Kindles don’t usually change much with each new version, but Amazon is launching next-generation models today that look and feel a whole lot nicer. The base Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Colorsoft are a millimeter thinner and 30 percent faster at opening books, and their power buttons have moved from the bottom to the right edge near the top.
They ship in vibrant new colors with a soft-touch plastic case, and, for the first time, there’s the option for a couple shades of aluminum, giving them a higher-end look and feel, not to mention double the storage of the plastic version (32GB versus 16GB). Amazon VP of Kindle Kevin Keith told The Verge that they all feature user-replaceable batteries to be in compliance with EU regulations, too.
The updated base Kindle is available today starting at $149.99 in a new purple color called ube and a plainer graphite color. It comes with 16GB of storage and lockscreen ads, and it looks nicer than the last-gen version, thanks to a seamless transition from frame to screen, moving on from the old design that had a recessed display.
New for this revision is the choice of aluminum, which bumps the price up to $189.99, doubles the storage, and ditches ads. The Kindle in aluminum is a very nice, compact thing to hold, especially in its new folio case that it can magnetically attach to. Though, at $239.98 all together ($189.99 for the e-reader and $49.99 for the case), you’re firmly in the territory of the Paperwhite, with its more pixel-dense and auto-dimming screen for $199.99.
The display specs for the new Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft models (coming October 28th, available to preorder now) haven’t changed, though the color options have. The new plastic and aluminum colors available for each cover the entirety of the e-readers, not just their backsides. Amazon’s Keith credits a new technique of applying a black layer between the edges of the panel to prevent the case’s color from visually bleeding onto the screen.
The aluminum options for the Paperwhite and Colorsoft, costing $249.99 and $319.99, respectively, include more than the base Kindle’s high-end version. These are the new Signature Edition versions, with pogo pins on their rear that are compatible with a $79.99 page-turn magnetic case that adds physical page-turning buttons a la the Kindle Oasis. Wireless charging isn’t offered in the new Signature Editions. Amazon will sell a $59.99 charging dock that can charge this edition upright and attaches via pogo pins.
Amazon is also adding a remote to the lineup, the Kindle Click. Amazon’s $34.99 Bluetooth remote lets you turn pages when you’re away from your device, with side-mounted buttons to adjust screen brightness. The remote’s main buttons are soft and quiet to press, and it’s lightweight, with a wrist strap to keep it from easily disappearing. It can recharge via USB-C, and it’s compatible with Kindles from 2024 or later.
Though we still seem be in the midst of Apple’s hardware launch season, Amazon has dropped a few new products so far in the past week, including a new Fire TV Stick 4K that can be powered directly through your TV’s USB port instead of requiring a power brick.
Correction, October 1st, 9:32am ET: The Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft launch October 28th, not today, as the article originally stated.