Skip to main content

Amazon’s new Kindle has eight times more storage, but you can’t get it in U.S.

amazon manga model kindle paperwhite screen shot 2016 10 18 at 11 25 37 am
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Voracious reader? Now, your Kindle can finally keep up with you. That is, if you’re in Japan. Sorry friends, apparently, the American appetite for books — or at least for graphic novels — hasn’t quite caught up to our friends overseas, which may explain why Amazon has launched a new Kindle for its Japanese market that boasts eight times as much storage as the original version. That’s right — the new “Manga Model” Kindle Paperwhite has 32GB of storage, because, let’s be honest, 4GB is practically a crime.

While the Manga Model is otherwise almost indistinguishable from the original Paperwhite, the 32GB storage aspect certainly sets it heads and shoulders above the rest. Amazon estimates that this amount of memory can hold about 700 books, and if you’re a Manga fan, that means keeping the entirety of the very hefty Naruto, Asari-chan, and Kochikame series on your device. And because you’ll clearly be flying through the pages (when you’ve got so many to read), Amazon also says that it’s upped its page-turning speed by 33 percent.

According to Amazon Japan President Jasper Chan, the Manga Model was designed specifically as a response to Japanese manga fans. With its high-resolution display, eight times the storage capacity, and rapid page-turning abilities, Chan said that the newest Kindle is the “best … for comic lovers.”

You can currently pre-order the Kindle Manga Model for 16,280 yen ($157) or 12,280 yen ($118) for Amazon Prime members, which makes it 2,000 yen ($19) more expensive than the regular Paperwhite. But remember, it’s only around for Japanese customers, and very few of them at that — Amazon isn’t making too many of its Manga Models, so we’ll just have to wait and see how popular these guys are, and hope and pray that one sweet day, they make their way across the Pacific. Until then, we’ll just have to settle for our own Kindles and their sad storage capacities.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
FedEx drops Amazon U.S. delivery contract. Here’s why you shouldn’t care
what is prime now amazon day packages

FedEx decided to bail on renewing its contract with Amazon for U.S. domestic express deliveries. There's no change in the agreements between the two companies for international services, but FedEx chose to walk away from nearly $850 million in annual revenue.

Whether or not giving up close to a billion dollars of business is right for FedEx, what difference does the delivery company's "strategic decision" mean for your Amazon Prime orders?

Read more
The Honor Magic 6 RSR is my new favorite Android phone of 2024
Someone holding the Honor Magic 6 RSR outside.

There's no doubt that 2024 has already been an exciting year for Android phones. Samsung wowed us with the Galaxy S24 series at the beginning of the year, the OnePlus 12 and 12R are two of the best phones available right now, and Google is expected to impress later this month with the Google Pixel 8a.

But for the last few weeks, I haven't been thinking about any of those phones. Why? Because I've been using the Honor Magic 6 RSR. After launching in China this past March, the Magic 6 RSR is now available in the EU, and that's allowed more folks than ever to get their hands on the phone. And that's great, because the Honor Magic 6 RSR has quickly become my new favorite Android phone of 2024.
It has some of 2024's best smartphone hardware

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
A Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus laying on concrete.

Looking to upgrade your phone this year? You may be considering Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 Plus, which is the middle child of the S24 lineup. Given how solid the S24 Plus is, that's not a bad idea at all.

But is the Galaxy S24 Plus the best phone you can get? Maybe not, as there are plenty of other great choices that you can choose from as well. Here are some of the best alternatives to the Galaxy S24 Plus that you should take a look at before spending your hard-earned dollars.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Read more