are other Kindle deals if you want to aim for something cheaper or maybe the writing-focused Kindle Scribe. If you long for notifications and games, take a look at the tablet deals too.

Amazon showcased all kinds of new and upgraded hardware at its fall event this year, but the common theme running through almost every reveal was the enhancement and integration of AI, namely Amazon's new Alexa+ assistant. Though AI permeated the whole event, here are five of the most striking AI features discussed that might entice you to buy Amazon's new lineup.

New Echos, new Alexa+

The centerpiece of Alexa+ and Amazon's AI upgrade is the new Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio smart speakers, as well as the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 smart displays. The Echos are built to run Alexa+, with enough power to even handle some tasks without relying on the cloud.

It's more than just raw power. The new Echos can track conversations more deeply, remember past interactions, and sustain a more natural back‑and‑forth. You won’t feel like the AI rebooted its brain each morning. Instead, the assistant can carry threads forward and act from a more informed vantage. Alexa+ is built into the devices, too; no setup gymnastics are needed.

TV brains

Alexa+ is also coming to Fire TV, making the smart TVs a lot more like their smaller Echo Show cousins. The AI assistant adapts to more of an entertainment focus, though. The scene search feature lets viewers ask Alexa+ to skip to specific moments in a movie or show with vague references like "the big fight" or "the dating montage" without navigating manually. The Fire TVs can also use Alexa+ to follow conversations, with natural follow-ups better when asking about performers or trivia related to what's on-screen. The new AI features will be available with the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Fire TV Omni QLED displays, as well as for users enrolled in Alexa+ early access.

Kindle's AI secretary

The new Kindle Scribe lineup comes with its own set of new AI tools for both reading and writing on the device. The AI can read handwriting without you needing to convert it to a digital format. The device translates the handwriting into text before encrypting and processing the notes. That means you can search across any handwritten notes. For instance, you might ask the Kindle, “Where did I mention my spouse in my notes?” and see the relevant notebook entries appear.

The Kindle can also summarize your handwritten notes, find important themes, and compare across different categories. And if you need more from the notes, you can send them to Alexa+ as the basis for additional requests.

Doorbell chats

Amazon is unsurprisingly weaving Alexa+ into its other product lines, including Ring and Blink. In particular, Ring doorbells are adding the Alexa+ Greetings feature, which will allow the AI to speak directly to visitors at the door, explaining where to leave packages and even deciding if the solicitor at the door warrants letting the homeowner know about the visit. The Familiar Faces feature uses AI facial recognition to identify people you know, so your friends aren't dismissed with the Amway salesman.

And for pet owners, the new Search Party feature uses AI and the neighborhood to find lost pets. If a dog goes missing and you report it in the Ring app, participating neighborhood cameras will analyze footage with AI-based object recognition to see if the dog has walked by and report possible sightings.

Agent Alexa+

This range of services points to how Amazon is pushing Alexa+ to act more proactively and go beyond a single action to complete a larger goal. This includes capabilities such as booking appointments, organizing calendars for multiple people, and even following up on uncertain plans.

Amazon suggests you could ask Alexa+ to "find a restaurant for dinner Friday near me, make a reservation, and schedule a ride,” and have the AI check your availability and confirm details through connected apps. The AI can personalize the process too, using past interactions, preferences, and ongoing tasks when making decisions.

The more powerful hardware makes these upgrades possible and makes Amazon’s push to unify its ecosystem under Alexa+ entirely feasible. But Alexa+ isn't operating in a vacuum. The new devices and AI features face formidable AI competition from Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, Meta, and others. Keeping "Alexa" the default term for a smart home AI is far from assured, no matter how clever the Echo gets at running your life.

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I’ve been using my OG Kindle Scribe for years now. Not only is it a great tool for getting down whatever ideas or scribbles that happen to be in my head, I’ve found it really supports my writing practice. Whether I’m in a coffee shop or on a plane, it’s now trivial for me to get stuck into writing fiction, something that I struggled with endlessly on distraction-ridden devices like laptops and mobile phones.

As a result, I’m definitely a bit of a writing tablet evangelist, which means I’m always excited to see a new device hitting the market. However, 'excited' didn’t really cover it when the new raft of Kindle Scribes were announced on September 30. Alongside impressive quality of life improvements, the reveal of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft – packing the full color screen of its Kindle Colorsoft stablemate – was a bit of a ‘shut up and take my money’ moment. There was no doubt in my mind I was going to upgrade.

At least, there wasn’t until the launch of Amazon’s early Prime Day sales when I discovered the brand was offering the Kindle Scribe (2024) from $299.99 (was $399.99) at Amazon US – or from £269.99 (was £379.99) at Amazon UK. Particularly compared to the $629.99 / £569.99 list price of the upcoming Scribe Colorsoft, this is a staggeringly reasonable price, and made me wonder whether I was better nabbing this deal than going for the full upgrade.

So how do the newest and older models compare in terms of features? And does that innovative color display make the extra spend worth it?

How do the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe (2024) compare?

By far the most attention-grabbing reveal has been the fact that the Kindle Scribe is now available with a Colorsoft E-Ink display. And while some early devices with that tech have looked a little desaturated, the hues on the Scribe Colorsoft look impressively vibrant for a low-power e-paper display. Whether you’re sketching or annotating, this seems like it will unlock a whole new dimension to the Scribe experience.

The Scribe Colorsoft isn’t the only model that’s seen advances though: the design of all three of the new devices has seen plenty of incremental improvements.

Perhaps most noticeable is the Scribe’s slimmer profile: Amazon has trimmed the depth of all three of the new Scribes down from 0.22 inches / 5.6mm to 0.21 inches / 5.3mm and cut their weight down from 0.95 lbs / 433g to 0.88 lbs / 400g. Certainly this seems to translate into palpable results – in his initial hands-on, our US Editor in Chief Lance Ulanoff already remarked that he was "astonished at how light and thin it felt".

Conversely, all three devices’ screens have been scaled up. Their predecessor’s 10.1-inch glare-free screen has been expanded to 11 inches, giving you even more room for scribbling and sketching. Despite this, the whole lineup maintains its 300ppi resolution for black and white images – although the Colorsoft drops this to 150ppi for color images.

Receiving a literal glow-up, the two more expensive Scribes in the new lineup have improved front-lighting. The LEDs are smaller than in 2024’s model and Amazon has upped their number, meaning you won’t sacrifice readability for that slimmer design. As the name would suggest though, the Kindle Scribe without Front Light is bereft of additional lighting, so bear in mind that you’re unlikely to do much journaling in the dark with that model.

Personally, I’m a big fan of some of the ergonomic tweaks Amazon has made here as well. For example, the thick spine that’s been on show on the Scribes since the OG unit back in 2022 has been surgically removed. While some may prefer having this additional bezel to hold onto, I’ve always found it an unnecessary addition compared to the slender bezels of the mainline Kindles.

But the bigger upgrade for me is the fact that the Scribe’s stylus is now magnetic, clipping to the side of the slates for easy storage. This feels like a far more elegant solution than the simple band its predecessors rocked. And as Lance discovered in the article above in his time with the device, it seems to be seriously sturdy solution – you’re unlikely to dislodge it with just a flap of the tablet.

Possibly the only feature that’s a dead heat between the two generations in my mind is battery life. The Kindle Scribe (2024) can deliver a solid 12 weeks of reading. Conversely, the new generation is much more all over the map here: while the Scribe without Front Light parlays its lack of LEDs to 16 weeks of reading, the Kindle Scribe (2025) matches its predecessor’s 12. And the marvelous hues of the Scribe Colorsoft requires a sacrifice in return – it will only last you eight weeks of reading.

What a difference a $100 / £110 discount makes

On paper, the latest generation of Kindle Scribes offer some serious upgrades. And the color screen of the Colorsoft is seriously tempting to me, offering enormous potential for sketching, highlighting and journaling. So why the hesitation?

This is where that whopping $100 / £110 discount comes in. As it is, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is available at a pretty major markup; the list price for the cheapest 32GB model is $629.99 / £569.99, which is already considerably higher than the $414.99 / £399.99 list price of the equivalent Scribe (2024) model. In light of the Colorsoft’s superior design, that markup would seem entirely warranted – but it’s much harder to square now that the latter tablet has been reduced to $314.99 / £289.99.

Even compared to the cheaper 2025 models, the Scribe (2024) is significantly more affordable. The 32GB model of the Kindle Scribe (2025) is due to go on sale with a list price of $499.99 / £449.99, while the equivalent Kindle Scribe without Front Light will have a list price of $429.99 / £389.99. That means you’ll save at least $115 / £100 opting for 2024’s model – no small change in anyone’s book.

Ultimately, my advice would be that if you can afford it, holding fire and waiting for the new Scribes to go on sale will see you richly rewarded. They’re slimmer, more comfortable to hold and offer larger screens – and that’s setting aside the Colorsoft’s impressive color display. But if pure value is your main concern, you really shouldn’t sleep on this bargain early Prime Day deal.

Possibly more than most tech gadgets I've played with in recent years, Amazon's Kindle Scribe Colorsoft feels like the product of listening.

It's a thinner, lighter, more open, smarter, and certainly more colorful product than the Scribe that came before it. The pen-ready ereader appears to answer virtually every wishlist update and maybe a bit more.

Granted, my time with the new $629 color E-Ink device, which Amazon unveiled on Tuesday (September 30, 2025) at its huge 2025 Devices Event, was limited, but I'm not gonna lie; I'm already impressed.

The specs tell part of the story. This Kindle Scribe Colorsoft manages to offer a larger screen, 11 inches as opposed to 10.2 inches on the 2024 Scribe, while still being 33 grams lighter and 0.4mm thinner.

The design is far more classic, tablet-like, with a balanced bezel surrounding the new color-ready screen. Aside from the Kindle logo and four tiny rubber feet, the back is unblemished. There's a power button on one edge, and the bottom edge is just thick enough to house the USB-C charge port.

Paper-like design

Holding the tablet in my hand, I was astonished at how light and thin it felt. I had no trouble firmly grasping a corner and supporting its weight with just two fingers. It's so thin that the pen is now slightly thicker than the Scribe Colorsoft chassis. It's a good thing Amazon increased the internal magnet power. I did my best to shake the pencil off the Scribe to no avail.

The touch-friendly screen is fast and virtually flicker-free, something I noticed as we quickly swiped through previous sketches and notes.

And, of course, it's a color-friendly screen, which means that in addition to the sharp, 300ppi text and sketching, you can markup and sketch in a half dozen colors (there's also a color-mixing wheel that I did not try) and view content in up to 4,096 colors (at 150ppi). There are a variety of pens, though I think the fountain pen is the most satisfying.

Reading and writing

Now, I've read some content on Amazon's lovely Kindle Colorsoft, but being able to draw and markup in colors on an E-Ink device is a whole different thing.

First of all, the pen on the digital paper is remarkably responsive. It looked like pink, green, yellow, and black ink were pouring out of the included pen and right onto the screen. There's no visible distance between the pen tip and the on-screen output. Additionally, the pen and screen performed exceptionally well in recognizing pressure. I marveled at how I could effortlessly switch from the thickest to the thinnest, almost hair-strand-thin line.

This kind of response set a benchmark for what you should expect from a color E-Ink device.

Colors, in general, also look vibrant and, in some ways, slightly brighter than what we saw on the original Kindle Colorsoft. This is likely because the image stack on the new device is thinner, and while Amazon miniaturized the LEDs on this device, there are actually more of them.

I'm also impressed that the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is more open than its predecessor, as it is ready to work directly with OneDrive and Google Drive for file import. The export, though, remains somewhat more limited in that both platforms will only receive PDF files from the Scribe Colorsoft. Eventually, you'll be able to send notes back and forth to Alexa+.

There are other productivity features that, while I did not get to try them, promise to make this a more open, useful system. They include AI-powered search, Quick Notes, and Workspace for grouping books, PDFs, and other files.

The cost of cool

Now for the bad news. This lovely piece of hardware starts at $629 for a 32GB model. The previous Kindle Screen (monochrome, obviously) started at $399. And that price doesn't even get you the lovely maroon option.

Since it's an E-ink device, it sips power (even with the LEDs turned on) and can last for 8 weeks on a single charge. If you write on it every day for 30 minutes or so, your battery life might be cut down to two weeks, which is still pretty good by my book.

It's early days with the new Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. I like the look of it, the feel of it, and the performance of it, but I worry about the price. It's clearly a powerful and colorful tool for those with deep pockets and an interest in seeing, creating, and getting work done in color.

We'll know for certain if it's worth the investment once we've run our full battery of tests.

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Amazon's 2025 hardware event took place today, September 30, and we were on the show floor to report every new announcement as it happened.

The event was a whirlwind tour of new devices and services – all including the new AI-powered Alexa+. Read on for all today's launches, and stay tuned for in-depth analysis from our experts.

What launched today

Ring

Amazon launched a full range of 2K and 4K cameras and doorbells, and introduced a feature called Retinal Vision that tunes video recording by sampling video over the course of two weeks and adjusting the image processing accordingly. There are also new Alexa+ Greetings, which will ask visitors why they're there, and respond accordingly. Finally, there's Search Party, which can crowd-source data from Ring cameras to find a lost dog (with support for other animals coming later).

Blink

There are new Blink cameras, including the Blink Outdoor 2K+ with year-long battery life, two-way audio with noise-cancellation, and person and vehicle detection (with a Blink subscription). There's also the Blink Mini 2K+ for indoors. Just plug it in and away you go. For a wider field of view, the Blink Arc has two cameras, and uses AI to stitch the footage together into a single image.

Fire TV

Amazon has launched a new series of Fire TVs: the 2-Series, 4-Series, and Omni QLED. New Omnisense tech will turn the TV on when you enter the room, turn it off when you leave, and automatically adjust its colors to suit your room's lighting. There's also a new Fire TV Stick, the 4K Select, with the Vega OS operating system. Alexa+ integration helps you find what you want to watch, and offers useful information when asked (if you want to know more about an actor, for example, or catch up on what's happened so far).

Kindle

The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has a new rendering engine for enhanced color and less latency when writing. It's thinner and lighter, and has new productivity tools including a digital notebook, AI-powered search, and compatibility with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

Echo

Amazon launched the Echo Dot Max, a new Echo Studio, and new Echo Show 8 and 11 devices. All have updated silicon, and come with Alexa+ support out of the box. You can connect up to five Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio devices to create a surround sound setup, with Alexa Home Theater balancing the audio.

Live updates

Welcome!

Welcome to our live blog, where we'll be sharing all the news from Amazon's 2025 hardware event as soon as it happens. Our team members Lance Ulanoff and Jakob Krol are on their way to Spring Studios in Tribeca right now, but until then we'll be sharing all our predictions about what's on the way.

Alexa+ on smart speakers

Right now, Alexa+ is only available on the new Amazon Echo Show smart displays, but I’m hoping that might be about to change. The teaser image for today’s hardware event includes the signature blue LED ring of an Alexa smart speaker. I’m curious to see (and hear) what the Alexa+ experience is like without a screen, and hopefully we’re about to see a new Echo speaker that will provide exactly that.

Earlier this year Amazon promised that Alexa+ will be coming to almost all old Echo devices, so it would be great to know what to expect when that happens.

Kindle Scribe with color?

Amazon’s teaser image for this event was quite cryptic, but the bottom right quadrant clearly shows some kind of new Kindle with a color display. The Kindle Colorsoft launched last year, and now that Amazon has resolved a few early teething issues with its display, it may be ready to extend the range.

It might be a coincidence, but the tiny bit of text visible on the screen mentions putting pen to paper. Could this be a color update of the Kindle Scribe? We’re not sure, but so far it’s our best bet.

Fire TV sticks

New Amazon Fire TV Sticks are another possibility. Earlier this year we heard rumors that Amazon might be planning to switch to a new operating system (Vega OS), which would likely prove controversial. It’s not clear whether that would mean new hardware, but it might.

Room for improvement

Reddit users have been sharing their wish lists for Amazon’s next e-reader on r/kindle. Some posters like the idea of a color Kindle Scribe, but others aren’t so sure.

“Amazon has a lot to fix with the Scribe, and adding colour is not top of my list. Just making the note taking usable and useful would be a start.” wrote johnwinstanley.

“I agree,” wrote elizable9. “I'd rather have much more flexibility with the note taking and being able to download templates into the notes first than have color.”

Next-gen Echo Buds

A new set of Echo Buds would be music to our ears. The original set launched in 2019, the Echo Buds 2 followed two years later in 2021, and the Echo Buds 3 in 2023. We’re due an update.

We found the latest buds solid for the price, but unspectacular. In addition to active noise-cancellation and extra bass, we’d like to see less fiddly controls. Will Alexa+ make an appearance too?

Color Oasis

A color Kindle Scribe is one possibility, but what about a color version of the Kindle Oasis? The luxury Kindle makes reading a pleasure with its extra-bright display and physical page-turning buttons, and a color update would make it even better for graphic novels.

The Oasis is waterproof too. so you can enjoy reading while taking a long soak in the bath.

Kindle wish list

Lance Ulanoff, our Editor at Large, has put together a wish list of updates he wants to see in the next Kindle. For example, while he loves the Kindle’s minimalist design, he wishes the power button was in a different place so it’s harder to press accidentally.

He’d also love to see an integrated kickstand that would keep the device steady without the need for a bulky case.

“I bet everyone who loves their Kindle would appreciate it just a little bit more with a simple kickstand made out of the same material as the chassis,” he says.

Alexa+ with ads?

I’m excited to hear about Amazon’s plans for Alexa+, but I’m also a bit concerned after Amazon’s most recent investor call, where CEO Andy Jassy suggested that its answers might soon come with ads.

“I think over time, there will be opportunities, as people are engaging in more multi-turn conversations, to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery, and also as a lever to drive revenue,” Jassy said.

“Basically, if you ask Alexa+ for shopping recommendations, some of its responses might eventually be sponsored.”

Honey, I shrunk the Kindle

Last month, we heard a rumor that Amazon may be testing a smaller version of the Kindle Colorsoft called the Kindle Petit Color. However, the details didn’t quite add up.

“From what I can tell by the leaker's mention of a 150ppi color resolution in the thread, this new Kindle will likely be using the E Ink Kaleido 3 display, which limits the amount of saturation it can sustain,” said our Managing Editor for APAC, Sharmishta Sarkar.

“In my experience, better colors on this screen technology invariably come at the cost of text sharpness. The smaller screen size on this leaked ereader should inadvertently help the text look less fuzzy compared to bigger devices, but this is something I'll need to see for myself before I'd recommend it as one of the best Kindles.

The ‘leak’ also claimed that the new ereader will have removable bezels, which is something no other manufacturer has tried before. Hmm…

We've arrived!

Our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff has arrived at the conference venue for today's event. Amazon clearly isn't giving away any hints at this stage, but the event is due to start in less than two hours, so there's not long to wait.

What's next for Alexa+

As well as possible new Color Kindles or new smart speakers, we’re really excited to see what happens with Alexa+ today. When it was announced back in March our Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow said that Alex+ “has much more of a personality than the responses you get from ChatGPT, Siri and Gemini.” He was impressed that the new AI Alexa made jokes and threw in funny comments, but the other chatbots have continued to evolve over the last few months while he’s still waiting for the promised Alexa+ upgrade to his Alexa home devices.

“I’m starting to wonder if I will I ever see Alexa+ in the wild? I really hope it goes on general release soon, and I don’t want it to be for only for the new devices. This is Amazon’s chance to get ahead of Siri before it gets an AI upgrade that could change everything”.

Big deals ahead

If the devices announced at today’s event are too expensive, don’t worry – Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is coming next month, and we’re expecting some big discounts on the company’s current hardware. Amazon Echo speakers, Kindles, Ring doorbells, and Fire TV Sticks are all likely to get hefty price cuts.

The event will run from October 7-8, but if you can’t wait that long, we’ve rounded up a few early Prime Big Deal Days offers available right now.

Not long now...

The mood at the venue is chill right now. Guests have just been admitted, and are being treated to some light bites before the event starts in just over half an hour.

Breakfast bites

Amazon is serving up some tasty breakfast treats before letting attendees into the conference room. The tropical chia bowls look good.

Kindles and accessibility

It might be a coincidence, but Amazon has just updated its official news site with an article about how Kindle supports readers with disabilities. It doesn't name any unreleased devices, but the timing is interesting. Are we about to see a new Kindle that will be more accessible in some way? Perhaps something that's easier to use one-handed, or has differently designed physical buttons?

The final countdown

We're in! The setup of the venue looks similar to the Alexa+ launch event earlier this year, complete with bright blue backdrop.

Familiar faces

We just ran into former Microsoft designer Ralf Groene, who brought us all the Microsoft Surface devices and has been at Amazon for eight months now.

Lance also had a chat with Panos Panay, leader of Amazon's devices and services team. He's excited as usual, and promising some good stuff.

Five minutes...

With just five minutes to go until showtime and laptops at the ready, excitement is building...

It's showtime

Let's get started!

A mysterious start

"We believe technology should fade into the background," says a voiceover. "When we deliver, all the complexity melts away"

Ambient AI

Panos Panay has taken to the stage, and wants to talk about the dinner table. He wants families to put away the phones.

"Something happens when all of us pull out our phones," he says. "Right then, lost in our phones, right then [we] lost the moment."

He says that Alexa+ has created a shift. "The trick, everybody stays present. That is ambient AI."

New hardware incoming

New Ring, Blink, Fire TV, and Echo devices are coming, starting with Ring and a brand new doorbell. We're told that Ring is redefining what home security means, literally.

Higher resolution

Now Amazon is introducing tech called Retinal 2K and Retinal 4K to Ring doorbells. Amazon has been relatively late to the party when it comes to 4K video doorbells, so I'm intrigued to hear more.

First glimpses of new hardware

Doorbells and cameras

Ring is introducing a new tech called Retinal Tuning, which adjusts the clarity of the camera. It uses AI to sample the video quality multiple times a day over two weeks, then makes necessary adjustments.

Identify individuals

A new Familiar Faces function will identify specific people, and there are new Alexa greetings

The new devices can "Make decisions about how to handle different visitors". The tech will work on 2K and 4K devices, and will roll out in December.

New Ring devices

Meet the new Ring Wired Doorbell Plus and Indoor Camera 2K.

Search Party for dogs

We're now seeing how a "Search Party" can use the Ring app network to find a missing dog. It can see through the network of Ring's camera and use AI to help identify the dog. This is something that "could only happen in a world of AI".

Search party for dogs is rolling out in November, followed by cats and other pets.

Alexa+ greetings

Here's how the new Alexa+ greetings for Ring doorbells will work.

New Blink cameras

We're moving a mile a minute! Now it's Blink cameras with with Amy Wiedmann, head of marketing for home security. She starts with a story of a family who were saved by their Blink camera during a fire.

We have new Blink cameras: the Blink Outdoor 2K Plus, with one-year battery life, and the Blink Mini 2K Plus, which Wiedmann says is the most advanced Blink camera to date.

There's also the Blink Arc, which has two precision-engineered cameras, one mount and 180 degrees of coverage. AI stitches the two feeds into a seamless view of your space with no blind spots. Pre-orders are starting today.

Find that dog!

Here's a detailed look at how the new Search Party function will work for Ring doorbells.

Fire TV

Now we're looking at a refreshed Amazon Fire TV lineup. The Omni TV is the top of the line, with Omnisense tech: walk in and it turns on. Leave the room and it powers down. It also has Dialog Boost, which works across services.

There's a new Fire Stick too: the FireTV 4K Select, which is just $39.99. As some predicted, it's rocking a new operating system: Vega OS.

Vega will also power the new Echo speakers.

Omni TV

Here's a closer look at the new Amazon Fire Omni TV.

Alexa+ on your TV

The new Fire TVs have Alexa+ integration. For example, Alexa+ can tell you about a recent baseball game and instantly show you a recap, which sounds handy!

We've just seen our first live demo of the day: Alexa+ on the Fire TV Omni delivering stats from the game and easily bringing up highlights.

New Fire TV Stick

Here's a better look at that new Fire TV stick with Vega OS.

Kindle time

Now Panos Panay is back on the stage to talk about Kindles. He says that Kindle sales are up "by double digits".

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Meet the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. There are miniaturized LEDs in the front, and Amazon's engineers have created a "whisper-thin antenna" to reduce bulk. There's texture-molded glass so it "feels just like you're writing on paper".

Faster, prettier

The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has a new customized chip and more memory, making it 40% faster on things that matter, like page-turning and writing.

Our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff says that the bezel is the same color as his jacket. If that's not a reason to buy one, I don't know what is.

The highlight of the show?

Panos is particularly pumped about the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and says it's "a product I can't wait for you to use".

Scribe productivity tools

Now we're going into more detail about productivity with Avani Parakh, Director of Kindle Products. New features include Quick Notes, Import and Export, and Workspaces.

You can now Import and export with Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive directly from your Scribe.

Tools for readers

Kindle customers have read an average of 22 billion pages per month, and there are two new features for readers: Story So Far and Ask This Book.

New Echo speakers

It's Alexa+ time, with a brand new Echo smart speaker lineup designed specifically for the AI assistant.

Most powerful Echo devices

Amazon says these are the most powerful Echo devices it's ever made.

The new Echo speaker has no seams, and Panos is passing it around the audience so everyone can see for themselves.

Daniel Rausch is on stage now. He says it all starts with silicon: the Az3 and AZ3 Pro, which "can process AI right here, right on the edge".

This new silicon powers Omnisense (which we just heard about with the Fire TVs).

Kindle software

Hopping back to the Kindle for a minute, here's a better look at the new Scribe Colorsoft's software features.

New Echo Dot and Show devices

Back to the Echo devices. Amazon says the Echo Dot is the most popular smart speaker on the planet, and is introducing the new Echo Dot Max with two drivers. There's also an all-new Echo Studio (which should make our audio editor very happy).

There are new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 devices too. The screen is viewable from any place in the room, and there's a 13MP camera for video calls. The screen placement helps leave space to deliver audio around the room.

Howdy, partners

There's also a new partner for Amazon: smart ring maker Oura. Yahoo Sports is coming as well, and there are tons more on the way.

Smarter smart homes

Now we're looking at Alexa+ for your smart home, which makes it possible to set up routines with just your voice. Amazon says that the rate of smart home adoption with Alexa+ is double what it was before.

Alexa Home Theater is a new service that lets you connect up to five Echo Studio speakers for surround sound, while Omnisense auto adjusts them. There was a live demo, and Lance says it "mostly went off without a hitch".

Echo Dot Max

Here's a more in-depth look at the Echo Dot Max in action.

Echo Show 8 and 11

And here's a good look at the Echo Show 8 and 11. Alexa+ will come out-of-the-box with all the devices we've seen today.

Wrapping up

After that whirlwind tour, Panos Panay is back on stage to make his closing remarks. He says he's pumped that Alexa+ is coming with everything we've seen today.

Phew! We'll take a second to digest that and bring you more of our thoughts very soon.

Hands-on with new Echo devices

Here are some hands-on photos of the new Amazon Echo Studio, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Show 8 and 11 devices.

The new Fire TV series in depth

Matt Bolton, our Managing Editor of Entertainment, has compiled a complete guide to the new Amazon Fire TV lineup, with in-depth technical specifications and prices.

Home security

Smart home expert Rowan Davies has written a deep dive into the new Ring doorbell and camera lineup, including Amazon's first 4K video doorbell and all the new Alexa+ features.

Kindle Scribe analysis

Jake Krol, out Managing Editor of News, is going hands-on with the new Amazon devices right now, and has shared his thoughts on the new Kindle lineup – including the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. What does it really feel like to write on, and how good does it look in person?

A closer look at the new Echo lineup

Our news writer David Nield has put together a full guide to the four new Amazon Echo devices, including detailed tech specs and prices, plus release dates.

So, what do we make of the new Ring devices?

Our US Managing Editor for News, Jacob Krol, has spent some hands-on time with a couple of the new Ring devices – specifically the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro and Ring Indoor Cam Plus. Check out his video below.

And we've gone hands on with a new Kindle and Echo devices too

Meanwhile our Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, was busy spending time with the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and two of the new Echo devices, the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. What does he think of them? You'll have to watch to find out…

We're just one big rotation away from Amazon's huge devices event, where we expect it to deliver updates on everything from Echo smart speakers to Fire TV sticks and tablets, Kindles, and more. Of all Amazon's gadgets, the only one I use virtually every day is my Kindle Paperwhite ereader.

It's my bedtime companion, the last gadget I touch before I nod off mid-paragraph, and, aside from my partner, the one thing I spend hours with during a vacation. Put another way, I've been using an Amazon Kindle for over a decade and have come to know it intimately. That's why I feel qualified to point out a few aspects that Amazon could adjust in this latest, anticipated upgrade of one of the best ereaders.

Move the power button

Let's start with my biggest Kindle pet peeve: the power/sleep button placement.

I should preface this by saying I mostly love the Kindle's minimalist design. Every version from the basic Kindle to the Paperwhite Signature Edition is thin and light. The screens, typically 300ppi, are clear, bright, and sharp. You can buy a Kindle Colorsoft model, which adds a range of hues to support reads like graphic novels, but the monochrome models are still my preference, especially since I mainly use these ereaders for wordy novels.

I like the touch screens and embedded lights that cascade brightness over the surface, and I am never happier than when I'm on the beach, where sunlight is the only illumination I need, or in bed reading for minutes or hours of enjoyment.

During a recent cross-country flight without WiFi, my Jade Kindle Paperwhite was my only source of distraction. I rested the Kindle on my lap and read away until the screen unexpectedly blinked out. I hadn't run out of battery, just leaned a bit too hard on the tablet and inadvertently pressed the power button into my lap.

This happens more often than you might think, and there's a simple solution: Move the power button to the back of the device or, alternatively, to one side. My hope is that the new Kindles we're all expecting this week from Amazon feature this one change.

Add a kickstand

When I read at night, I make a rather complicated pile of the covers on my chest to try and prop up my Amazon Kindle. It usually doesn't work, and at some point, the Kindle topples forward onto my face or backward onto my stomach. I don't want to awkwardly hold it the entire time I'm reading, and instead, I prefer to have my hand resting next to the ereader so I can reach out to tap the screen with my index finger.

Yes, I'm a little lazy.

You know what would instantly solve this issue? An integrated kickstand; it should just pop out from the back and be wide enough to keep the Kindle steady. I understand that a case might solve this problem, but I don't keep my Kindle in a case because I don't like the extra weight, and the Kindle is tough enough (even waterproof) to survive without one.

I bet everyone who loves their Kindle would appreciate it just a little bit more with a simple kickstand made out of the same material as the chassis.

Give me touch sensitivity control

Another pet Kindle peeve I have is when I accidentally highlight text on the page or turn a page seemingly because I breathed on it. Obviously, that's an exaggeration, but I'm not alone in complaining that the Kindle screen can be too sensitive and that there's no way to adjust that sensitivity (there are Reddit threads devoted to the issue).

So that's my simple ask: a little software update that lets me adjust touch sensitivity. In lieu of that, I would like Amazon to add a toggle switch so I can turn off highlighting. You know how many times I've highlighted in the hundreds of Kindle books I've read? Next to never.

X-Ray all the time

Sometimes I read a book, and a character is mentioned that I cannot remember. Amazon's X-Ray offers quick access to information on all the book's players.

I've found, though, that if a character isn't mentioned by their full name, or the book introduces another way of mentioning them, X-Ray may not be helpful. Sometimes I just start paging back in search of the first mention. I think that if Amazon did a slight redesign and offered the option to make X-Ray omnipresent, that might help with more complicated, character-filled tomes.

Basically, the bottom quarter of the page would be devoted to X-Ray, and characters would be added as they appear. The list would be scrollable and always put the characters who are currently on the page at the top. If you tap on a character, it instantly shows you their first mention in the book.

Add Alexa+

This feature might work smoothly with another feature I'm requesting: Alexa+ AI synopsis.

Now that Alexa+ got its big AI upgrade, it's high time for Kindle integration. Maybe Amazon adds an Alexa+ button. You tap it, and a context-aware synopsis appears. It lets you know who the characters currently in play are, what they've been doing, and clues you into any relevant subtext and events that are pertinent to that moment in the story. It could even go further and explain references both within and outside the book.

Maybe it also acts as an integrated, virtual book club, to discuss with you the actions and themes up to that moment. It could be text and/or audio-based.

Such an integration could mark the end of confusion for even the most complex stories. There might be a question of processing power and local models. I'd prefer that the feature work locally, but would understand if this were an Airplane Mode-off-only feature.

There you have it. I'm not asking for the world, and certainly won't be crushed if all these Kindle features do not come to pass. I'm certain, though, that at least some of them can or will. When that happens, I will happily upgrade to my next, beloved Kindle ereader.

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• A Redditor has revealed what is possibly Amazon's next Kindle ereader
• It's supposedly a smaller – and potentially cheaper – version of the Kindle Colorsoft
• The prototype, called Kindle Petit Color, is rumored to have features never before seen on any ereader

A Brazilian Redditor going by the username Successful_Bear4855 has today leaked pictures and offered personal insights into a prototype color ereader, claiming it's Amazon's next Kindle release to be announced in November. The photos show an ereader with white bezels, something we've not seen on a Kindle in a while, and is seemingly called the Kindle Petit Color.

While that name, according to the Redditor, is not set in stone, the new device appears to be about the same dimensions as the current basic Amazon Kindle 2024, but boasts a color E Ink display alongside features I've not seen in any ereader – and I've tested dozens over the last eight years.

According to the leaker, who is apparently testing the device, the color saturation on the Petit is superior to the Kindle Colorsoft and has a setting that will allow users to adjust the saturation for individual colors. It's not clear exactly how that will work, but I have tested devices like the Onyx Boox Go Color 7 that offer various screen modes, such as 'Vivid', that increase color hues, although the adjustment is made as a whole and not "per color".

The Petit also apparently has a feature called "progressive colors" which, as per the author of the post, will allow users to "set up your text to change color according to reading progress". There are apparently four colors to choose from and these can change as you get through each quarter of the book. The same color will appear on the status bar as well, as per the post, and individual icons across the UI could also be displayed in user-picked hues.

Personally, I don't see the appeal of this "progressive color" feature, but the Redditor claims Amazon just wants to "maximize the use of color, due to how poorly it has been used in the colorsoft [sic]". While it's not what I would call a useful addition, I am at least slightly curious to see how well it gets executed... if this Kindle even gets released.

Color me skeptical

You can color me excited if there's truly a new Kindle in the works – particularly if we'll see it as early as November this year – but there are details in this Reddit thread that make me question the veracity of the leak.

From what I can tell by the leaker's mention of a 150ppi color resolution in the thread, this new Kindle will likely be using the E Ink Kaleido 3 display, which limits the amount of saturation it can sustain. In my experience, better colors on this screen technology invariably come at the cost of text sharpness. The smaller screen size on this leaked ereader should inadvertently help the text look less fuzzy compared to bigger devices, but this is something I'll need to see for myself before I'd recommend it as one of the best Kindles.

Then there's the removable bezels the author of the post mentions. When asked if it will be available in other colors, the Redditor says it will come in the usual black and white but, "for the first time, the bezel will be detachable". Replacements will also be available to purchase from November apparently, in "green leaf, deep purple, chromatic gray, and a special edition called mermaid, that changes from soft pink to soft teal depending on the angle you look at it".

Again, I'm not sure about detachable bezels – no ereader brand has tried to do something like that before... unless it's just skins you can stick onto the chassis. I suppose time will tell.

Other reporting suggests that this Kindle could be cheaper than the Colorsoft, but if these leaks are true, I'm not sure Amazon would sell it at a lower price. The screen optimization and color features alone could justify a price hike in Amazon's eyes. Then there'll be the additional cost of the detachable bezels (or skins), although I'm perhaps getting ahead of myself here.

This leak is also very public and I'm left wondering why a tester would risk Amazon's wrath by divulging so much detail. With that in mind, I'm taking this news with more than just a few grains of salt.

One potential strike against this leak's accuracy is that Amazon isn't known for releasing new Kindles in quick succession. It took the company three years to release a new Kindle Paperwhite, while the Kindle Scribe got an update after two years. The base Kindle also had a two-year gap. Moreover, Amazon only just expanded its Colorsoft range with new models, so I'm not sure the tech giant will put out a brand-new ereader in 2025. We can hope though.

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• Amazon launches a cheaper 16GB Kindle Colorsoft
• There's also now a Kindle Colorsoft for kids
• Both new models are available to buy now

In our effusive Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review we said that it's hard to go back to a black and white Kindle experience once you've tried the color version – and now there are two more models to choose from if you're thinking of making the switch.

First up there's a 16GB version of the original, halving the storage available on the 32GB model that launched last October. Considering you can still pack thousands of ebooks on there, and it's cheaper, it may be an even better buy than the existing model.

The 32GB Kindle Colorsoft can be yours for $279.99 / £269.99 outside of deals, while the new 16GB edition of the ereader is going to set you back $249.99 / £239.99 – it's not a huge saving, but it's something. These models are yet to launch in Australia, by the way, so AU pricing is TBC.

Besides the storage being cut in half, the cheaper Kindle Colorsoft does without the auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging features. You get three months of Kindle Unlimited included, and the ereader is available to buy now.

Thinking of the kids

The other new model Amazon has announced today (24 July) is the Kindle Colorsoft Kids, which as the name suggests, is for children. It adds to the current range of kid-friendly models you can get for the standard Amazon Kindle and the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

This device costs $269.99 / £259.99, and comes with a year of the Amazon Kids+ subscription service – offering a wealth of child-appropriate apps, games, videos, ebooks, audiobooks, and other content – and a "fun kid-friendly cover".

As with the other Kindles for youngsters, you get additional features: the Vocabulary Builder and Word Wise tools for learning new words, a special OpenDyslexic font, and Bluetooth support for listening to ebooks.

The Kindle Colorsoft Kids is also available now, and like the other kid models, there's a two-year warranty you can take advantage of if it breaks. Both these models are likely to make their way into our guide to the best Kindles in due course.

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In the run-up to last year’s Amazon Prime Day, so many people I spoke to said they planned to buy a new Kindle in the sale. I proudly told them it was a smart move, as I’ve said countless times before, because Prime Day is when Amazon Devices are available for their lowest-ever prices. Then the big sale rolled around, and we saw some of the most disappointing Kindle deals in recent memory. Yikes.

Another year on and I’m hearing those same hopes and dreams from friends, family and colleagues who are eyeing up a new ereader for Prime Day. And I’m here to tell you that, uh oh, I don’t think it’s going to be any better in 2025.

New tech, new higher prices

First up, two updated models of the most popular Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite were launched in October last year. That led to some welcome, if also fairly underwhelming, deals in the Black Friday sales.

Since then, I’ve been able to count the number of price cuts on these ereaders in both the US and the UK on one hand. Compared to the regular and aggressive discounts on the last generation Kindles, it seems Amazon is more reluctant to discount the new and improved versions.

Of course, they will definitely be reduced for Prime Day. That’s a given. Amazon itself has even teased that deals on the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite are coming in the sale. Still, I can’t see them going as low as I’ve seen in years past. The days of a $59.99 / £34.99 Kindle are, sadly, long gone.

And that’s before I mention the Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft. These two devices are certainly in line for deals over Prime Day, but given that they are already more expensive premium models with advanced features and capabilities, you won’t be seeing them for cheap.

Kindle is king

I also think that, with the way so much anticipation is placed on Prime Day as the best time to pick up Amazon products, the retailer doesn’t necessarily need to go for such substantial discounts on its most popular items any more. Sure, it’ll slash an Echo Dot or Fire TV Stick to nothing to get Alexa and the Amazon ecosystem in your home, but the Kindle is a different proposition.

Despite admirable competition from the likes of Kobo and Onyx, the Kindle is still well-established as one of the best ereaders you can buy. Amazon knows it’s onto a winner with this one.

Current readers are also potentially locked into an existing collection of books from Amazon’s exclusive library, set up with recurring Kindle Unlimited subscriptions, and enjoying the benefits of regular free books through Prime.

When you weigh those things up, it’s hard to see why Amazon would want to sell Kindles for as cheaply as it has done in the past. I think that’s played into why discounts have been fewer and smaller recently.

And then there’s everything else going on

Lastly, there are a handful of other wider factors to consider that I’m bundling together here. We’re living in a world where everything costs more nowadays. The tariff nonsense still has manufacturers and retailers jumpy. Consumer spending power is generally down across the board.

As a British bloke with a film degree, I’m not going to dare wade in on the specifics of how these will affect the price of a Kindle, but I don’t need to study economics to know it’s all having an impact. Amazon is undoubtedly considering all of this when it comes to setting prices for its members-only sale. The same members it’s charging extra to if you want ads removed on Prime Video.

I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised, but I’m not hopeful. Just putting it all together, the tech is newer, the discounts throughout the year have slowed, Prime Day is a well-established sale, and the current state of the world all point towards another disappointing year for Kindle deals.

If you love reading books, but don’t love reading, well, physical books, then you’ve probably already picked up the best Amazon Kindle and have heard that Kindle Unlimited is the way to really make the most of your ereader.

Kindle Unlimited is one of four Amazon-owned subscriptions that literary fans will enjoy; Audible is for audiobooks, ComiXology is for comic books, Prime Reading offers certain free books to any Amazon Prime subscribers, and then there's Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon has offered Kindle Unlimited for over a decade as a subscription service offering you unlimited reading of a huge library of books – at last count, the company said that over 4 million ebooks were available to subscribers.

As with any subscription service, you’ve got to ask yourself a few things before you sign up for Kindle Unlimited – what does it cost, what do you get, and can you actually use it at all? To help you decide whether you want to sign up or not, here’s everything you need to know about Kindle Unlimited (and for our verdict on its value for money, check out our Kindle Unlimited review).

How much does Kindle Unlimited cost?

The monthly cost of Kindle Unlimited is $9.99 / £9.49 / AU$13.99, but there are a few extra things to consider financially before you sign up.

Firstly, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited, which gives you a month to peruse its library and read some books before it automatically rolls into a subscription. Secondly, Amazon often offers discounted prices for new subscribers; for instance, you could get your first month for a reduced price before rolling into the usual subscription.

Unlike certain other Amazon subscriptions, you don’t actually need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to use Kindle Unlimited, so you don’t need to worry about that extra monthly expense if you’re not interested in next-day shopping or Prime Video movies. You also don’t need to own a Kindle, either, because you can read Kindle Unlimited books via the Kindle phone or tablet app, so there technically aren’t any extra prices to pay over that Kindle Unlimited cost.

What does Kindle Unlimited offer?

Perhaps the most important question prospective Kindle Unlimited subscribers will have is, "What do you actually get with Kindle Unlimited?" There’s an easy answer: “loads of books”, and a harder one, as the Kindle Unlimited library varies by region.

The biggest draw to Kindle Unlimited is its library of books, which, regardless of where you live, is absolutely huge. It includes a selection of classics like Harry Potter and Hunger Games titles, as well as some Jane Austen works, but the majority of its library seems to be newer titles.

A brief scroll down Kindle Unlimited’s listing shows that there are countless crime and romance novels, and so the service will be great for people who always need a new whodunnit on the go.

The library offers plenty of non-fiction and international titles, too, like biographies, self-help books, and foreign language novels. The exact list, as stated, varies quite a bit based on where you live; however, there are some particular variables:

Kindle Unlimited magazines

In some countries, Kindle Unlimited subscribers get access to a selection of magazines, with weekly new editions.

For example, subscribers in the UK can read magazines like BBC Science Focus, Sky At Night People, Runner’s World, and a huge number of TechRadar’s sibling publications like What’s On TV, Classic Rock, and What Hi-Fi?.

However, in some regions, there’s no Kindle Unlimited magazine offering. US and Australian subscribers, for instance, won’t be able to read magazines with their subscription.

Kindle Unlimited audiobooks

In most regions, Kindle Unlimited subscribers can listen to audiobooks at no added cost.

The list is pretty limited, at just a fraction of the size of Audible, and Amazon bills them as “audio narration” works.

You can find these books by filtering by “eBoooks with Audible Narration” when scrolling Kindle Unlimited’s library, or looking out for a little headphones icon by the Kindle Unlimited logo when you’re checking out the library.

Kindle Unlimited audiobooks can be listened to on your computer browser and also via the Kindle app on your smartphone and tablet. Newer Kindles also let you listen to audiobooks, but not all older ones support this feature, so check with your specific model before getting too excited.

How to sign up for Kindle Unlimited

If you're already sold on Kindle Unlimited (or its free trial), here's how you can sign up to enjoy it for yourself. You can sign up for Kindle using your Kindle device or app, but I’d recommend doing it from your browser since it’s a lot easier and quicker.

Here's what you'll need:

• Amazon account (signed in on browser and Kindle)
• Kindle device (ereader, smartphone or tablet, connected to internet)

How to download books through Kindle Unlimited

You can download books from Kindle Unlimited either on your web browser, or via the app or device – it’s quicker to do it the former way, but more convenient the latter if you just want to read.

Important things to know and FAQs

Kindle Unlimited book limits

You can’t actually download unlimited books via Kindle Unlimited, and you can only download 20 books at once. That ‘only’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting though, as that’s a lot of books to have downloaded at any one time. Plus, on your Kindle, you can read books that you haven’t downloaded if you’re connected to the internet; they just won’t be available for offline reading.

Kindle Unlimited new books

Amazon is constantly adding new books to Kindle Unlimited, so you’ll frequently see new book options. This won’t necessarily happen every day, but given that there are 4 million books (and counting) on the service, you can expect there to generally be multiple new ones added each day.

There are sometimes book removals, too, but these seem relatively rare.

Kindle Unlimited while travelling

Something to bear in mind is that Kindle Unlimited is quite region-specific, and may not suit people who are living largely abroad, or in multiple regions.

That’s because your Kindle Unlimited is tied to your Amazon account’s region – say, if you’re English, your subscription is tied to Amazon.co.uk, and for Australians, it’s Amazon.com.au. That means you can browse and download the Kindle Unlimited books specific to that country.

However, this means that if you’re in another country, you can’t download new Kindle Unlimited books to your device. This is fine if you’re on holiday – just stock up on books beforehand – but it's a bigger problem if you’re living abroad from your home region, or are travelling for long periods of time.

As a note, books you buy yourself can be transferred between regions, but the Kindle Unlimited subscription itself can’t.

Is Kindle Unlimited worth it?

Kindle Unlimited is worth it… for certain kinds of readers.

Its large library of crime and romance titles from new authors makes it great for people who are constantly reading, burning through multiple books per week, and always need a new affair or murder to read about. That’s also true if you're interested in the long list of self-help books it offers.

However, it’s not going to be great for slower readers, as the cost may be higher than the amount you usually pay for books. Perhaps you’ll prefer Prime Reading, which is a free perk of an Amazon Prime subscription that limits you to 10 downloads per month of a small list of books.

Kindle Unlimited is also only worthwhile if you like the kinds of books it offers: modern crime and romance novels. Its selection of older titles, classics, and books from bigger authors is relatively svelte.

One other thing: consider whether you’ll want magazines or you'll travel a lot, as this will affect your buying decision. And if you use a non-Kindle ereader, then Kindle Unlimited is definitely not for you!

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This week's Amazon Spring Sale offers some of the best prices we've seen all year on the retailer's vast range of own-brand products, including the best Kindles money can buy.

• Shop Amazon's full spring sale

If you missed out on a bargain on Black Friday back in November, then the good news is today's sale offers the perfect second chance to score a deal. While there are no new record-low prices, today's discounts are just as good as those I've seen in prior sales – for the most part.

And, in some cases, they're even better. For example, you can get a rare discount on the new Kindle Colorsoft. It's currently available for $224 (was $279) and £219.99 (was £269) in the US and the UK, respectively.

Another highlight is the high-end Kindle Scribe on sale for $364.99 (was $449), which matches the lowest price ever. It's only the second time this model has ever gone on sale. You can read more about this deal and others below.

Amazon Big Spring Sale Kindle deals

Amazon Big Spring Sale - quick links

• Amazon Devices: up to 40% off Kindle & Echo
• Appliances: up to 30% off Nespresso and Ninja
• Headphones: Bose, Anker and Beats from $19.99
• Health: 45% off Oral-B, Crest & Philips
• Laptops: from $169.99
• Phones: up to $300 off Google and Samsung
• Smart home: Ring and Blink from $17.99
• Tablets: Fire tablets from $59.99
• Toys: up to 30% off Lego and Marvel
• TVs: cheap TVs from $74.99
• Vacuums: up to $400 off Shark and Roborock

• Amazon's devices chief, Panos Panay, chatted Alexa+ hardware with Bloomberg
• Panos teased new hardware across its entry, core, and signature categories
• We'll likely see new speakers and smart displays, but also new device types, including wearables like smart glasses and 'wrist-worn devices'

Since October 2023, we’ve seen Panos Panay's arrival usher in changes within Amazon Devices group – think Echo, Fire TV, Kindle, and Alexa – at the broader shopping giant. Most recently, though, we saw Panos and his team at Amazon introduce a new Alexa, Alexa+, which reinvigorates the classic assistant with a ton of AI.

In a new interview with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Panay teases the next part of evolution and that he wants “perfection in every single product that we ship.”

He teased that he plans to re-engineer hardware across the lineup for more affordable, mid-range, and premium devices – dubbed ‘entry, core or signature.’

Better yet, Panos says battery life will be longer for portables, that the speakers will sound better – maybe even setting a standard higher than the first generation Echo Studio with a squeal – and, potentially taking a page from his time as Surface’s lead, promises ‘the best security available.’

It’s said that the first devices featuring Alexa+ that Panos has touched, beyond the Kindles and even the Echo Show 15 or 21, will arrive in the fall – think August to October of 2025.

Indeed, Panos is setting a high level for future Echo smart speakers and smart displays, as well as its lineup of Fire TV sticks and televisions, Fire HD tablets, and various other devices. We already saw the next generation of Kindle debuted in the last quarter of 2024, and in this wide-ranging interview, Panay stated: “There won’t be a corner cut. It won’t matter if we tried it before. It won’t matter what you thought it used to be.”

This could lead to a sharper focus for Amazon’s entire devices team, which is still starting at the customer and working backwards but also putting out future devices with more polish. It could also be a device type that Amazon has tried. However, this does not mean Amazon is bringing back the short-lived Fire Phone – Panos made it clear he doesn’t have plans to do that, though it’s not entirely off the table.

More likely, it could mean reinvestment in robots for the home, like the Ring Always Home Cam – a flying security drone – and Amazon Astro. The latter is still an invite-only Day One product, but Panos summed up a big part of the vision as giving folks a reason or a better one to use Alexa.

On Astro and robots as a whole, Panos said, “if a robot is part of that, then I’ll make sure we have a great robot.” He also hinted that augmented reality glasses and new wrist-worn devices could be part of a future lineup. This might mean future versions of Echo Frames could feature cameras, much like Ray-Ban Metas, but also be more full-featured devices with access to Alexa+. Panos confirmed that hardware upgrades are coming to Amazon’s current wearables, Echo Frames and Echo Buds.

It also makes more sense why Alexa+ had to be unveiled first. It will be the central feature of these future devices, essentially serving as the new platform on which they can hopefully excel. I still bet Amazon wants a screen in everyone’s house.

Like Panos’ strategy at Microsoft for Surface, Amazon’s forthcoming devices will likely have the utmost attention to detail and not just offer speeds for the sake of going fast but rather be there to provide some sort of functionality and genuine helpfulness for whoever is using it.

Panos stated, “We’re envisioning what’s the next thing for a customer when it comes to AI devices and we have some incredible ones.” It’s doubling down on Amazon’s devices lineup, and I’m just keen to see if Amazon will flood the market with new devices in the fall like its previous events or if it will be a more tempered approach. At the minimum, I hope for a few new Echo speakers across the entry, core, and signature lineup.

You can read the full interview with Panos Panay at Bloomberg here.

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We say this every week, but what a week it's been in tech: we've seen a flurry of new product launches, reported on a seismic shift in one of the biggest movie franchises in history, and spent some time with the thinnest foldable phone on the planet.

It's a lot to keep up with, which is why our weekly 'In Case You Missed It' round-up exists. Get yourself a beverage, settle down somewhere comfortable, and let's go through everything that happened over the last seven days.

Once you're fully caught up, we're all set for the next week in tech – and you can rely on TechRadar to bring you all the tech news that matters, as it happens.

8. You told us how you’re using AI

The TechRadar team has been polling the general public in a new Special Report that takes the temperature of how AI tools are continuing to change our lives: there's no industry hype here, just real data taken from hundreds of users in the US and the UK.

We made some interesting discoveries about which AI tools are the most popular, how polite we're being to our AI companions, what AI is actually useful for, and why AI search is a genuine threat to Google – it's well worth your time to read through all these in full. Or just get your favorite AI tool to summarize them, at least.

• These are the 12 most popular AI tools right now, according to a new survey – and rivals are catching ChatGPT
• Goodbye Google? People are increasingly switching to the likes of ChatGPT, according to major survey – here's why
• These are the top 5 things people are using AI for – and free therapy doesn’t make the list
• Are you polite to ChatGPT? Here's where you rank among AI chatbot users

7. James Bond got a new boss

Amazon-owned MGM Studios bought the Bond franchise back in 2022, but now the company has full creative control over the property: long-time stewards of Ian Fleming's creation, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, are stepping aside.

It's a huge shift, and the world of James Bond won't ever be the same again. Let's hope the executives at MGM Studios keep everything that's great about the suave spy and resist the urge to churn out 12 spin-off television shows that we'll never get around to seeing.

• Read more: Amazon MGM Studios acquires the license to thrill as its gains full creative control of the entire James Bond franchise in landmark deal

6. Amazon culled a useful Kindle feature

When it's not charting out the future of James Bond, Amazon makes ereaders: and older Kindles owners are losing the ability to download their purchased ebooks to a computer. In the future, these files will be transferred wirelessly and locked to a Kindle.

This was a useful way of backing up ebooks you'd bought direct from Amazon, but it was also a feature people were exploiting to pirate files and distribute them across the web. Once again, normal users lose out because of the shady actions of a minority.

• Read more: Amazon just killed a useful Kindle USB feature – leaving me stuck with less flexibility for ebook downloads and backups

5. We met the new OnePlus Watch 3

Fresh from the launch of the excellent OnePlus 13, OnePlus has now pushed out the OnePlus Watch 3 to go with it – and we've been spending some hands-on time with the big, beautiful wearable. It's an iterative update, but it's still an impressive one.

Our full OnePlus Watch 3 review is still pending, but immediate highlights are the long, long battery life, the classic look of the timepiece, the new health features, and the extensive support for Google's third-party apps. This could be one of the best smartwatches for Android yet.

• Read more: Hands-on OnePlus Watch 3 review – Android's long-lasting chunky smartwatch

4. Canon teased a promising little video camera

Vloggers in the market for a compact and capable camera would do well to consider the newly teased Canon PowerShot V1. Quietly announced on the Canon Japan website, it features an all-new 22.3MP sensor and some rather handy features for video makers.

We're still waiting for the full details of the camera, and global pricing, but we're liking what we've seen so far. While there are already a lot of vlogging cameras at this sort of price point, Canon may have come up with the perfect mix of price and performance here.

• Read more: Canon PowerShot V1 unveiled with all-new sensor, and it looks like a Sony-beating compact vlogging camera

3. Amazon revealed two powerful Wi-Fi 7 routers

When it's not charting out the future of James Bond, or making ereaders, Amazon also manufacturers routers. The Eero series has long been a great choice for affordable and reliable home networking kit, and there are now two new Wi-Fi 7 models available.

The Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7 come in at cheaper price points than the premium Eero Max 7, but still appear to do a fantastic job of blanketing your entire home in speedy Wi-Fi – ideal for busy households and power users. The devices start shipping on February 26.

• Read more: Amazon's new Eero 7 and Pro 7 complete a 'comprehensive lineup' for its customers – here's everything you need to know

2. We reviewed the world’s thinnest foldable phone

Full marks to the engineers at Oppo, who have managed to build a foldable phone that measures just 4.21mm front-to-back when unfolded. That's incredibly thin, and we've been putting said phone – the Oppo Find N5 – to the test in a full review of its capabilities.

In short: Samsung should be worried, because the Oppo Find N5 stacks up very well against the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Not only is the phone very thin and light, it boasts a couple of excellent displays, and offers an impressive level of battery life for a foldable handset.

• Read more: I spent a week with the world's thinnest folding phone – here's why I'd pick the Oppo Find N5 over the Galaxy Z Fold 6

1. The iPhone 16e landed – and replaced the SE series

There's no doubting the biggest news of the week: with the iPhone 16e, Apple revamped its most affordable iPhone series, ditching the Home button, Touch ID support, and the iPhone SE name at the same time. And there's a new modem chip for good measure.

Find out everything you need to know about the iPhone 16e on TechRadar below, including the internal specs (which compare very favorably with the iPhone 16), and how much it's going to cost you. It could well be the best value iPhone on the market at the moment.

• Read more: iPhone 16e – 5 things you need to know, including its price, camera, and that C1 chip

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• Amazon is removing the Download & Transfer via USB option on Kindles
• The feature hadn't appeared on the latest models
• It's likely that the move is to combat ebook piracy

I've owned and loved some of the best Kindles in the series since Amazon first introduced the ereader, but using these devices can feel somewhat restrictive – especially now Amazon is killing off a useful USB file transfer feature.

As reported by The Verge, the Download & Transfer via USB option is going away on February 26. That means you'll no longer be able to download ebooks purchased from Amazon, and then move them to your Kindle over a wired USB connection.

The feature isn't actually available on the latest generation of Kindles, pushed out last year, but all other models are going to be affected. Amazon doesn't give a reason for the move, but it's almost certainly to crack down on ebook piracy.

Using fairly simple tools available online, users could download purchased ebooks from Amazon, crack the DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection on them, and send them to other devices or distribute them widely on the web. That will no longer be possible.

Less flexibility

As is often the case, efforts to battle digital pirates means rule-abiding users lose out. This means ebooks can no longer be saved on computers as backups, or moved over without a Wi-Fi connection, which gave Kindle owners some extra flexibility.

It's worth bearing in mind that Amazon does occasionally remove ebooks from its catalog, or replace them with modified versions. Now more than ever, users are going to be at the whims of what Amazon decides to make available.

You will still be able to move ebooks over via Wi-Fi of course, as well as transfer files to your Kindle via USB and software such as Calibre. It's specifically the ability to download purchases from the Amazon website to a computer that's disappearing.

This also gets closer to fully killing off the older AZW3 format for Amazon ebooks: it's been replaced by the newer KFX format, which is much harder to crack in terms of its DRM, and which is now used in most situations (except downloads to a computer).

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• Our full review of the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
• Your Kindle Scribe just became a better note-taking ereader

• AI features on the 2024 Kindle Scribe were only available to US customers at launch
• Latest firmware with AI features is now rolling out to users in the UK, Canada and Australia
• These features are now also available on the 2022 Kindle Scribe

When the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) was released in December last year, I was rather miffed that the promised AI features weren't part of the package for users outside of the US. At the time, Amazon had no comment to make as to when the AI Summary and handwriting recognition features would be rolled out more widely, but that's now happened.

The latest firmware update (version 5.17.3) is available to download on both the 2024 and 2022 Kindle Scribe models in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, meaning even the older model is now a far better note-taking device than before.

I've checked both the 2022 and 2024 models that I have but, at the time of publication, neither had the latest firmware available for download. However, Amazon has already listed it on its Help and Customer Service page in Australia where I am based, so it's only a matter of time before it gets pushed out to the devices itself. You can, of course, download the software package from the Amazon site in your region if you don't want to wait, but you will need to use the Send To Kindle service or email it to your Kindle to update your device.

Once installed, you should be able to see a star-like icon in your notebooks. Tapping this will give you two options: to 'Summarize' a note or to 'Refine writing'.

Read on, there's more

This firmware update also includes a new feature called Side Panel Margin. As the name suggests, this adds a side panel where you can write notes when you're reading an ebook. This feature is new even for US users and is also available for both the Scribe models.

The side panel feature is in addition to Active Canvas, which only adds a box for your handwritten note while also reformatting the page to wrap around said box. The side panel is quite literally that: a full-length panel for your thoughts, with the ability to alter the width as much as you like.

A better note-taking tablet

This new update means the Kindle Scribe is now a far better e-paper tablet than it was, especially the 2022 original model. The promised rollout of the AI features brings the older Scribe on par with its successor and, if it's still available on your local Amazon site, it will be cheaper and thus represents better value.

I'm still partial to Kobo's Advanced Notebooks though, but I'm thrilled to see Amazon making an effort to make the Scribes more competitive. The only bone I have to pick with Amazon now – because I'm Aussie – is that none of the new Kindles now have Audible support Down Under. How about it then, Amazon?

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• Amazon just announced a devices event for February 26
• The event graphic invites us to "see what's next"
• Amazon will likely use the stage to finally show off its next-generation Alexa

We’ve all been wondering where the AI-infused Alexa is, and it seems like the technology giant is nearly ready to tell us. Amazon just sent out invites for a devices-focused event on February 26. Panos Panay, Amazon’s SVP of Devices, will be there alongside other devices and services team members, and we have a teaser image with a very familiar shade of blue. The event will be in New York City, though it is invite-only, and Amazon will not be livestreaming it.

Amazon promises we’ll “see what’s next”. That is the only featured text on the invite, alongside the brand's logo and the date. It’s not much to go off, though it does tease products and services. Maybe the biggest hint is a swirly shape in bright blue – maybe a portion of a lowercase script 'a'.

We all know that Amazon’s working on its next generation of the Alexa virtual assistant, which was shown off at the last formal devices event held in September 2023 at the company's second HQ in Virginia. Since then, though, we haven’t had much news aside from leaks that it’s being worked on and will eventually debut.

Amazon skipped a formal devices event in 2024, but several still trickled out throughout the year – most notably a new lineup of Kindles in October. There was also the supersized Echo Show 21 alongside a next-gen Echo Show 15 in November, and the Echo Spot was reintroduced over the summer. All three of these, as well as the rest of the Echo lineup, still feature the same old Alexa assistant that we’ve all come to know.

That same version of Alexa is also on the new Fire TV devices – an entry-level streaming stick and the first mini LED-powered TV models. It remains to be seen if these devices will get the Alexa first teased in September 2023 with an LLM backing for a more conversational tone, and if the rumored 'brain transplant' will be supported.

Premium Alexa?

Suffice to say, Amazon is clearly ready to talk about something, and it seems that all signs are pointing to the next generation of Alexa. The use of “Devices and Services” is also worth a callout, as it’s rumored that Amazon might end up charging for Alexa. Amazon might also debut some new hardware, which could be a next-generation full-size Echo speaker, or even an update to the bite-sized Dot.

We’ll know more soon as the event is just three weeks away, and TechRadar will be on the ground, breaking down what Panos and the team at Amazon unveil. Let us know in the comments what you think might be shown off and if you’d pay for more intelligent, more capable Alexa.

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It’s been a busy year for Amazon’s Kindle line, with four new entries: upgrades to the standard Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Scribe, plus a new Kindle Colorsoft. But more importantly, if you’re reading this, it’s the year you jumped onto the Kindle express.

There are many types of ereader on the market, but Amazon’s are synonymous with the whole digital ebook experience, so it’d be little wonder if you picked a Kindle to be your first ereader (or if someone picked it for you).

While Kindles aren’t quite as adjustable and personalizable as some ereaders, there are a few ways you can make the most of them. As TechRadar’s former ereader expert, and someone who still tests them (and other ereaders) to this day, I’ve got some tips on how to improve your Kindle experience.

1. Adjust the screen settings to your liking

Many people buy Kindles, instead of reading on their phone or tablet, in order to reduce eye strain. That’s all well and good, but you’ll more easily nail that goal if you customize your display settings to your liking. I recommend that most people fiddle with their screen’s output as soon as they start using the device.

You can adjust the brightness of your Kindle’s screen and, on some devices, the warmth (how red it looks) too, and these are easy ways to make the reading experience more comfortable. You can do these by swiping down from the top, to bring up the quick-settings menu. Some modern and fancy Kindles also have a dark mode.

There are also advanced ways to change the font and kerning (or letter spacing), which some readers may also choose to do to really fine-tune that reading experience. To do that you can bring up the menu when you’re reading a book, press the ‘Aa’ font button, select font and change the settings here.

2. Get the Kindle Unlimited Free Trial

Amazon has many subscription services, and one of them is called Kindle Unlimited – it offers you unrestricted access to a range of books, magazines and audiobooks to download onto your Kindle.

However, it costs $11.99 / £9.49 / AU$13.99 per month, which makes it a little hard to recommend for all but the most prolific reader. I generally don’t use Kindle Unlimited for this reason, but I’d recommend everyone test it for a month.

Why? Because there’s a free trial to Kindle Unlimited, so you can get 30 days' worth of reading without paying a cent. If you really like it, you can continue, and if not you can cancel before it rolls into a repeating subscription. What better way to welcome in a new Kindle than by stuffing it full of books?

3. Familiarize yourself with collections

My Kindle home screen used to be very cluttered until I found out about collections, and I'd recommend you get used to them sooner rather than later.

Collections are basically folders, containing different texts you select. You can bundle together novels from the same franchise, texts from the same writer or, in an extreme (yet really useful) case, you can make a separate collection for each type of work (novel, poetry, script etc).

It's easy to make collections: press the three-vertical-dot options menu when you're in your library and press 'Create New Collection'. Easy!

4. Send documents to read on your Kindle

This is my most-used Kindle feature. It enables you to read almost any document on your ereader, beyond those bought on the Kindle store, and works with PDFs, EPUB, Word document, TXT files and more.

Want to read work documents, digital books you've been sent, texts you've bought in other formats or more? You got it. I do it all the time, particularly with copyright-free books (ie, older classics) from Project Gutenberg, and it's basically all I read.

If you want to know how to do this, you'll be glad to know that we've got an entire guide on how to send PDFs to Amazon Kindle.

5. Read your books elsewhere

I should preface this section by saying that this pertains to Kindle books bought on the Kindle store, not ones you've sent to your ereader as above.

A digital library is for life, not just for Christmas, and you can access your Kindle library whether or not you actually have your Kindle on you.

That's because there's a phone and tablet app, also called Kindle, which you can download. Using this you can read any texts saved to your Amazon account when on the go.

I do this when I'm bored on my commute, or forgot my Kindle, and it's also a good option if you're going travelling and can't afford the bag space an ereader would take up.

You might also like

• Here's a longer list of Kindle tips and tricks I wrote a few years ago
• The best Kindle in 2024: the top Amazon ereaders picked by our team of experts
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• Amazon's flagship Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV series will now support Dual Audio.
• This feature will allow it to stream sound to a supported hearing aid and through the TV speakers.
• A raised QR Code with access to setup instructions is being included within select Amazon Device packaging.

Amazon’s had a pretty packed few months – including new Kindles, a Fire TV Stick refresh, and an entry into Mini LED TVs – and is now debuting a new accessibility feature, expanding another, and highlighting an accessible addition for some product packaging.

A variety of Fire TV devices already support the ability to beam audio directly to hearing aids thanks to support for the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) protocol. Amazon’s latest move, though, is dubbed “Dual Audio” and is exclusive to the Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV series for now – with this, you can send audio using ASHA to a hearing aid and audio through the TV’s speakers.

This is the first time a Fire TV device can send audio out in two streams. This way, if you’re wearing a hearing aid, you can watch TV with family members and have it be a communal experience without any delays. It’s exciting to see this launch for the Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV series, but I do hope Amazon can expand this to other Fire TV devices as well – be it a Fire TV 4-Series model or a streaming stick.

A software update will be required to enable this, and it will start rolling out to the Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV series in the ‘coming weeks.’ Once it’s installed, you’ll be able to turn on ‘Dual Audio’ in Settings under Accessibility. You’ll pair a compatible hearing aid with the TV to start the process, and then with it, you can have audio through the aid as well as the TV speakers. After that first setup, you can also use quick settings to turn the feature on and off.

More broadly, beyond just the Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV series, Amazon is expanding the types of hearing aids that can be paired with its Fire TV family of devices. Now supported via the audio streaming protocol for hearing aids are Widex Moment Behind-The-Ear (BTE) and Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) aids. BTE and RIC hearing aids will be supported on all ASHA-enabled Fire TV devices like the Omni TV lineup, Fire TV Cube, and the 2- and 4-Series Fire TV models.

Beyond support for more types of hearing aids and Dual Audio on the Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV series, Amazon has also added a tactical-marked, raised QR code inside the packaging of select devices. The QR code, which features raised dots, is designed to help customers who have low vision or are blind easily access quick setup guides and other support documents. You’ll scan the QR code and be taken to these; the raised QR code is found on the “top left corner on the back panel of the device Quick Start Guide” inside the packaging.

It’s not found on every device that Amazon makes, but it is found on some of the new Kindles – Colorsoft, Paperwhite, and Scribe – the Fire TV Soundbar and Soundbar Plus, Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series, Echo Spot, Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 21.

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• The 2024 Kindle Scribe was released on December 5 in major markets
• Its biggest selling point: AI features available at launch for handwritten notes
• Unfortunately, this headline act isn't available to all users

About a month after the cheaper 2024 Kindles went on sale, the new Kindle Scribe was finally released for purchase on December 5. It's headline act: AI features that, as per our Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review, are actually useful.

While Amazon has promised that these AI features will be rolled out to the older Kindle Scribe (2022) some time in "early 2025", it does make the new model – particularly in the Metallic Jade colorway – an enticing option for early adopters in need of a great e-paper tablet.

The 2024 Scribe is now available to buy in most major markets, but there's one glaring omission if you're making your purchase outside of the US.

If you're in the UK or in Australia, for example, and have just bought your new Kindle Scribe, you might be wondering where the heck are the AI features. Turns out, they're only available to US customers and Amazon has no current plans to roll them out globally.

I reached out for a reason and was disappointed to be told, "we don’t have anything to share today".

There are two AI features that are supposed to be on the 2024 Kindle Scribe at launch – note summaries and handwriting recognition. Both are accessed via a little star-like icon sitting on the top right corner of a notebook's menu bar (pictured below).

I got my 2024 Kindle Scribe on the day of release, then spent an entire day wondering why I couldn't access the AI features. Amazon made no mention to the media – at least in Australia where I'm based – that it was restricted. I was so looking forward to trying it out but, sadly, it was a no-go.

It took me a while, though, but a little digging online led me to a workaround that has allowed me to install the AI features onto the new Kindle Scribe.

How to install Kindle Scribe AI features

If you live outside the US and want the AI features promised to you on your brand-new Kindle Scribe, you can still install them. Just log into the desktop version of your local Amazon site (for example, in my case it's Amazon AU), then hover over Account & Lists and choose Manage Your Content & Devices from the dropdown menu to access the preferences for your already setup Kindle(s).

Go straight to the Preferences option on this page and, under Country/Region Settings, click on Change your country/region (see image below).

You'll need an Amazon US account, plus a valid US address and phone number. Since Amazon arrived in Australia (my home country) only in December 2017, I already had an Amazon US account, so didn't need to start from scratch. Moreover, close family living in the US allowed me to use their contact details for this.

It's important to note that you absolutely do not need to change your payment method here, so no one but you will be charged for any content you might purchase from the Kindle Store. You will, however, be charged in USD rather than your local currency.

Anyway, once you've saved the new address, just restart your Kindle Scribe and, voila, the AI icon will appear on your Notebooks. You can then use the AI Summary feature or convert your handwriting into text.

In my case, I had to restart the Kindle Scribe (2024) twice before I could see the AI icon in the Notebooks app, but keep in mind that if you change the details for your Kindle (content and device), you will lose access again.

There's no harm in leaving a US address associated with your Kindle account but, as I've already mentioned, your Kindle purchases (not your regular Amazon shopping) will be charged in USD. If that doesn't appeal to you, then you can revert back to your original setup but, again, you will lose the AI features until Amazon decides to roll these out globally.

Interestingly (at least to me), because my Scribe was set up with UK English as the language, the AI summary feature (pictured above) retains the spelling chosen for the system rather than the feature. Oh, the things I notice...

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• Amazon's finally nailed scribbling in the margins with the Kindle Scribe's new Active Canvas feature

My biggest gripe with the original Kindle Scribe at its launch in 2022 was how it treated my margin scribbles in ebooks – like sticky notes that could only be typed. And it didn't even work on all the content on my device. It took a while for Amazon to allow handwritten annotations to some ebooks purchased via the Kindle Store.

That is now no longer a complaint because the 2024 Kindle Scribe debuted with a new feature called Active Canvas which, as of December 4, is also available on the older model via the latest firmware update (v 5.17.2).

Active Canvas is so named as it adds a box (aka a 'canvas') around your annotation, then automatically realigns the page by indenting adjoining lines so text wraps around your note. The size of the automatically created box is changeable, but you can't move it from its original position.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best thing to happen to margin scribbles since e-paper tablets became a thing as I think it makes the page look nice and neat. That said, I suspect there will be some Kindle Scribe users who won't necessarily agree with me because of the reformatted page or the fact that this still isn't exactly free writing. You've got to remember, though, this is the closest we've come to margin scribbles on the Kindle Scribe since it first launched and brings it more in line with what the competition offers.

What truly excites me is that Active Canvas isn't restricted to content purchased via the Kindle Store – it works for sideloaded EPUBs too! It's supposed to work on a handful of different file formats, including PDFs and Microsoft Word documents, but I'm yet to confirm if the feature works just as well on other files. There is one caveat for PDFs, though: they will need to have an adjustable layout for this feature to work. Understandable.

If you already have the 2022 Kindle Scribe and would like to try this feature, just make sure you're running the latest firmware update, which is available globally now.

A drain on resources

There is one downside to the new update, however: I found that the battery drain is higher if you have too many annotations in your book. I'd expected the AI Summary feature to be a drain on battery, not Active Canvas, but here we are.

It's not a massive drain – I think you'll still be able to eke out about 4 weeks of battery life if you're an avid reader, but that could be lower if you also happen to be a habitual scribbler of margins. And, if you also use the Notebooks a lot, that drain becomes even more significant with AI Summary enabled.

Another issue is that the with the new operating system now so large (to accommodate all the new features which are software-based), I found I had only 25.5GB of usable storage available on my brand-new 32GB Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024). That's a significant amount of storage taken up be the operating system – bordering on smartphone territory – and a few gig more than the older model at launch. And even though 25GB is a huge amount of storage when it comes to e-paper writing tablets, there are other digital note-takers that cost less and give me more storage, even after taking the OS into account.

Add to that the fact that the hardware of the 2024 release of the Kindle Scribe is exactly the same as the 2022 model, I'm struggling to justify the cost. So it's a good thing that the older Kindle Scribe will get additional features in 2025, including Extended Margins and AI Summary.

More to come

AI Summary is already available in the US on the new Kindle Scribe, and it's disappointing that Amazon didn't think the rest of the world would like to purchase the new Scribe specifically for that feature. I'm in Australia and am rather miffed to not see it natively offered on my 2024 Scribe.

I've contacted Amazon to ask when Scribe users outside of the US will be able to get AI Summary on their devices, but I am yet to hear back (I'll be sure to update this article when I do).

I'm not entirely sold on Extended Margins though. As the name suggests, this feature allows you extend one margin of a book so you can add longer annotations if you need to, but Active Canvas readjusts the page well enough to accommodate these as well. Still, it's there and it will become available on the older Scribe in 2025, making it far better value than it already is.

Despite my little issues with the new features, I will admit that Amazon is finally convincing me to move away from my Kobo Elipsa 2E to making the Kindle Scribe my default digital note taker and ereader. It's taken only two years to get there.

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• Don't need writing features? Read my in-depth Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review for an alternative

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024): Two-minute review

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has been our pick of the best Kindle for a very long time as it's managed to balance price and features quite well. The 12th generation Paperwhite maintains that same ethos to some degree, gaining a brand-new display that leverages the latest E Ink Carta 1300 screen tech.

This not only adds a touch more contrast, which makes the text on the screen darker and thus easier to read, but it also makes page turns a smidge quicker. Honestly, in real-world use, you won't find it all that different from the 11th-generation Kindle Paperwhite, but you will if you have them both side by side and look really carefully. So while I won't say it's a massive upgrade over the 2021 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, it's definitely worth upgrading if you're using an older Kindle.

I also appreciate the couple of millimeters more of display I get on the 2024 Paperwhite, which is now a 7-inch screen compared to the previous 6.8-inch, but again, it's not really that significant.

What is a little significant is the slight performance boost that Amazon has managed to inject into the 12th-gen Paperwhite. During my testing, I had no issues whatsoever – page turns were near instantaneous, I had absolutely no slowing down even after hours of reading, not a single instance of ghosting and, importantly, the battery life is truly impressive. After three weeks of use, I am yet to charge the Paperwhite for the first time.

My biggest issue is the Paperwhite's design: the rear panel is so darn smooth, that I often feel like it's slipping through my fingers. That means I'm trying to grip it tighter, which means my thumbs are extended further over the display and the number of accidental touches I have are a little annoying. Admittedly a case will solve that problem, but that's an additional cost to tack onto what is already an expensive ereader.

So while it still builds a case for still being the best Kindle, I think the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) might represent better value for some users, offering more storage, some resistance to salt water and the option for wireless charging.

Amazon's penchant for hiking up the price of its Kindles with each new generation is disappointing. While I'm struggling to justify the cost of the base Amazon Kindle 2024, I suppose I can get behind the 12th-gen Paperwhite's price hike over its predecessor, but I'm not entirely convinced it represents good value anymore. This is compounded by the fact that, in some markets (like Australia), none of the 2024 Kindles support Audible playback.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review: price & availability

• Announced October 2024; available to buy now
• Launch price of $159.99 (with ads) / £159.99 (with ads) / AU$299
• A Signature Edition is available for a higher price but double the storage

As I've said above, Amazon keeps increasing the price of its Kindles with each new release and that means at $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$299, the 12th-generation Paperwhite is the most expensive yet and, in my humble opinion, no longer very good value. And that's the price of the ad-supported version in the US and UK (Australia gets only the ad-free model). If you don't want ads on your lock screen, you're shelling out $179.99 / £159.99 in the US and UK respectively.

You could argue that this price is fine for a 7-inch ereader with 16GB of storage, but for a little more money – $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95 to be precise – you can get a color ereader with a screen of the same size, double the storage, a more ergonomic design (with page-turn buttons) and, importantly, writing capabilities with the Kobo Libra Colour. I suppose I might even be inclined to pay $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$329 for the 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for the metallic colors, double the storage and wireless charging, as well as performance just as good as the standard Paperwhite.

If you don't want all that, you can save money by opting for the Kobo Clara BW ($129.99 / £119.99 / AU$239.95), which gets you the exact same display, just in 6 inches, and very similar specs as the Paperwhite.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review: Specs

Amazon has stopped listing some specs for its ereaders, so I have no idea what CPU the Paperwhite is using or the battery capacity.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review: Design & display

• Available in 3 colors in the US and UK, only one in Australia
• Sharp, crisp 7-inch display
• Very slim design with no grip

Hey, Amazon, what exactly has Australia done to not deserve the new colorways of the standard Paperwhite? I'm a little annoyed that I get only the black model Down Under (where I am based) and is the version I was sent for this review. It's not a huge complaint, but I do admit to a little FOMO. Other markets can get the Paperwhite in new Jade and Raspberry options.

Nothing else has really changed in terms of design, although the standard Paperwhite is now 7 inches (compared to the 11th generation's 6.8 inches). The body remains plastic which, incidentally, has some recycled materials in it – not as much as Kobo uses, though.

The plastic chassis does make the Paperwhite look cheaper than its price tag, but the real issue for me is the rear panel. It's so smooth that I can feel it slip through my fingers (literally) when the bus or train I'm on brakes suddenly. I love how slim it is, but that too exacerbates the lack of grip, making it far from ergonomic.

To compensate for its slipperiness, I found myself holding the device with my thumb on the screen itself as the side bezels are still very slim. As nice as that looks, it's not ideal for single-hand use and I kept suffering from accidental page turns from my finger on the screen. It's possible this won't affect all users, but it is an annoyance to me.

Given how easy it might be to drop the standard Paperwhite, I'm glad it retains its IPX8 waterproof rating, which means it can stay submerged in 2 meters of water for up to an hour. Just don't drop it in the sea as the salt water will corrode the USB-C port first and, if it seeps in, will start eating away at the motherboard too. The Signature Edition, on the other hand, will survive a quick dunk in the sea.

The rounded corners and edges will be familiar to any Kindle user, as will the be power button on the lower edge. This placement of the power button bothers one of my colleagues, but I don't have any issues with it. In fact, I love the little feedback it gives when pressed. Beside the power button, in the center of the bottom edge, is the USB-C port for charging.

The only embellishments on the device are the word 'Kindle' on the lower bezel and the Amazon logo on the rear panel. As with most black ereaders and tablets, the 2024 Paperwhite is a smudge magnet, but I suspect the two colorways will also suffer similarly. The black one, in fact, begins to look very scruffy within days of use – even just leaving it on a table, it will pick up dust and the texture of the plastic is such that it's hard to wipe away.

If that bothers you like it does me, I think a case becomes a must, and it will add a little extra grip too, but it is an additional cost to bear.

The shift to the 7-inch display has allowed Amazon to update the display to the latest E Ink Carta 1300 technology, which adds more contrast to the text on the screen. The resolution remains at 300ppi though, which is standard and plenty for such a device. The screen supports a dark mode, has 16 levels of grayscale and hits a maximum brightness of 94 nits.

Compared to the 2024 entry-level Kindle, the Paperwhite has a naturally warmer hue (much like paper) which, when combined with the amber LED lights, can make the display very yellow indeed. It might look odd to someone who's not used an ereader with adjustable light temperatures, but it helps the eyes from getting strained too much. If you're like me, who reads for four to five hours a day (mostly at night), you'll appreciate the yellower screen. The LEDs do a good job of evenly lighting the entire display – I found no shadows or areas of excessive brightness during my testing.

• Design & display score: 3.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review: User interface

• Linux-based operating system
• 16GB of storage, but only 11.5GB available for use
• Easy-to-use UX, but home screen can feel cluttered

One theory I have for why the Kindles became so popular so quickly is their user-friendly interface. They've always been simple devices, with not a lot of extraneous options in Settings, and that ethos is still maintained today.

If you're already familiar with a Kindle, you won't find anything new on the 2024 Paperwhite. Even if you've never used a Kindle before, it won't take long to wrap your head around it, with setup being as simple as following the prompts on the screen. Once you've set up your Amazon account and logged in, there are only two tabs to explore – the Home screen and the Library.

I personally find the Kindle Home screen unnecessarily cluttered, constantly pushing me into the Kindle Store. If that doesn't bother you, it's a good starting point for finding your next read. However, keep in mind that once you start getting your content from the Kindle Store, you're stuck within Amazon's walled garden.

You can sideload books of course, but you will need to jump through some hoops as Amazon no longer allows you to plug in a Kindle to drag-and-drop files via a wired connection. You will need to use the Send To Kindle platform, which allows you to wirelessly add content to your Kindles via cloud sync. The good news is that if you ever change (or upgrade) your Kindle, even your sideloaded titles will remain synced to your Amazon account and you can just tap them individually in the Library app of your new Kindle to download them again.

There's no specific tab for Settings, but swipe downwards from the top of the screen and you'll be presented with a few options, including turning on dark mode, cloud sync, flight mode and, of course, accessing all the Settings options.

The different Settings are simple and quite literally bare bones, although please note that if you are in Australia or any other region where there's no Audible support on the 2024 Kindles, you won't even see Bluetooth as a connectivity option (which is available in the US and UK).

There's decent file support on the Kindle now, although, with MOBI now mostly dead, Amazon has had to relent and allow native EPUB support, which is the format most ebooks come in.

As part of the Amazon ecosystem, Goodreads is available on all Kindles and American users will be able to borrow library books too. The latter option is, however, not available anywhere else.

• User interface score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review: Performance

• Marginally faster than previous model
• Speed enhancement seems mostly software related
• Excellent battery life, even at higher brightness levels

Ereaders are such simple devices that there's really no benchmarking to run to determine performance. However, as someone who's tested several of the most recent ebook readers, it's fair to say I can judge by doing a comparison with the competition.

The 2024 standard Paperwhite wins in terms of screen responsiveness speed and overall performance over even the Onyx Boox Go series ereaders and the Kobo Clara BW too. The former, incidentally, has a more powerful processor than what Amazon has typically used for its Kindles (although the current CPU has not been revealed) and yet the Paperwhite surpasses the Boox Go 6 (which I have been testing alongside this).

Page turns are near instantaneous and not once did I have issues with ghosting (where a very light impression of the previous page remains on screen after a page turn). Reading graphic novels on its an absolute pleasure, especially since the Frame view also opens instantly when you double-tap.

Like the entry-level 2024 Kindle, I think the performance boost is purely software-based rather than being a new CPU. It could be both, too, but Amazon isn't revealing what chipset it's using under the hood here.

I'm using the massive operating system as the basis of my performance theory here. As with the base 2024 Kindle, the OS on the Paperwhite takes up 4.5GB of the total 16GB storage available on the device – if memory serves, that's 2GB more than on the 11th generation Paperwhite.

While I am miffed about the lower available storage on the Paperwhite (which reduces its per-dollar value), I'm glad for whatever boost Amazon has given the tablet. Typing via the on-screen keyboard when setting up my Wi-Fi network or any other touchscreen functionality was seamless and quick. And by 'quick' I mean it's as good as it's ever gotten on an e-paper screen – don't expect the same performance as your phone or multimedia tablet.

What's probably the most impressive feat is the 2024 Paperwhite's battery life. I've had it for about three weeks now and I started using it immediately out of the box at 72%. Three weeks later it was just at 45%, and that's with about 2-3 hours of reading and the screen brightness level at 8 (warm light level of 4). Admittedly that's a low brightness setting that won't put too much pressure on the battery, but I only charged the Paperwhite once, just to see how quickly it topped up. At this rate, I could eke out at least 10 weeks of use between charges, more if I don't read as much as I usually do.

Amazon claims it will take the 12th-gen Paperwhite under 2.5 hours to go from empty to full when using a 9W power adaptor. That sounds about right to me – plugged into the USB-A port of my 65W charger (which offers up to 22.5W of power) and using a USB-A to C cable, it went from 32% to 50% in about 20 minutes. That might have been a touch faster if I was using a USB-C to C cable, but that was being used on another device at the time of testing. Still, that's not bad numbers at all.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)

• Used daily for three weeks to read
• Borrowed titles from the Prime Reading service, plus downloaded existing books already available in my Amazon account
• Tested battery life at various brightness levels

As soon as I received the 2024 Paperwhite for this review, I logged into my Amazon account, which promptly gave me access to my existing library that was cloud-synced when I sideloaded titles onto an older device. All I had to do was tap on the ebooks I wanted on the Paperwhite (so none of the ones I'd already finished reading) and I was off.

Unfortunately, because I'm based in Australia, I have no Audible access on any of the new Kindles, so I cannot comment on how easy it would be to pair Bluetooth headphones, but I hope it's smooth and once paired, you should be able to listen to audiobooks if you have a subscription.

I read on the Paperwhite daily for the three-week period I set aside for testing, spending about 2-3 hours each day with it. I used the Paperwhite at various light settings to check how that affected the battery drain.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed December 2024]

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024): Two-minute review

The Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) is a big step up in every way. It’s a big step up from the basic Kindle Paperwhite, though the existence of the Kindle Colorsoft begs the question of whether we could see a color Kindle Scribe in the hopefully near future. This Scribe is a big upgrade from the last Kindle Scribe (2022), with new AI features that – shock of all shocks – are incredibly useful. It also gets an unfortunate price increase, but there’s no doubt the improved features warrant a higher price.

The funny thing about the Kindle Scribe is that it could just be a large-screen e-reader and I’d be happy with it… although for a hundred dollars or pounds less, maybe. Adding the pen and writing capabilities felt like an afterthought with the last Scribe, but it’s clear that Amazon has put considerable thought and effort into improving the experience this time around.

The new AI features are so good that I actually asked Amazon why it didn’t just hide the fact that it’s AI. I’d almost prefer not knowing that AI is recognizing my handwriting better than any other device I’ve used, or creating useful summaries of my notes and notebooks. If Amazon just told me this was something the Kindle Scribe could do, for that alone I would have been thankful.

Instead, there’s an AI button, with the familiar stars that brands have started using to denote AI features. The Kindle Scribe can’t handle the AI chores itself, so there’s a slight delay as it sends my scribbles to the cloud. It’s worth the short wait, because the AI can interpret my worst chicken scratch, even when I forget letters or misspell words or use obscure proper nouns. It’s kind of remarkable what this writing tablet can do. And talking of remarkable…

It still feels like the Scribe could offer more writing tools, especially compared to the likes of the reMarkable 2 or an Onyx Boox Go 10.3 tablet running Android. It could use more pen styles and pen options; and you can never offer enough background templates to write on.

Amazon is addressing demand for the latter in a unique way: by offering templates as books in the Kindle book store. Since the Kindle Scribe launched the store has included a ‘write-on’ books section, and Amazon has been steadily offering its own titles for $0.99 or for free, depending on your membership. You can find daily planners, gratitude journals, and even score sheets for family game night; all created by Amazon, and all compatible with the writing tools on the Kindle Scribe.

What about writing in other books? That was a big problem with the last Kindle Scribe, and Amazon is edging closer to a solution. You can’t free-write in any book you like, but you can place a small ‘canvas’ for text and drawing anywhere on the page. Your Kindle will remember where you put each canvas, and then you can write next to the text. The text moves out of the way, and you can take notes on what you’re reading. It’s not perfect, but it’s much closer to what I want from a Kindle with a pen.

The Kindle Scribe (2024) has a deceptively simple new design that looks more stately and professional than before, but Amazon has pulled off an amazing trick. All of the old accessories work with the new Scribe. The same folios and cases work with both the Kindle Scribe (2024) and Scribe (2022), as well as the pen. My new Scribe stuck firmly to the magnetic folio I got with my old Scribe.

What a delight! It’s much more common to see writing tablet makers ditch the last generation and make you buy all new stuff. Kudos to Amazon for doubling the size of its ecosystem with two devices that fit every accessory, instead of cutting it in half.

The price increase hurts, there’s no doubt, and if you only wanted the Kindle Scribe as a large-screen e-reader, I’d suggest buying the older Scribe (2022) instead, especially if you can get a deal. The screen is just as sharp, and it’s excellent for reading.

If you want to write on your tablet, the new Kindle Scribe (2024) is much better than before, and for many reasons – its handwriting recognition, note-summary features, and the growing library of write-on books – the Amazon Kindle Scribe is the best writing tablet you can buy.

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: price and availability

• $399.99 / £379.99 / AU$649 for 16GB with Premium Pen
• $449.99 / $429.99 / AU$729 for 64GB and Metallic Jade color

Get the Metallic Jade color, it’s gorgeous. Sorry, let me start from the beginning. The Kindle Scribe starts at 16GB of storage with a boring Tungsten grey color that isn’t so bad, but it isn’t green. You can get the Kindle Scribe with 32GB or 64GB of storage, and then there’s the aforementioned beautiful Metallic Jade color that is really a standout hue, but it’s only available on the most expensive model with 64GB of storage, and besides more storage capacity there are no other benefits to getting that model.

The new Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) is also more expensive than the old Kindle Scribe no matter which storage option you choose. Why does that matter? Because it’s gone from being slightly less expensive than an Apple iPad 10.9 to slightly more expensive than an iPad (in the US and Australia, at least). That feels like a move that needs to be justified by a much better device.

It’s not just a little better; it’s a lot better. It’s a whole new level of better. It’s enough to justify a price increase, I think, because this is no longer a big e-reader with some doodling features tucked away. This is a full-fledged writing tablet, and it does some things better than any other writing tablet I’ve seen.

So what has Amazon improved? Is it thinner and lighter? Nope. Bigger screen? By a decimal point. Oh, it must be in color now, I heard there was a color Kindle. Sorry, maybe next time!

I’m going to give you three guesses as to which big feature Amazon added to the Kindle Scribe… yep, right first time, it’s AI. Except… it’s good?! It’s really good. It’s so good, I almost wish Amazon hadn’t told me the Kindle Scribe uses AI. I didn’t need to know! I could just think my new Scribe got much better at handwriting recognition on its own, by learning. Okay, that’s actually what AI is.

Does it compete with the reMarkable 2? I’ll get to that later, but the reMarkable 2 is similarly priced at $399 / £399 / AU$679, which is probably not a coincidence. The Amazon Kindle Scribe doesn’t give you the religious writing experience and Zen organization of the reMarkable, but that’s probably a good thing for most Kindle buyers.

Anyway, for $50 / £50 / AU$80 more than the base model Kindle Scribe you can have 64GB of storage instead of 16GB, and you can also have the Metallic Jade color, the color of my review sample. It’s stellar. The white border around the page gives the Scribe a more professional and polished look, and the Jade color really sparkles.

Thankfully, every model gets the so-called Premium Pen, which gives you a rubbery eraser tip. The old model had a cheap pen and you had to buy this upgrade, so that’s another justification for the price increase.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: Specs

• Nearly identical size and shape to the last model, and that’s great
• Screen is more sharp than competing writing tablets

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: display

• E Ink display retains sharpness at larger size
• Brighter than the competition by far

The Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) uses an E Ink display that's very similar to the Kindle Paperwhite's, with the same 300ppi pixel density, making it incredibly sharp for reading printed text. To compare, Apple’s latest iPad Pro 11-inch uses Apple’s most advanced display ever, and it’s only 264ppi.

What’s even more remark… noteworthy is that none of the other writing tablet competitors come close, likely because they aren’t as focused on reading as they are on writing. The reMarkable 2 uses a display with only 226ppi.

The Kindle Scribe is also the brightest writing tablet you’ll find. The Scribe is brighter than the Kobo Elipsa 2E, another E Ink tablet that's the same size, and it’s much brighter than the new reMarkable Paper Pro, which uses minimal lighting to be visible in darkness. The Kindle Scribe can get bright, and the light can also get warm if you want to read at night and avoid blue light.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: design

• Looks bigger than before, even though it’s not
• More refined without changing much

The Kindle Scribe is a refined, premium Kindle, which is a relief, considering the higher price. Amazon’s smaller e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite, is plastic, which makes it lightweight, durable, and an inexpensive way to take hundreds of books on a month-long vacation. It also feels kind of cheap. The Kindle Scribe, on the other hand, is a super-slim slip of metal with a premium finish and dainty feet at the back corners. I wish more Kindle devices were like this.

The last Kindle Scribe was a lot like this, just a bit more boring. It came in a dark grey, which looked professional in metal, but it lacked character. The new Kindle Scribe has a white border around the E Ink that makes the display feel more like paper, and the whole device looks more like an electronic notebook than it did before.

The power button and USB-C port are both on the side of the device, which is hard to remember but it never got in the way, like the bottom-facing power button on the Kindle Paperwhite.

The Kindle Scribe is very thin. It’s only 5.7mm thick, compared to the iPad 10.9 at 7mm or the positively chunky Kobo Elipsa 2E, which is a 7.5mm porker. Of course, the reMarkable 2 stands out like a supermodel at only 4.7mm, but the reMarkable has absolutely no lighting on board. You can’t use it in the dark. It needs to eat something, the room is growing dim.

One of the most remarka… astonishing discoveries I made during my review period concerned the folio case. I forgot to request one from Amazon, but I discovered that the old cases are now listed as compatible with both the Kindle Scribe (2022) and Scribe (2024). What?! A tablet maker releasing a new tablet that fits in the old cases? My older leather magnet cover folio worked perfectly. All the little feet lined up.

This is almost unheard of in the world of consumer electronics, and Amazon should be commended for it. I know a few reMarkable Paper Pro owners who are fuming that they have to buy a whole new Type Folio and cover for their new tablets.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: software

• It’s got AI... wait, hear me out, it’s actually pretty great
• Like the rest of this Kindle, the AI doesn’t try to do too much

The Kindle Scribe is essentially a gigantic book with a pen attached, so there are very specific things I want it to do, and it doesn’t need to do much else. I want to read, write, and take notes. Everything else is a bonus, or a feature that helps me with my reading, writing, and thinking.

The last Kindle Scribe was missing one key feature, and Amazon has found an elegant solution that I appreciate. I wanted to write in my books, but that’s actually a really tough request, as there are legal rights issues that make writing in an e-book a tricky issue. I’ve seen two solutions to this problem, and I like Amazon’s best.

The Kobo e-readers with a pen will let you write in a book, directly in the book itself. The Kobo remembers your notation and where you put it. The problem is, the book is electronic. It changes depending on how you size the text, or other factors. When you change your e-book on a Kobo, it gives you a little indicator that a note exists around that location in the book. Then you have the e-reader return the page to the way it was, handwritten note and all. Ta-da! You’ve written in an e-book!

With the Kindle Scribe (2024), Amazon has created a new 'canvas' tool concept. When you're reading a book, you can use the pen and start writing anywhere. The Kindle Scribe draws a small box on the page, and all of your writing is contained within this. The size of the box is determined by what you write, and there's also a tool that lets you create a large box first, and then write in it.

When you resize text, the box stays near the point in the book where you added it. You can’t underline individual words this way, or circle specific turns of phrase, but I still like it. I think it’s a good compromise that acknowledges that the medium is electronic. If I want to write on a page with a pen, I have paper books for that, but we need a new idea that is extensible and flexible, and this is a good start.

And that’s it! Amazon has fixed my biggest complaint about the Kindle Scribe (2022). So, we can all go home now, right? Wait… what is that button at the top of the device? It looks like the stars that companies use to denote AI features. Is that AI on my Kindle? What? And why?

Calm down, me. Amazon has thankfully used a very light touch in adding AI to the Kindle Scribe, and as I said earlier, you wouldn’t even know it was using AI if Amazon didn’t tell you. The Kindle Scribe basically has only two AI tricks.

The first is handwriting recognition. Amazon is calling this writing refinement, but that’s inaccurate. It’s just handwriting recognition that works exceptionally well, better than I’ve ever seen on a writing tablet before. Then, it gives you a typed version of whatever you wrote, along with some clever fonts that look a bit like bubbly handwriting.

The other AI tool is note summaries. Once the software has recognized what you’ve written, it uses AI to create a summary, and these two tools together provide an excellent one-two boost for taking notes during meetings and classes, and then maybe sharing or reviewing your notes later.

And that’s it on the AI front. The Kindle Scribe (2024) is not using generative AI to draw for me, and it’s not telling me what to write. Amazon is only using AI to make one existing tool better, with handwriting recognition, and to add more utility to my note-taking with summaries. I hope it stops there.

It does leave me with a burning question though, and it was one I caught Amazon off-guard with. The Kindle Scribe can’t run large language models on the device (at the edge of your network as Qualcomm likes to say), it offloads every request to the cloud.

How much power does it all consume? How much power does it take to respond to my request, and how much power was consumed in training the models used to help improve my handwriting?

Amazon didn’t have an answer, because AI is not part of its sustainability commitment, but this is a question I’m going to be asking any device maker that uses generative AI to improve features. Is the cost of AI really worth the improvements? It’s unclear, but I worry that it is not.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: performance

• Reading features are just as good as ever
• Writing tools can be buggy, and AI is slow, but worthwhile

The Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) is almost two tablets in one, a dedicated reading tablet on one hand and a writing and journaling tablet on the other, except the two meet in the middle more than ever before. This is still a tablet that leans towards books, but the new writing tools make it incredibly useful for notes as well.

Still, the closer you stay to reading books, the more satisfying you’ll find the Kindle Scribe's performance. Reading is just as fast as on the latest Kindle Paperwhite, which got a performance boost that makes menus and page-turns more swift.

Taking notes and basic writing works as expected, and the Kindle Scribe falls somewhere between the reMarkable 2 and the Kobo Elipsa in replicating the feel of writing on paper. It feels good with the Scribe, especially erasing with the new rubber-tipped pen. It's a nice touch.

I found that writing in books was mostly a good experience, but there are still some kinks. When I put my pen to the page to write a note the canvas tool drew a box for me with no trouble. However, when I selected the canvas tool to draw my box first I often ended up wiping out whole pages of text with a big canvas. Maybe a software update could fix this.

Once you start using the AI tools, prepare for a delay. A long delay. The Kindle Scribe has to communicate with Amazon’s cloud for every request and response, and this isn’t a smartphone, with devoted networking equipment of every flavor. It can take many seconds to get a response from Amazon’s brain in the sky.

Is it worth the wait? If you were expecting an AI on board that would translate your scribblings into calligraphy, then you’ll be disappointed. If you don’t mind waiting a couple of beats after a long meeting while the computer makes your notes look pretty, it’s no trouble at all.

During my review period it took the Kindle Scribe up to 40 seconds to read a full page of my terrible handwriting and return a typed version, but it's arguably worth the wait. The Kindle’s version was so good that if it missed a word I was unable to go back and read my own handwriting well enough to figure out what I'd actually written. The Scribe with Amazon AI could read my own handwriting better than I could.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: battery

• Lasts as long as a Kindle Paperwhite for basic reading only
• Writing drains the battery, but talking to the cloud is worse

If you never use the Kindle Scribe (2024), it could last forever. The more you do with it – and Amazon has given us a lot more to do with it – the faster the battery will drain. This sounds obvious, but the new features Amazon has added are going to make a big difference if you use them often.

Amazon offers lofty battery claims for the Kindle Scribe (2024) that sound just like those it makes for the Kindle Paperwhite: 12 weeks of reading (asterisk). Or three weeks of writing (asterisk). I’m not sure who could write for three weeks straight.

The catch, of course, is that you get those 12 weeks of battery life only if you read for just 30 minutes every day with the screen brightness set to 13 (the max is 24). You can write for 30 minutes a day for three weeks. That’s great! But what about the AI?

Amazon’s battery estimate accounts for the Wi-Fi being turned off, and using the AI features requires Wi-Fi. I’m not sure how much power the Kindle Scribe uses in between, but using AI features will drain the battery faster. I’ve only had my Kindle Scribe for a week and I’ve used the AI features a handful of times. It hasn’t made a huge difference yet, but I wasn’t really expecting three weeks of writing.

Unfortunately, the Kindle Scribe (2024) also charges very slowly. If you plug the USB-C port into a wall charger with 9W of power or more, it will charge fully in 2.5 hours. I didn’t try to charge it using my laptop’s USB-C ports, but Amazon says that process will take nine hours to fully charge the Kindle Scribe.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)

• Testing period - one week
• Subscribed to Kindle Unlimited, Comixology Unlimited, Libby through OverDrive
• Tested books, meeting notes, AI recognition, comics, audiobooks

I used the Kindle Colorsoft one week before I published my review. During that time, I read The Princess Bride by William Goldman, I listened to parts of The Return of the King from Audible, and I took extensive notes during work meetings, which I do not usually do but I’m testing a writing tablet so I was extra.

I read Attack on Titan in black and white on the Kindle. I read during the day and before bed, adjusting the color temperature to the time of day. I read in bed, on the couch, on the train, but not in the bathtub, because this Kindle is not water resistant like the smaller e-reader Kindle devices.

I tested the AI features by having the Kindle Scribe refine and then summarize meeting notes from work meetings. I wrote a few brief stories and had the Kindle Scribe refine those from my terrible handwriting. I had my teenage son write a few words on the Kindle Scribe in his own handwriting and had the AI refine his writing as well.

I wrote on books purchased from the Kindle Store using the new Canvas tool. I read and downloaded books from Amazon Kindle as well as books I got from my local library using Libby and the OverDrive book system.

I tested the web browsing features by visiting TechRadar and reading articles at our own site. It wasn’t a great experience. I connected Bluetooth headphones, Pixel Buds Pro, and listened to Audible audiobooks. I used the Kindle Scribe without a case for the entirety of my review, but discovered it fit perfectly in my older Kindle Scribe (2022) case just in time to take photos at the end.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed December 2024]

While the Cyber Monday deals are in full swing, let me warn you that I reckon your time is limited when it comes to scoring a Cyber Monday Kindle deal.

I've been covering Cyber Monday for years and I've always noticed that when the sales day comes to an end, it's game over for cut-price Kindles. Which is a pity, as from our testing these e-readers are great at full price and then even better with some money off.

As you'll see from our best Kindles page, the TechRadar experts have tested a good range of Kindles, so we know what deals to go for. At the time of writing I'd suggest going for the deals on the new 2024 Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite.

With time ticking away let's get into the best Cyber Monday Kindle deals you can buy right now.

Cyber Monday deals in the US

• Amazon: Shop the Kindle range right now
• Best Buy: Save on Kindle packages
• Target: A range of Kindles and accessories available
• Walmart: Grab deals on Kindle accessories

Cyber Monday Kindle deals in the UK

• Amazon: Check out the full Kindle range
• Amazon Kindle: Score daily deals on e-books
• Currys: Grab a mix of Kindle bundle deals
• Very: Kindle deals are now live
• John Lewis: Save on the 2024 Kindle and more

More Cyber Monday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• B&H Photo: up to $900 off cameras, laptops, accessories
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, Halloween, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances

More Cyber Monday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 68% off toothbrushes and TVs
• AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 50% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Currys: big deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE: up to £600 off Samsung and Apple
• John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing

Black Friday may be over, but Cyber Monday deals are taking up the mantle, with Amazon Kindle tablets still available at a discount. For instance, you can bag the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB for $129.99 (was $159.00). The deal is much the same in the UK, where you can get the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB for £124.99 (was £159.99).

Three colorways are available: black, green, and pink. Both of these deals include lockscreen ads, although models without ads are also getting similar discounts (just select the relevant box on the page). Both territories will also take a further 20% off with eligible trade-ins.

Today's best Amazon Kindle deals in the US

Today's best Amazon Kindle deals in the UK

These are among the best Kindle tablets and they provide a great reading experience thanks to their glare-free display. Naturally, you'll also get access to the Kindle Store, where you'll find millions of titles to devour.

Improvements to the latest edition of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite include faster page turns, a larger 7-inch display, and a claimed battery life of up to 12 weeks.

Other handy features include warm light adjustments to make it easier on the eyes when the night draws in. In our Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review, we were also taken by its ergonomic design which allowed us to hold it comfortably for long periods.

Meanwhile, the entry-level Amazon Kindle is also on offer this Cyber Monday, and despite lacking some of the same features of the Paperwhite edition, it's still the best ereader for those on a budget in our view, owing to its compact design and improved screen. And you can still use it stream your Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth.

If you after a device that can do a lot more, take a look at our Cyber Monday tablet deals, or our Cyber Monday iPad deals if you're only interested in Apple devices.

More of today's Cyber Monday deals in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances

More of today's Cyber Monday deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 58% off Kindle and Echo
• AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 60% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Carphone Warehouse: iPhone from £19.99p/m
• Currys: deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dunelm: deals on homewares and appliances
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE Store: £40 off the PlayStation5 Pro
• Emma: up to 50% off mattresses
• Jessops: up to £900 off cameras and drones
• John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: up to £70 off air fryers
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Toolstation: discounts on tools and smart home
• Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing

I wasn't sure we'd see great Black Friday Kindle deals since the latest 2024 batch of Amazon Kindle e-readers was only released in mid-October. Not only are most of the new Kindle devices on sale, but my favorite of the bunch and our new pick for the Best Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, got a great price cut that makes it a perfect holiday gift for the reader in your life.

I've seen all of the new Kindle tablets and I just reviewed the Paperwhite Signature Edition, and while it isn't a major improvement over previous Kindle tablets, it's a satisfying e-reader that manages to move faster than before, while getting a bit brighter and easier to read. I also loved the extra-long battery life, and the Paperwhite Signature remains durable enough to read at the beach or in the tub.

Why spring for the Signature Edition? You get twice the storage, 32GB inside, which is great if you also listen to audiobooks. My Audible library is just as long as my Kindle library, so I like having extra room. You also don't need to consider lockscreen ads on the Signature Edition, and I think it's nicer to see my book covers when my screen is locked.

• Browse all Black Friday deals at Amazon

The Signature Edition also has wireless charging, and Amazon offers some simple and elegant charging stands to prop your Kindle Paperwhite next to the bed and keep it charged. You can get 12 weeks of reading if you're a casual, half-hour a day reader, but if books are your hobby, you want to charge more often.

The only Kindle that I'd consider for reading is the Kindle Colorsoft, but unfortunately Amazon's new color Kindle isn't on sale for Black Friday. I'm sure it will get a discount eventually: every Amazon product gets a price cut in due time. Unless you must have color on your Kindle now, I'd wait until it drops in price.

Not in the US or UK? Check out the best Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 2024 deals in your area at the bottom of this page.

Today's best Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 2024 deals in the US

Today's best Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 2024 deals in the UK

If the Signature Edition is a bit too much, never fear, because every black and white Kindle is on sale right now. The base model Kindle Paperwhite is also a great Kindle with excellent performance thanks to the new processor inside.

The basic 6-inch Kindle is also on sale, or you can splurge on the Kindle Scribe from 2022. There's a newer Kindle Scribe coming next week, but the older model is still an excellent large-screen e-reader with great writing features for journaling and taking notes.

Want more Kindle and tablet deals? We're tracking the best Black Friday tablet deals and Black Friday Kindle deals through the end of the shopping holiday.

More of today's Black Friday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances

More of today's Black Friday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 58% off Kindle and Echo
• AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 60% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Carphone Warehouse: iPhone from £19.99p/m
• Currys: deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dunelm: deals on homewares and appliances
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE Store: £40 off the PlayStation5 Pro
• Emma: up to 50% off mattresses
• Jessops: up to £900 off cameras and drones
• John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: up to £70 off air fryers
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Toolstation: discounts on tools and smart home
• Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition: Two-minute review

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has been a mainstay on our list of the best Kindles, with the Signature Edition typically taking a back seat due to its higher price tag. The 2024 Paperwhite Signature Edition offers just enough improvements to keep the e-reader feeling fresh while still leaving me wanting a bit more. It’s a little brighter, a little sharper, and a lot faster, and it turns out that speed truly makes a difference if you read a lot.

The main factor behind your choice of e-reader is where you get your books. If you buy books from Amazon or subscribe to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service, the Kindle is your only choice, and the Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle for most people. It’s bright, durable, and even water-resistant enough to survive a splash even in salt water if you want to read on the sand.

Of course, the color Kindle is here, but don’t look at the Kindle Colorsoft if you don’t yearn for color when you read. It’s hard to go back to black and white once you’ve seen it, and the Colorsoft costs a lot more than the Signature Edition.

That’s fine because the Paperwhite SE does everything you’d expect from a Kindle, with wireless charging thrown in for extra measure and you'll get 32GB of storage instead of the standard 16BG. I didn’t once charge the Kindle wirelessly except to test that it works, but you can buy a dock from Amazon to prop your Kindle at your bedside and let it charge while it shows you the cover of the book you’re reading.

So it's a good thing that the Paperwhite SE doesn't have lockscreen ads like the standard Paperwhite. I’m not a fan of Amazon’s common lockscreen ad scheme (something that's, thankfully, not available in Australia). I don’t like my phone, tablet, or e-reader serving me ads as a privilege of ownership. It feels cynical, and even though you can save $20 / £10 (and why is it so much cheaper in the UK?!) by allowing Amazon to take over your Kindle lockscreen with advertisements, I’d rather see my book covers or even just Amazon’s pleasant reading-themed wallpapers.

If you get your books from the library (local libraries in the US will lend you an e-book, but this feature is not available elsewhere) or if you buy from a seller other than Amazon, you have more choices, but the Kindle Paperwhite SE is still one of the best. I wish it had real buttons to turn pages, like the Kobo Libra e-readers. Buttons just feel more reliable than tapping or swiping, especially if I’m in the tub and my fingers are soapy.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition exceeds other e-readers in its speed and responsiveness. Turning pages feels fast now, much faster than it was on older Kindle devices, and zooming into a chart or a picture happens almost as quickly as it would on a smartphone. I didn’t think a performance boost would make such a huge difference for a Kindle, but it’s really noticeable and makes the e-reader better.

Besides the library, Amazon’s Kindle bookstore is also the most robust place to buy books. You’ll find every title you want, and the store is great at making suggestions. I was slightly disappointed by the Kindle Unlimited content offering, though, so I wouldn’t recommend the subscription service unless reading is your passion and not just a pastime.

The new Kindle Paperwhite SE is an easy e-reader to recommend because the Paperwhite wasn’t broken, and Amazon didn’t fix it. It’s just a bit better, but it does everything I need an electronic book to do. The only thing I miss is color, and I suspect that the next Paperwhite upgrade that comes along in a few years will satisfy that craving.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: price and availability

• Announced October 2024
• List price of $199.99 / £189.99 / AU$329
• $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$299 for the standard Kindle Paperwhite with 16GB of storage

The Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition are a bit more expensive than the Kindle Paperwhite from 2021, and you don’t really get anything new. The Signature Edition is the better device, to be sure, with a brighter screen and a more responsive interface, but I don’t like that it’s creeping up in price, especially since it’s an excellent vessel for Amazon to sell you more Kindle books.

Never fear! Because the Kindle Paperwhite and the Signature Edition will likely get discounted often, particularly during big sales.

But is it worth the price? Compared to what? There aren’t any other e-readers that synchronize perfectly with Amazon’s book store, unless you buy a more expensive device that runs Android and can load the Kindle app. That’s a bridge too far, on my reading journey.

You can find a Kobo Clara e-reader with a smaller display for less money; you can even get a Kobo Clara Color e-reader for less than a Kindle Paperwhite, let alone the Signature Edition Paperwhite. The Clara has a smaller display, and you should definitely explore Kobo’s book library before you commit if you’re making a switch.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: Specs

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: design

• Looks nicer with Signature Edition metallic paint
• No page-turning buttons, and power button is poorly placed

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is a very simple e-reader, and Amazon hasn’t improved the design at all except to offer some brighter paint options, especially if you spring for the Signature Edition with its metallic paint. There are three color options in some markets – black, green and pink – but only the black and green are available elsewhere. I was sent the Raspberry (pink) colorway for this review and I like the look much more than the basic matte black finish, as you’ll find on the Paperwhite and the Kindle Colorsoft.

What happened to Kindles that felt premium? The Kindle Oasis lingered for years as a premium model, clad in metal with real page-turn buttons. I guess Amazon gave that all up to cut prices, or maybe readers just didn’t want to pay more for a luxurious electronic book. In any case, I hope Amazon offers an alternative to the bland plastic Kindle Paperwhite slab in the future.

I also hope Amazon brings back page buttons because pressing a button is easier than swiping or tapping on the correct spot. If I held the Kindle Paperwhite SE too high, I’d open a menu instead of turning the page. Just give me a button.

There's only one button on the Kindle Paperwhite SE, and it’s the unfortunately placed power button. If you rest the Paperwhite on a desk while reading or rest it heavily on a finger for balance, you might turn off the screen by accident.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is certainly simple; I just wish there were more elegance to be found.

• Design score: 2 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: display

• E Ink Carta 1300 display
• Full set of white and amber LEDs for reading at night

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition uses the latest E Ink black and white Carta 1300 display, which doesn’t offer more sharpness than past Kindle screens, but it does increase overall contrast ever so slightly that it makes text stand out better and, thus, easier to read without straining. Pictures look good enough in 16 levels of grey, but if you want better graphics, you should go for the Kindle Colorsoft.

The display does an impressive job keeping up with the improved performance inside. I expected to see a lot more ghosting and residual characters as I zoomed in and out of a page, but the Paperwhite SE gave me a lighter version of my screen for panning, then flashed briefly and gave me a darker, final version when I was steady.

The Kindle Paperwhite SE can get plenty bright, so be warned that the incredible 12 weeks of battery life only applies when you are reading at half brightness. If you are in a well-lit room you won’t need any light at all, but reading before bed is my personal habit, so I use the light frequently. There’s a full set of amber lights and white LEDs inside so that you can eliminate all the blue light before bedtime.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: software

• Amazon’s Kindle software keeps things very simple
• Better performance makes menus and libraries move faster

If you buy books through Amazon, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition does a perfect job delivering those books to your device. The Kindle can synchronize your progress easily if you read across multiple devices. It can also report your reading to Goodreads automatically or connect you to the social service to write your own reviews.

There isn’t much more to the Kindle Paperwhite SE. Unfortunately you can no longer connect any Kindle to your computer to transfer files via a wired connection; Amazon now requires you to use the Send To Kindle platform available as a desktop application.

There is a web browser, but it’s dreadfully simple, maybe thankfully so. You won’t find yourself distracted and browsing your favorite websites on this e-reader. I could barely get TechRadar.com to load beyond some text boxes.

The big thing that I’m missing with Kindle software is the ability to annotate my books right on the page. The Kobo Libra Colour can use a stylus to take notes on a book. Not just highlighting or sticky notes but actually drawing in the margins and on the page. It’s a nifty trick that Amazon really needs to adopt, especially for the Kindle Scribe.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: performance

• Surprisingly fast performance on E Ink
• Improved scrolling, moves faster than before

Amazon gave the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition a dual-core processor inside, which makes this electronic book more powerful than the Apollo 11 lunar lander. That means it can turn pages very quickly. I joke, but in fact, the difference is noticeable if you’ve ever owned a Kindle and been annoyed by slow page turns.

The only place where the Kindle still lags behind modern technology is in touch sensitivity. The E Ink display is not very sensitive, and I still felt a delay between tapping the screen, like when I needed to enter my Wi-Fi password, and when the character appeared. Menus were faster when I was scrolling, but still not totally reliable when tapping through them.

Frankly, there’s not much more I could ask for with Kindle performance. I’ve seen E Ink displays that try to do a lot more, and they overcomplicate simple technology like e-paper. I’m happy that Amazon made the interface more responsive. The next frontier is touch response.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review: battery life

• Excellent battery life, if you follow the rules
• Avid readers will get a week of battery life or more

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition will last for 12 weeks on a single charge, if you’re a casual reader. Amazon’s 12-week claim calls for 30 minutes of reading with the screen at just under half brightness. If you read all day in bright sunshine, the Kindle Paperwhite SE might last longer. If you read in the dark New England winter nights, the Paperwhite will need to charge more often.

The good news is that you will get over 40 hours of screen time between charges, and the battery won’t die if you put the book down for a few weeks. If you read at a good pace, you’ll be able to finish a couple of books before you need to charge the Kindle Paperwhite, and that’s exceptional for any modern electronic device.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition features wireless charging. I like the wireless option as an elegant solution for keeping your Kindle topped up on a bedside stand, but it’s not essential at all.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition?

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How I tested the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

• Testing period – three weeks
• Subscribed to Kindle Unlimited and Comixology
• Tested books, comics, audiobooks, and bathtub reading

I used the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for three weeks before I published this review. I read two novels, multiple short stories, Japanese manga, and a number of other materials, including cookbooks and magazine.

I used the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for listening to audiobooks from Audible, and for listening while I read the same book. I used the Paperwhite in the bathtub to test its water resistance, and because reading in the bathtub is the main reason I like to review Kindle Paperwhite devices.

I did not have a dedicated wireless charging dock, but I tried charging the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition with a Qi-compatible wireless charging adapter that attaches magnetically to the back of a smartphone. Before my review period I charged the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition using the USB-C port, and I only charged it one more time before this review was completed, even though I read daily and usually for more than an hour a day.

I used the Kindle Paperwhite without a case, and the photos in this review reflect its condition after daily use without a case, which is pretty good. I subscribed to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service and Comixology, and I also loaded books into my collection through the Overdrive library borrowing system and my local library.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed November 2024]

Amazon recently launched two new versions of its most popular Kindle ereaders – and both are now on sale for the first time in the Black Friday sale. Offers are available in the US and the UK on both the standard Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite so check them out below.

The deal on the more advanced model is definitely the highlight. You can now grab the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon in the US for $129.99 (was $159.99). Meanwhile, UK shoppers can also benefit from the price drop, with the Kindle Paperwhite down to £124.99 (was £159.99). As this is the first price drop for the all-new design, these are naturally record-low prices for the capable and versatile ereader.

Today's best Amazon Kindle deals in the US

Today's best Amazon Kindle deals in the UK

The Kindle Paperwhite is better than the standard Kindle and is designed for people who want the very best reading experience. The Kindle is ideal for shorter reading sessions, whereas the Paperwhite comes into its own during extended reading times or for the most avid bookworms.

The larger seven-inch display has E-Ink technology with 300 pixels per inch resolution, while the clarity is impressive and guarantees an enjoyable reading experience in multiple light conditions and environments. It's also thin and lightweight so easy on the wrist if you really get stuck into a book.

When we tested the new version for our Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review we appreciated the refreshing familiarity of the ereader while also praising the larger screen and better performance. A worthwhile upgrade, then, in our opinion.

If you'd like to explore other options, then check out our best ereaders guide. If you'd like something more versatile and feature-rich, then you'd be better off with one of the best tablets, including Android and iPad slates.

More of today's Black Friday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• B&H: $600 off Nikon, GoPro, Canon & Sony
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Saatva: up to $600 off luxury mattresses
• Samsung: $2,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, Christmas decor, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, AirPods & appliances
• Wayfair: 70% off furniture, decor & Christmas

More of today's Black Friday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 65% off Apple, PS5, Kindle
• AO: deals on appliances, TVs and laptops
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 60% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Carphone Warehouse: iPhone 16 for £29.99p/m
• Currys: deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE Store: £40 off the PlayStation5 Pro
• John Lewis: up to £300 off laptops and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: up to £70 off air fryers
• Nintendo: up to 30% off Switch and Lego
• Samsung: up to £700 off TVs & phones
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Sonos: up to 20% off speakers and soundbars
• Very: up to 30% off appliances & clothing

Welcome to another quick hit of tech news courtesy of TechRadar's ICYMI, the column that condenses all of the week's big stories into one handy list so you can catch up on what you might have missed.

What do we have in store for you this week? Well, the task of getting our PlayStation 5 Pro, MacBook M4 and Kindle Colorsoft reviews in front of you dominated our time, and you can see what we thought of them all below, but they were far from the only interesting tech stories. There were also new product releases, some beta software tests and a couple of very tasty leaks to stay on top of, so read on and find out what happened.

7. DJI unveiled its cheapest-ever FPV goggles

DJI unveiled the Goggles N3, its cheapest-ever FPV (First Person View) goggles for immersive drone flight. At less than half the price of the Goggles 3, they look like an excellent pairing with the Neo, DJI's cheapest-ever 4K drone with multiple flight control options, including FPV.

In fact, DJI has made a new DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo, which includes the Goggles N3 plus additional batteries and charging hub, all for less than the pricier Goggles 3 alone.

Low price doesn't mean low quality, either – the Goggles N3 pack a crisp 1080p screen with an immersive 54-degree field of view, and can perform aerial acrobatics such as flips and rolls with a tilt of your head. They also boast DJI's latest O4 transmission, negligible 31ms latency and neat augmented reality features. At half the price of the Avata 2 with goggles, this new pairing opens up the adrenaline-fuelled world of FPV flight to a whole new audience.

• Read more: DJI’s new cheap goggles make the Neo more affordable for immersive flying

6. iOS 18.2 beta showed us major Apple Intelligence upgrades

Apple Intelligence landed with iOS 18.1 but it isn’t quite as spectacular as everyone hoped it would be, largely because some of its most exciting features are currently unavailable. That could change soon, though, and the iOS 18.2 update beta has given us a taste of these missing features.

Genmoji is arguably the big one here. This allows users to create a custom emoji and we’ve already fallen in love with it, declaring it "the kind of feature that will instantly impact society and our online lives." That aside, the iOS 18.2 beta also includes ChatGPT being baked into Siri (though it’ll have restrictions for free users), and the arrival of Image Playground, which offers a more standard alternative to the best AI image generators than Genmoji does.

Beyond AI, 18.2 will bring new camera control tools, easier sharing of lost item information through the Find My service, and the first hints of Siri getting abilities to understand what’s on screen.

• Read more: Apple is adding 3 more useful upgrades to your iPhone with iOS 18.2

5. A leaked benchmark got us excited about the Samsung S25 Ultra

Apple has long maintained bragging rights over Samsung when it comes to the sheer under-the-hood power of its smartphones, but 2025 could see a momentum shift in favor of the Android manufacturer.

According to a new report, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be even more powerful than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, with the upcoming Android flagship having performed exceptionally well in early benchmark tests.

We’re all but certain that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will use Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset under the hood, and given that the likes of Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Honor have already confirmed that their respective flagships will use the same platform, the future looks extremely bright for Android fans.

• Read more: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be the most powerful phone on the planet

4. Google leaked its Jarvis AI

Oh dear! Jarvis, Google’s rumored AI agent that searches Chrome on your behalf, was accidentally leaked by the company itself earlier this week, popping up briefly in Chrome’s extension store before being swiftly removed.

While it didn't stick around for long, it gave us proof that this automated web browser – which Google describes as “a helpful companion that surfs the web with you” – is a real thing. The AI agent is expected to launch in December and will seemingly be able to surf the web, buy products, and even book flights on your behalf.

We're expecting plenty of these agents to spring up over the next few months, as companies try to innovate in the AI space; Anthropic has already released an automated agent to developers, and there also rumors that OpenAI could enter the mix, although we don’t have any information on what a ChatGPT AI agent could look like.

When will Jarvis appear for real? That's unclear, but if you’re excited at the prospect of AI doing mundane web browsing on your behalf, you might not have long to wait.

• Read more: Google accidentally leaks its AI agent that browses the web

3. Amazon’s color Kindle got off to a rough start

We got our hands on the Kindle Colorsoft – awarding it four-and-a-half stars in our review – but we and others noticed that over time it started to develop a frustrating yellow tint at the bottom of its display.

Not every Colorsoft seems to be affected, and in our case the yellowing was not very noticeable, but that hasn’t prevented the store page from being flooded with negative reviews – with Amazon even calling those negative reviewers to learn more about the discoloration problem.

Amazon is still trying to implement whatever hardware or software fix it needs to, but if you already have a yellowed Colorsoft, the company has said it will offer you a refund or a replacement device.

• Read more: The Kindle Colorsoft faces shipping delays

2. We tested the PS5 Pro…

The PS5 Pro is finally here and the good news is that it’s a fantastic console that offers an excellent gaming experience. It also introduces the wizardry of PSSR (that's Playstation Spectral Super Resolution, for the uninitiated). However, its price tag and lack of included disc drive really are hefty stings in its tail.

The graphical advancements offered by the PS5 Pro beautifully blend super-high levels of fidelity with fluid and smooth frame rates at the same time, and from our testing, can tangibly elevate the experience of playing games. The extra spec uplifts – such as Wi-Fi 7, an extra 2TB of storage, as well as boosts to non-enhanced PS5 and PS4 games – help to round out a premium package for those who want to be at the bleeding edge of console tech and desire the most performant console going.

All of which is great, but it’s nonetheless a bit of a hard sell for current PS5 users or anyone who's not, y'know, rich, because the advancements here are not truly transformational. Still, if you’re a PlayStation enthusiast and always want to get the most out of both performance and graphics then you'll love it.

• Read more: PS5 Pro review: a high-performing enthusiast console

1. …and we reviewed – and loved – the new M4 Macs, too

We’ve also been testing the new M4-powered Macs from Apple – and it's fair to say that we're impressed. And then some…

For instance, our Apple iMac 24-inch review describes the new model as the “best all-in-one computer you can purchase”, a fact helped by its new more affordable price, while our Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch review labeled the laptop “a pro-grade portable that impresses in every area.”

It’s no surprise then that both of those computers were awarded scores of 4.5/5 scores, but we want a step higher for the revamped Mac mini, awarding it one of our rare five-star reviews.

Per our Managing Editor of Core Tech Matt Hanson in our Apple Mac mini review, “Apple has made what was already the best small form factor PC even better thanks to a more compact design, and it packs the new M4 and M4 Pro chips – all while offering incredible value for money as well. I can't recommend this Mac enough.”

• Read more: Apple Mac mini (M4, 2024) review: smaller, faster, better