Best Amazon Kindle in 2019

Best Amazon Kindle E-Reader Android Central 2020

Like Xerox and Velcro, the Kindle brand name is now synonymous with e-readers. Amazon dominates the category, and its latest products offer exciting new features at affordable price points. The new Kindle Paperwhite is a great starting point if you're looking to pick up your first e-reader or are looking to upgrade from an older model.

Best Overall: All-new Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite has been the benchmark for affordable e-readers for a long time now, and the latest model adds even more compelling features to the mix. The highlight is the IPX8 water resistance, which lets you take your e-reader to the pool. The Paperwhite can survive in up to two meters of water for an hour, giving you much more flexibility in where you can use the e-reader.

Amazon has also doubled the amount of internal storage to 8GB, giving you the option of adding even more books to the e-reader. You can also connect a Bluetooth headphone to listen to Audible audiobooks from the device. The Kindle Paperwhite has the same 6-inch 300ppi display as the outgoing model, and the five embedded LEDs provide uniform backlighting to let you continue reading at night. You'll also be able to adjust the font type and size, and you'll only have to charge it once a month. The design itself is also thinner and lighter than older models, making it much more comfortable to hold during extended reading sessions.

Pros:

  • 300ppi e-ink screen
  • IPX8 water resistance
  • Thinner and lighter
  • 8GB internal storage
  • Audible integration

Cons:

  • Micro-USB charging
  • No physical buttons
  • Ungainly bezels

Best Overall

All-new Kindle Paperwhite

Now with IPX8 water resistance and 8GB storage.

With a high-res e-ink display, IPX8 rating, Audible integration, and weeks-long battery life, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people.

Best Value: All-new Kindle

Best Amazon Kindle E-Reader in 2019

The entry-level Kindle is lacking some of the more advanced features that you get with the Paperwhite — like IPX8 and a high-res screen — but you're still getting a lot of value for your money. The fact that it now comes with a front light is a huge deal. The front light makes it significantly easier to read at night, and you even get Audible integration. If you're interested in trying out e-readers or want to save some cash, the Kindle is a great way to get started.

Pros:

  • Great value
  • Front light is nifty
  • Audible integration
  • Lightweight design
  • Bluetooth

Cons:

  • Low-res screen
  • No water resistance
  • Micro-USB charging

Best Value

All-new Kindle

All the basics, now with a front light.

Thanks to the front light, you can now use the entry-level Kindle for night-time reading. You also get Bluetooth connectivity with Audible integration.

Upgrade Pick: Kindle Oasis

Kindle Oasis

The Kindle Oasis has the same 300ppi display as the Paperwhite, but it has 25 LEDs that provide much better backlighting. Two other features are exclusive to the Oasis — physical page turn buttons and an ambient light sensor that automatically turns down the brightness in dark environments. Oh, and the 2019 edition also comes with adjustable warm light, making it even better to use at night. The design is also unique thanks to a sleek aluminum frame, and overall, the Oasis is the best e-book reader I've ever used.

Pros:

  • Fantastic display
  • Warm light is a bonus
  • Comfortable to use
  • IPX8 water resistance
  • Physical page turn buttons

Cons:

  • Micro-USB charging
  • Interface needs refresh
  • Limited to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi

Upgrade Pick

Kindle Oasis

The most feature-packed Kindle ever.

The Kindle Oasis has a larger 7-inch display with 25 LEDs and adjustable warm light, physical page turn buttons, IPX8 rating, and stellar battery life.

Bottom line

The Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people, and it is an absolute steal for what's on offer. The new features — in the form of water resistance and 8GB storage — bridge the divide from the Kindle Oasis, and overall the Paperwhite is a no-brainer if you're in the market for a new e-reader.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Harish Jonnalagadda is the Regional Editor of Android Central. A reformed hardware modder, he now spends his time writing about India's burgeoning phone market. Previously, he used to ponder the meaning of life at IBM. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

Daniel Bader is the Managing Editor of Android Central. As he's writing this, a mountain of old Android phones is about to fall on his head, but his Great Dane will protect him. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there's a correlation.

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