Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Amazon’s cheapest Kindle finally supports USB-C and dark mode

Michael Allison
By

Amazon’s Kindle is getting even better this week with a new model that introduces a new display, a more compact design, and support for USB-C. It’s nothing that’ll replace your Kindle Oasis, but if you want a Kindle while spending as little as possible, there’s a lot to like with the new baseline option.

This 2022 Kindle release will see the baseline Kindle pick up a high-resolution display that’s capable of dark mode, support for USB-C, 16GB of storage, and extended battery life with up to six weeks on a single charge. The Kids edition of the tablet will, like other Kids edition tablets, comes with a kid-friendly cover and a free subscription to Amazon’s Kids+ service.

Amazon's new Kindle for 2022 comes with a dark mode.
Amazon / Amazon

Many of the features introduced with this new Kindle aren’t strictly new. The Kindle Paperwhite, for example, has featured dark mode since the 2020 Kindle Paperwhite. The 2021 release saw it pick up USB-C support and wireless charging. Amazon always waits a while before trickling these higher-tier features down to the regular Kindle.

Recommended Videos

Amazon continues to sit among the ranks of tech companies hoping to bolster sustainability credibility with the use of recycled materials. Amazon says these devices were made with fewer carbon emissions compared to its previous releases. They’re built with 90% recycled magnesium, while the packaging comes from “100% wood fiber-based materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources.” Of course, since Kindles do save trees in other ways as well, it’s kind of a double savings here. Just remember that you’re being particularly charitable toward a company that saw its carbon emissions rise in both 2020 and 2021, but no one’s perfect.

“With a high-resolution display that delivers three times more pixels than our previous base Kindle, USB-C charging, 16GB of storage, and built-in adjustable front light, the new ultralight Kindle is the latest example of how we continue to bring premium features to our entry-level devices for even more customers to enjoy,” said Kevin Keith, vice president of Amazon Devices and Services, in a release. “And since we launched Kindle Kids three years ago, kids have logged nearly 3 billion minutes reading on Kindle devices. The new Kindle Kids provides an even better reading experience to help kids become lifelong readers.”

Related

Amazon’s new Kindle goes on pre-order today, September 13. The regular Kindle will set you back $100, while the Kindle Kids version will cost $120. A four-month subscription to Kindle Unlimited and obe year of Amazon Kids+ are also available to sweeten the deal depending on which device you purchase.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Michael Allison
Michael Allison
Mobile News Writer
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
CES 2023: The Lenovo Smart Paper looks like a great Kindle Scribe killer
Menu options on the Lenovo Smart Paper.

At CES 2023 this week, Lenovo announced the new Smart Paper tablet. As the name implies, it's an e-paper tablet that's built to replace your notebook and pen and "smarten" them up. It goes on sale later this year.

All e-ink devices aim to replicate the feel of pulpy paper and polished penmanship as well as they can, and the Lenovo Smart Paper is no exception. Coming with a 10.3-inch display, the Smart Paper is built very much like a notebook. There's an anti-glare touch display, and it comes in at a very wide aspect ratio that's different from typical tablets -- and all of it is housed in a sleek metal chassis.

Read more
Why a Kindle Paperwhite is the best $100 you can spend on Cyber Monday
A personal reads on a Kindle Paperwhite while relaxing at campsite.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are prime times throughout the year to get mobile tech at lower-than-usual prices. That means there are ample Cyber Monday phone deals, tablet deals, and smartwatch deals. But those aren't the only mobile gadgets you can buy for cheap. Also available at a discount today is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

The Kindle Paperwhite isn't a particularly exciting mobile device, at least not on paper. It isn't a flashy flagship smartphone or a powerful tablet you can use to play CoD: Mobile. Instead, it's a very simple e-reader that's designed for reading e-books and nothing more. But it's because of that simplicity that the Kindle Paperwhite is so damn good — and why it's the best $100 you can spend on a new gadget this Cyber Monday.

Read more
I used a Kindle for the first time in 10 years and it totally changed how I read
Amazon Kindle (2022) Store

As someone who writes for a living, I admit that I don’t read as much as I should — at least as far as actual books go. On a daily basis, most of my reading is done through various online news media, but that’s pretty much a part of my job. In my free time, I simply find it hard to make time to pick up a book and read (and even write creatively).

I used to love reading books when I was younger, and when e-readers were first becoming popular in the early 2000s, I thought they were fantastic. I picked up my first Kindle over 10 years ago, and I liked the fact that I could carry a collection of books with me everywhere. But I eventually got lazy with book reading. And it remained that way for about a decade. But then I got a chance to check out the Kindle (2022) this year, and I’ve been enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. In fact, it's basically reignited my love for reading.
A tiny, compact collection of books in my hands

Read more