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.

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…
This music app is doing something different in the Apple App Store
The Practice Pro app.

The iOS App Store is awash with apps using subscriptions and in-app payments, but our attention has been drawn to a brand new release that goes back to the old way of doing things — charging a one-off payment. It’s such a rare approach, the company has even drawn attention to it in the app’s top features list.

The app is Practice Pro, a release from developers Dynamic App Design, and it is made to help musicians practice and improve with use. The studio claims it’s suitable for professional and amateur musicians due to its clever modular design. Using different widgets, the app can be set up to only include the practice tools relevant to you, a better option than either using multiple apps, or having a cluttered, unfocused menu.

Read more
The U.K. wants unchecked access to all iPhones worldwide
A person holding an iPhone in their hand.

In 2016, the FBI requested Apple to grant it an iOS backdoor access, but the company rejected it, with the “No” coming straight from CEO Tim Cook. In 2021, Apple even sued an Australian company that unlocked an iPhone for the same federal law enforcement agency.

Apple is once again at a security crossroads that could pose an existential threat to its iPhone business, and the privacy of users across the globe. According to The Washington Post, the British government has ordered Apple to give them “blanket” access to the encrypted materials saved by iPhone users on the iCloud online storage drive.

Read more
This One UI 7 update just made my Galaxy S25 Ultra way more fun
Prakhar Khanna holding the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for 10 days now, and the best and worst part about the new Galaxy flagship is its familiarity. The familiar form is good because Samsung delivered much-needed experiential upgrades such as improved battery life, better skin color temperature in cameras, and more without substantially changing the hardware.

But Samsung played it a little too safe with the Galaxy S25 Ultra instead of experimenting and trying new things. It was starting to feel like just another stale incremental update--until I installed One UI 7’s latest Home Up update. It brought new, customizable ways to interact with the phone and truly personalize it to your liking.
What's this new Home Up update about
 

Read more