Amazon Kindle 2022 Review: Compact E-Reader That Gets You Started

Amazon continues to dish out the Kindle e-readers in the market with focus on different price segments. You have the regular Kindle, the Paperwhite and a slew of other premium Kindle versions. Over here we are looking at the entry-level Kindle e-reader that came out last year with a slew of upgrades and one very important change.

The basic Kindle is targeted at people who are starting their journey into ebooks and don’t want to splurge on an e-reader before feeling assured about using them. The Kindle 2022 reader is priced at Rs 9,999 which might not feel affordable but that’s how the tech space has evolved in the past few years. We used the e-reader for a few weeks and here’s our review.

The new Kindle 2022 version is lighter than its predecessor and you tend to feel its compactness in the hand. Keeping both the Kindle versions next to each other won’t really tell you the difference. But once you hold the new version in your hand, you will notice that it is less wide than the 10th gen Kindle.

The display size is the same at 6-inches but the display resolution is now at par with the premium versions with its 330 ppi pixel density that makes it easy to read through the built-in four LEDs underneath the screen. It also helps that the panel has an anti-glare coating which prevents reflection falling onto your eyes. The new Kindle 2022 sees a boost in storage and you now get 16GB space to keep all the ebooks on the device.

The performance is also faster than the 10th gen version which is usually expected from an upgraded device. You will notice the screen swipes are fluid and the touch is responsive to read your actions. You can’t have any review of the Kindle without talking about the software running on it.

Amazon is using the new UI that was first introduced in 2021. Amazon has divided the space on the main screen to Home and Library. The company has tried to personalise the segment, giving you recommendations.

You can view the books in grid, list or collection order. You also have the option to pair the Kindle 2022 with earbuds if you want the e-reader to read out the book to you. And finally, how long does the Kindle last on a single charge? Amazon claims 6 weeks of backup if you use it for 30 minutes daily.

But the biggest plus is that the Kindle 2022 comes with USB C for charging, which means you can use your smartphone cable to charge the e-reader and don’t need to carry a separate charger for the Kindle. While there are quite a few changes, the Kindle 2022 still has a lot of thick bezels that can be an eyesore in 2023. The performance does help but you still realise that the smoothness of the device is lacking compared to the premium Kindle variants, which means Amazon leaves the room for people to upgrade.

The Kindle Paperwhite version has 17 LEDs that gives you ample visibility in all conditions and other colour modes. With the Kindle 2022 you only have 4 LEDs and the option to change the modes is complex and hidden in the settings. Also, you don’t get the Kindle 2022 with any IP rating which, honestly is not surprising.

There are also some quirks with the software, the overall interface is easy but the option to head over to Home is rather rigid. The new Kindle 2022 e-reader is an interesting option for buyers. Usually, a new-gen version is not very different from its predecessor, but in this case, we can easily say that the 11th Gen Kindle 2022 is worth buying even for those using the 10th Gen Kindle.

The performance, the compact form factor, extra storage on board and USB C for charging are good enough reasons for buying the Kindle 2022, even though it costs Rs 9,999, has bezels and no IP rating for protection. Read all the Latest Tech News here.