'Why Amazon's Kindle is one of the best mini ebook readers'
The Kindle becoming the hottest new gadget wasn't on our 2025 bingo card. But the device has seen a surge in popularity, driven by younger readers.
According to Amazon, Kindle sales have seen double-digit growth both last year and the year before, and they’re on track to remain strong, with the company attributing it to shoppers under 45 snapping up the ebook readers. TikTok has helped certain books go viral, and it seems to be doing the same for ereaders.
To meet demand, Amazon released a whole new lineup of Kindles in October 2024. I’ve now been using the most affordable and compact one – simply named Amazon Kindle (2024) – for several weeks. Read on to find out how it compares to the Kindle from 2022, the new Paperwhite, and why it’s the best portable Kindle you can buy.
Amazon Kindle (2024): At a glance
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle (2024): Design and display
Ereaders tend to have a functional design – while the edges around the screens on smartphones get thinner and thinner, theirs have remained chunky enough to hold. This means the designs don't change much over the years, and that’s true for Amazon’s entry-level variant. It’s got a compact 6-inch display, making it smaller than the Paperwhite and easier to use one-handed.
It looks a lot like the Kindle from 2022 – the one big change is that it’s now available in a green “Matcha” colour, which I've been trying out. While I may not be a fan of matcha tea itself, I adore this colour. It’s cute and delightful, and if more colour is how Amazon is trying to appeal to younger customers, I’m all for it. Prefer something more discreet? It still comes in black too.
While the glare-free E Ink display looks a lot like it did in the previous version, there are notable upgrades. It has the same resolution for crisp text, but it gets much brighter and has increased contrast. I've found the 158g weight is never too much to hold and the display looks great for reading.
I love the “dark mode”, which makes text white-on-black but it’s a real shame there’s no adjustable warmth for the lighting, as that can make a big difference when you're reading in dimly-lit conditions. Kobo’s similarly priced alternative has this feature, so it’s a bit unfortunate Amazon didn’t include it.
Amazon Kindle (2024): Ease of use
The Kindle interface is straightforward and should be intuitive even if you’re new to ereaders. On the main screen, there are tabs for “Home” and “Library”, along with a shortcut to jump straight back into the book you’re reading.
From the Home tab, you’ll see recommended books in the Kindle Store, while the Library area shows you every Kindle book you’ve bought and your reading progress. Within a book, you’re able to customise fonts and text size, while you can also hop from chapter to chapter and make highlights of anything you want to remember for later. You can listen to Audible audiobooks over wireless headphones too.
It’s all simple enough to use, and you can purchase books via the Amazon website or on the Kindle itself. I've found it ever so slightly faster with speedier page turns than the standard Kindle from 2022, but it represents a big leap forward if you’re coming from either the 2016 or 2019 devices. Both of those models had much lower resolution displays, more evident “ghosting” and slower page turns. They also only had four weeks of battery life, and the 2016 one lacked a backlight. If you're currently using one of these models, the Kindle (2024) is a big upgrade.
And if you treat your Kindle well, it will last for several years, so I recommend putting it in a case and taking care of it. Like any ereader, you can expect it to have a much longer lifespan than a smartphone, tablet or laptop. One thing that would have improved its durability is waterproofing to match the Kindle Paperwhite. It's possible to add to smaller models as it’s available on the 6-inch Kobo Clara Colour that I reviewed in 2024, and I think it’s a shame that the most affordable Kindle still lacks this protection.
Amazon Kindle (2024): Battery life
On all Kindles, battery life is impressive and can be measured in weeks rather than hours. However, that's because they have great standby battery life and Amazon estimates the longevity of the devices based on 30 minutes of reading each day. So, while the company says you’ll get six weeks of battery life from this device, if you spend the entire day deep in a book, it won't last that long.
During my testing, I’ve found it tricky to get this Kindle to run out of juice based on how much I read. It feels like it would have no trouble lasting for weeks, as advertised. And it’s also always easy to recharge thanks to its USB-C connector, so you can use the same plug you probably already use for your other gadgets.
This is the same battery life as the 2022 Kindle and only a slight increase on older models, though, so if you love to read for hours in one sitting, consider getting the Kindle Paperwhite (2024), which has an estimated 12-week battery life, based on the same assumption of half-an-hour of reading each day.
The Good Housekeeping verdict on the Amazon Kindle (2024)
Much like the other Kindles in the refreshed range, the latest entry-level model isn't a reinvention. Side-by-side with the 2022 Kindle, we can see that it weighs the same, has the same display size and the same battery life. But it has a handful of useful upgrades when it comes to the brighter display, higher contrast, faster performance, and that great new Matcha colour option.
Even without loads of changes, this is still the best portable Kindle thanks to its petite size, simple interface, sub-£100 price, high-resolution screen, and space for thousands of books. Where the advancements become more obvious is for those upgrading from the Kindles released in 2016 or 2019. I’d say there’s a pretty substantial upgrade when you move to the latest one; you’ll see improvements in the display quality, the storage capacity, the battery life, the design and the performance.
It is still a disappointment that the entry-level Kindle wasn’t able to fit in waterproofing or adjustable warmth in its lighting system. The base price has increased a little bit when compared to its predecessor, but it’s fair to say the changes are somewhat minor. If those upgrades had been included, it would’ve made for a fantastic “mini Paperwhite” – but it looks like we'll need to wait for a future version to see these features come to a compact Kindle. For now, readers who want waterproofing and warmer light for the evening should go with the 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite (2024).
You Might Also Like
