You can grab Amazon’s most powerful e-reader for just $289 ($50 off), for a variant with the Basic Pen and 16 GB of storage.

Released on November 30, 2022, the Kindle Scribe is the most innovative and powerful e-paper device Amazon ever offered. 

It sports the 300 ppi 10.2-inch glare-free touchscreen display that’s enhanced by both the front and warm light. 

Most importantly, the Scribe is the first Amazon e-paper device that supports handwriting. It comes free with a battery-free pen, and a variety of handwriting templates (notebook, to-do-list, and diary, among them).

So far, Amazon’s newest e-reader was not offered at a reduced price. You could save on it during Black Friday 2022 even $80, but it was possible if you combined the savings on a free Kindle Unlimited free plan ($40) and getting the bundle (another $40).

As I predicted last year, the first price cuts on Kindle Scribe should come during National Reading Month 2023 – and here they are!

The entry-level variant, with 16 GB of storage and the Basic Pen, costs now only $289.99, which is a 15% price drop from $339.99. I was expecting the price to be lowered to just $299.99.

If you decide to invest in a variant with the 32 GB of storage and Premium Pen, you will also save 15%. The price is right now set at $329.99, instead of $389.99.

Plus, in every variant, you save $30 on a free, 3-month Kindle Unlimited plan.

It was worth waiting for a price cut like this. Keeping $50 in your pocket will let you buy a solid Kindle Scribe case cover – and there are plenty of them already.

The next price cuts on the Kindle Scribe should come before Mother’s and Father’s Day 2023, and surely during the summer edition of Prime Day.

The deal ends on Sunday, March 26, 2023, so hurry!

⇢ Kindle Scribe

Keep exploring. Here are other tips, lists and deals for Kindle users:

[ef-archive number=5 tag=”kindle”]

You can save $65 in total, if you decide to get a version with a free 4-month Kindle Unlimited plan.

What are your New Year Resolutions? To read more, learn faster, write better? It looks like Kindle Scribe is destined for you. The only problem is that it costs $340, and you can’t expect a price cut any time soon.

Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s most innovative device in years. It’s designed for both reading and writing. 

The device sports the 10.2-inch glare-free 300 ppi touchscreen display with front and warm light, asymmetric Oasis-style glass front, and a USB-C port.

Most importantly, the Scribe supports handwriting. You can choose from two compatible pens – Basic or Premium – that come free with a chosen variant. It also comes with several templates for handwritten notes.

The first, a rather symbolic, price cut may come in March 2023, for the National Reading Month. However, I believe to see any reasonable Kindle Scribe deal on Prime Day 2023, the soonest.

If getting the Scribe would boost your New Year resolutions, especially when it comes to reading more books, you can take advantage of a new limited-time promotion that has just been revealed.

Add Kindle Scribe to cart, and use the code READWRITE25 at checkout to get a $25 credit that you can use to get ebooks from the Kindle Store. You will be able to redeem your code within 45 days from the shipment date.

$25 is roughly an equivalent of two fully priced books, but if you are determined to hunt for Kindle deals, you can get 25 books for $0.99 each.

What’s more, if you pick up a variant with a free 4-month Kindle Unlimited membership, you will save an extra $40 on Kindle books that are included in the Kindle Unlimited catalog.

The promotion ends on January 4, 2023, 5:00 PM Pacific time. It seems like a lot of time, but I use it to find out whether Kindle Scribe is the device that you would love – or hate.

Kindle Scribe with $25 ebook credit and 4 free months of Kindle Unlimited? It sounds like you won’t need to buy any additional Kindle books to meet your Reading 52 Challenge this year.

⇢ Kindle Scribe

Interested in the Kindle? Keep exploring:

[ef-archive number=5 tag=”kindle”]

We have tracked Black Friday Kindle prices since 2016. The rule is that when a deal price for a certain model is applied, it doesn’t change.

In other words, you won’t see a lower price during Black Friday weekend than it is today. There is no need to wait.

Amazon reveals Black Friday deals for Kindle models and bundles usually during a weekend preceding Black Friday. And here is another rule: only some models are featured.

Black Friday 2022 deals for Kindle have just been added to Amazon Device Deals. And two models are featured so far: Kindle Paperwhite 5 and Kindle Oasis 3.

What about deals on Kindle 11 and Kindle Scribe 1 – the newest models announced this year?

Updated on November 24, 2022: The deal for the newest Kindle 11 has just been revealed. The price is down from $99.99 to $84.99 for the variant with lockscreen ads.

When it comes to Kindle Scribe 1, there will be no deal at all. It’s because the newest 10.2-inch reading & writing machine will start shipping on November 30. Never before the product in the pre-order phase was offered for a reduced price. However, you can still save $80 on Kindle Scribe without any price deal.

Updated on November 25, 2022: There is no price deal for Kindle Scribe, but you can save $40 if you buy two of them. Add two Scribe models from this link, select options, and go proceed to checkout. The offer will be automatically applied.

So, what Kindle deals can you grab right now? Have a look at the quick list below.

[ef-reco id=”155812″ title=”Read also” info=”Top article”]

Black Friday 2022 deals for Kindle e-readers

Here are the selected deals on Kindle models:

▸ Get Kindle Basic 11 for $84.99 – the newest, entry-level Kindle model sports the high-resolution display, and comes with the fast-charging USB-C port. The Black Friday 2022 deal price is set at $84.99 instead of a regular $99.99 (variant with ads), so you save 15%. The deal is disappointing. I was expecting a much deeper discount, hoping to see the price below $70.

• Regular price: $99.99
• You save: 15%

▸ Get Kindle Paperwhite 5 for $94.99 – the price is $5 higher than we expected. However, it’s a powerful device with a 6.8-inch display, which gives you 13% more display space than the regular 6-inch display. The price is for the 8 GB variant with lockscreen ads.

• Regular price: $139.99
• You save: 32%

▸ Get Kindle Oasis 3 for $164.99 – the entry-level Oasis variant comes with 8 GB of storage and lockscreen ads. Quite frankly, compared to the 6.8-inch Paperwhite and the new Scribe, the benefits of the Oasis become weak. We expected the price to go down to under $150. On the other hand, the price is lower by $10 than in former Black Friday events.

• Regular price: $249.99
• You save: 34%

▸ Get Kindle Signature for $129.99 – Signature Edition is a premium variant of Paperwhite 5, and comes with 32 GB storage, wireless charging, and auto-adjusting front light.

• Regular price: $188.99
• You save: 32%

▸ Save $40 if you buy two Kindle Scribe models – the only way to save on Kindle Scribe this Black Friday is to buy two of them: one with a Basic Pen ($340), the other one with a Premium Pen ($370). The saving in symbolic, but still, it’s the only price deal you will see on this model until, probably, March 2023.

• Regular price: $340 + $370 = $710
• You save: 6%

Check out all current Black Friday 2022 Kindle deals.

Black Friday 2022 deals for Kindle bundles

▸ Save 80% on Paperwhite Essentials Bundle – the bundle includes the 2021 Paperwhite, power adapter, and leather cover in Black, Lavender Haze, Deep Sea Blue, or Merlot. The price of the variant with 8 GB storage has been cut to $119.99.

• Regular price: $199.99
• You save: 40%

▸ Get Kindle Oasis Essentials Bundle for $173 – the bundle comes with the highest Black Friday price cut so far – 44%. And it’s much better to get it instead of the Kindle Oasis deal. For a few dollars more ($173 vs. $165) you get a fabric cover and power adapter. The deal price is set for a variant with 8 GB storage. 

• Regular price: $309.99
• You save: 44%

▸ Save $100 on Signature Essentials Bundle – the bundle is exceptional because, besides the Paperwhite Signature and wireless charging dock, it includes a watersafe cork cover in Light or Dark color. The storage is 32 GB, and the dock lets you charge the e-reader without cables.

• Regular price: $269.99
• You save: 36%

Check out all current Black Friday 2022 Kindle bundle deals.

Black Friday 2022 deals for Kindle Unlimited

Standalone Kindle Unlimited subscription

If you already have a Kindle, but want to save on the Kindle Unlimited subscription itself, you can already grab the dedicated Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2022 deal. It won’t get any better – the rule is that deal conditions don’t improve over time.

▸ Get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for $0.99 – go to the sign-up page of Kindle Unlimited and log in with your Amazon credentials. Without logging in, you won’t see the offer.

Click on the “Join Kindle Unlimited” button to start your membership. The deal will let you save almost $30, as the subscription costs $9.99 per month.

Kindle Unlimited free plans with devices

If you plan to buy a Kindle this Black Friday, be it the newest entry-level model, Kindle Paperwhite 6.8, or even the revolutionary Kindle Scribe, keep in mind that they come with free Kindle Unlimited plans.

Kindle Unlimited is bundled with Kindle models, regardless of the variant you choose. It’s also included in Kindle bundles.

▸ Get 4 months of free Kindle Unlimited with the purchase of Kindle 11 – the newest entry-level Kindle model comes with the high-resolution display, front-light, and USB-C charging. You save $40 – the total value of 4 months of Kindle Unlimited purchased separately.

⇢ More details

▸ Get 3 months of free Kindle Unlimited with the purchase of Kindle Paperwhite 5 – this model combines most-desired features with a reasonable price. The Kindle Unlimited offer bundled with Paperwhite is 3 months for free, not four, so your saving is $30.

⇢ More details

▸ Get 3 months of free Kindle Unlimited with the purchase of Kindle Oasis 3 – the Oasis gets the highest price cut this Black Friday, and when you add $30 from Kindle Unlimited, you can save $125 for the variant which regularly costs $250.

⇢ More details

▸ Get 4 months of free Kindle Unlimited with the purchase of Kindle Scribe – the Scribe costs $339 for the entry-level variant (Basic Pen + 16 GB). Your Kindle Unlimited savings are $40. And when you buy the bundle, you can save $80 in total.

⇢ More details

Here are Kindle models and bundles that are currently available at lower prices.

Black Friday 2022 Kindle deals – conclusions

You may see on the web or in your news reader the headlines crying, for instance, “Kindle Paperwhite price at all-time low!” Don’t rely on such messages, and always double-check the price.

The thing is that Black Friday 2022 deals on Kindle are less attractive than you’d expect, especially for the Oasis – the model that, compared to the Scribe, suddenly becomes unattractive.

When the deals for Kindle 11 and Kindle 11 bundle arrive, you will find them in Amazon Device Deals. Go to that link and bookmark this page in your browser.

To bookmark any page in a browser, click on a star you should find in the search box. As an option, you can use a shortcut – Ctrl+D on a PC and Command+D on a Mac computer.

⇢ All deals

Interested in the Kindle? Keep exploring:

[ef-archive number=5 tag=”kindle”]

There will be no Black Friday price deal for the newest Kindle Scribe. But if you really want this reading and note-taking beast for Christmas, you will keep $80 in your wallet anyway.

Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s most innovative device in years. It has a large 10.2-inch high-resolution display, asymmetric Oasis-style glass front, battery-free pen, and several templates for handwritten notes.

The Scribe was announced on September 28, 2022, and was available for pre-order immediately. The launch date is November 30 – five days after Black Friday 2022.

And that’s the problem. No Amazon device had ever been offered at a reduced price before the official launch date. Don’t expect the price of Kindle Scribe to drop below $300 when you browse Amazon during the Black Friday 2022 weekend.

As you know, most Black Friday price deals are just an illusion. But consumers are still shopping a lot, even though they know they only save 5% instead of 50%. The reason they buy is that they have a reason to buy.

“I bought it on Black Friday.” No questions asked. Someone has hunted for a good deal.

So, during Black Friday 2022, Kindle Scribe will be offered at a regular price – $339.99 for the variant with 16 GB of storage and basic pen.

No savings at all? There are some good news. You will keep in your wallet even $80 if you buy Kindle Scribe for a regular price.

How to save on Kindle Scribe during Black Friday 2022?

▸ $40 to save on Kindle Unlimited – the 4-month Kindle Unlimited plan is included with the Scribe for free. The subscription costs $9.99 per month. Here is a catalog of Kindle Unlimited eligible books.

▸ $40 to save on the Kindle Scribe bundle – right now, you can keep $40 in your pocket if you buy Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle. It includes the Scribe with the Basic Pen, the fabric cover, and the power adapter. The price is set at $380 – $40 less than the sum of all elements bought separately.

Keep in mind that Kindle models don’t come with a power adapter anymore. If you need a new charger, you will have to buy it separately. Or you can get a Kindle bundle.

If you decide to get the Kindle Scribe Fabric Cover Essentials Bundle with Basic Pen and 16 GB storage, you will pay $380 instead of $460.

If you go for the Kindle Scribe Leather Cover Essentials Bundle with Premium Pen and 16 GB storage, you will spend $430 instead of $510.

Pre-ordered Kindle Scribe models and bundles will start shipping on November 30, 2022, so you will have yours before Christmas.

When to expect price cuts on the Kindle Scribe?

First, it’s possible to see additional incentives to buy Kindle Scribe during Black Friday 2022 or immediately after its launch.

The free Kindle Unlimited plan may be extended to six months. The prices of Kindle Scribe bundles may go down by $20-$40 more. All depends on how well the device sells.

If you are waiting for a real price cut on the Kindle Scribe, it should be available at the beginning of 2023 the soonest.

Most probably, any reasonable Kindle Scribe price discount will be offered by Amazon in March 2023, during National Reading Month.

For more details, you can read my detailed Kindle Scribe pros and cons overview.

If you want to check out current prices of Kindle e-readers and models, go to Amazon Device Deals – a lesser-known section of the Amazon online store.

Are you interested in the Kindle? Keep exploring:

[ef-archive number=5 tag=”kindle”]

The newest entry-level Kindle model was announced on September 13, 2022. It was available for pre-order on the same day, with shippings starting on October 12, 2022.

If you’d like to learn whether the new Kindle fits your own needs, make sure to explore the list of things to know before buying Kindle 11.

If you prefer to dive into full tech specs and comparisons, including the visualization dimensions, make sure to keep reading this overview.

It’s the 11th-generation Kindle, according to Amazon’s device classification. The 2022 Kindle model costs $99 and comes with a crisp 300 dpi display, USB-C port, 16 GB memory, and a battery that lasts up to 6 weeks.

On the other hand, it is not waterproof, doesn’t feature the all-glass front, there is no warm light feature, and the front light is not auto-adjusting.

Is the 2022 Kindle 11 still on your radar, despite the disadvantages? Let’s dive into down-to-earth details in one handy list.

Basic Kindle 11 (2022) – main features

16 GB storage – at the time of launch, the 2022 Kindle model offers 16 GB of storage, out of which approximately 14 GB is available to the user. It’s worth noting that so far, the Paperwhite 5 was offered with 8 GB of storage, but the 16 GB variant was introduced at the same time Kindle 11 was announced.

6-inch, 300 ppi touchscreen – the new high-resolution display has three times more pixels than the previous model, offering sharper text and images in a paper-like feel. The previous-generation basic Kindle from 2019 had a display with a 167 ppi pixel density, the new one offers 300 ppi.

USB-C port – USB-C becomes the standard in charging and data transfer. It lets you charge and send data to and from the Kindle much faster than the standard USB port. You will need approximately 2 hours to fully charge the Kindle 11 using a 9W USB-C power adapter (not included in the box).

6 weeks of battery life – the new Kindle 11 offers 50% more battery life than the previous generation basic Kindle model. Instead of 4, you now have 6 weeks of peace of mind, before you start looking for a charger. The calculation is based on the assumption that you read for half an hour a day, with the display brightness set at level 13.

Dark Mode – like the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite and the latest Kindle Scribe, the 2022 Kindle comes with the Dark Mode. The feature inverts colors on the screen. The display background is black and text is white. You can toggle Dark Mode in the Quick Access menu.

Built-in Audible player – just like other models, Kindle 11 doesn’t come with either speakers or headphone jack. However, you can easily listen to Audible audiobooks via connected Bluetooth earphones or speakers.

Amazon Kindle 11 2022 – specs comparison

When you consider getting the most affordable Kindle model, a comparison to the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite 5 is inevitable. It’s a question of spending the equivalent of an original Amazon case cover ($30-$40).

You pay $40 more and you get a more advanced e-reader, the one that would meet not only your current needs but also the ones that may arise in the future.

On the other hand, you should ask yourself a question: do I really need a waterproof e-reader with a warm light? The basic Kindle comes with the crisp Paperwhite-like display, most probably the one that’s the same or similar to the display used in the previous-generation Kindle Paperwhite. The high-resolution screen that displays the sharp and readable text, no matter the size of the font, is the most important feature of the dedicated e-reading device.

So, how does the latest basic Kindle released in 2022 stack up against the regular variant of the 6.8-inch Paperwhite? Let’s have a look at a comparison table.

Paperwhite 5 (2021) vs. Kindle 11 (2022)

Basic Kindle 11 2022 – size comparison

If you have complained about the display size of your previous Kindle, you should carefully compare the dimensions of the basic Kindle 2022 and Kindle Paperwhite 5, released in 2021.

The first device comes with a 6-inch display – the same size and almost all previous Kindle models, except the DX and Oasis. The latter device comes with a 6.8-inch display. 

The Paperwhite’s display offers 13% more space than the display of the 2022 basic Kindle model – without actually being much larger in general. The larger display allows to enlarge the font much more, without the need to reduce margins and line spacing.

Find below the size comparison between the base Kindle 2022 (11th-generation) and the Kindle Paperwhite 5 (2021).

Amazon Kindle 11 (2022) – pros and cons

Basic Kindle 11 (2022) full specs

The full technical specifications of the newest 11th-generation Amazon Kindle basic type e-reader are listed below. For further reference, please read the full Kindle 11 (2022) user guide online.

Basic Kindle 11 (2022) – product description

Here are the highlights from the 6-inch Kindle 2022 product page on Amazon.

Amazon Kindle 11 (2022) release

16 GB / Ads

Take your story with you
Meet Kindle, now with an upgraded high-resolution display, 2x the storage, USB-C charging, and longer battery life. The built-in adjustable front light, and the newly added dark mode feature, lets you read comfortably indoors and outdoors any time of the day.

Enhance your reading
Enjoy sharper text and images. The upgraded 300 ppi high-resolution glare-free display features more than 3x as many pixels as the previous generation.

Read comfortably in any environment
The glare-free display reads like real paper, even in direct sunlight. Adjust the front-lit display, and now with dark mode easily invert text color for a more comfortable reading experience, day and night.

Distraction-free reading
With no interruptions from messages, emails, and social media, you can lose yourself in the story.

Read for longer
Now with extended battery life. A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 6 weeks. Battery life may vary depending on use.

Better with original covers
Designed by Amazon to perfectly fit your Kindle, these slim, form-fitting covers attach securely and fold back for one-handed reading. They automatically put your device to sleep when closed and wake upon opening, making it easy to get back to your story. Learn more about our covers.

⇢ Kindle 11 (2022)

Keep exploring. Here are other tips and lists:

Announced on September 28, 2022, and available from November 30, 2022, Amazon’s latest e-reader is one of the most important milestones in Kindle history.

Kindle Scribe sports the 300 ppi 10.2-inch Paperwhite, glare-free touchscreen display that’s enhanced by both the front and warm light. The e-reader is offered in three storage variants (16, 32 and 64 GB), is equipped with a USB-C port, and has the asymmetrical look of the Oasis.

Most importantly, the Scribe is the first Amazon e-paper device that supports handwriting. You can choose from two compatible pens – Basic or Premium – that come free with a chosen Kindle Scribe variant.

Below, you will see our usual, detailed list of comparison tables, tech spec tables, and home-made visualizations.

However, we’d like to stress that for many users, the Scribe will be the most challenging Kindle model ever released. When you consider buying it, it’s not only about the display size, front light, or pen support.

You will have to change your habits, routines, and – most probably – productivity tools, to make the most use of the Kindle Scribe. For more details, read our extensive Kindle Scribe pros and cons overview.

1st-generation Kindle Scribe 2022 – main features

Large 10.2-inch display – this high-resolution, 300 ppi touch screen with Paperwhite technology is glare-free and can be used even in direct sunlight – not only for reading, but also writing.

Handwriting support – you can use the pen that comes free with Kindle Scribe to make handwritten notes, annotations, or write your own notebooks, journal entries, and lists. Writing on the Scribe feels like writing on paper. Handwritten document markup is possible with pdf files.

Dedicated pens – you can get the Kindle Scribe with either the Basic or Premium pen. Both are battery-fee and attach magnetically to the side of the device. The Premium stylus comes with a dedicated eraser and shortcut button.

Notebook templates – Kindle Scribe can be also used as a notebook for writing journal entries, making to-do lists, or doodling. You can choose from a number of templates, such as lined paper, blank paper, or checklists. The notebooks you create are managed on the Scribe and will come to the web-based Kindle app in early 2023. 

USB-C port – USB-C becomes the standard in charging and data transfer. It lets you charge and send data to and from the Scribe much faster than the standard USB port. You will need approximately 2.5 hours to fully charge the Scribe using a 9W USB-C power adapter (not included in the box).

12 weeks of battery life – larger device needs more energy, but the Scribe offers the longest battery life in the Kindle range. It’s up to three months, based on reading for half-and hour a day. If you read actively, make frequent notes or write a journal, the battery will last up to three weeks.

Dark Mode – like the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite and the latest Kindle 11, the Scribe comes with the Dark Mode. The feature inverts colors on the screen. The display background is black and text is white. You can toggle Dark Mode in the Quick Access menu.

Three storage variants – you can choose from 16, 32, or 64 GB storage. In the 16 GB variant, about 2 GB are taken by the system files, so 14 GB will be available for you. It’s enough for thousands of ebooks files or about 80-100 full-length audiobooks.

Built-in Audible player – just like other Kindles, the Scribe doesn’t come with either speakers or headphone jack. However, you can easily listen to Audible audiobooks via connected Bluetooth earphones or speakers.

Writer-friendly case covers – original Amazon Kindle Scribe covers fold vertically with an option to create a writing pad that you can place on a desk or your laps. Plus there is a stylus loop on the front cover. Available in fabric and leather variants. 

Amazon Kindle Scribe 2022 – comparisons

When you take a look at the Kindle Scribe without the size reference (the palm or the stylus), it looks just like the Oasis 3. It has an edge-to-edge glass front and asymmetric design.

So, at first, the 3rd-generation Oasis looks most suitable for comparison. However, this 7-inch model is now over 3 years old, and we don’t even know whether it will be continued.

For many demanding ebook lovers, Kindle Paperwhite 6.8 is an e-reader of the first choice, and they plan to buy it in the near future. It’s probably them to start considering the Scribe as an alternative.

Let’s take a look at the Kindle Scribe vs Paperwhite comparison table.

Kindle Paperwhite 6.8 vs. Kindle Scribe 10.2

If you ever considered getting a large-screen e-reader or missed your old Kindle DX, you will most probably want to see with your own eyes how big the Kindle Scribe is.

The 10.2-inch display means the device is comparable in size to Amazon Fire HD 10 or the basic iPad model. But with the larger bezel on one side, it’s actually wider.

Please find below the Kindle Paperwhite vs. Scribe size comparison.

Kindle Scribe 1 (2022) ports and buttons

As the new Kindle Scribe supports handwriting and is much larger and heavier than 6-8-inch models, the USB-C port and the power button were moved to the side. They are placed on the “grip” side of the device – the side intended to hold the device in your hand, where the bezel is wider.

As the display is fully rotatable, you can hold the Scribe in either the right or left hand.

When it comes to the pen, it magnetically attaches to the “non-grip” side of the Scribe. That’s why the cases should have a long cutout for the pen. The pens don’t recharge when being attached to the Kindle Scribe, because they are battery-free.

The position of the port and power button will affect the design of compatible Kindle Scribe cases. The standard design that opens like a book to the side will have to have cutouts for the USB-C port and the power button, which won’t be easy, as they are positioned under the folding edge.

That’s why, most third-party producers will follow the vertical design offered in original Kindle Scribe case covers.

Original Kindle Scribe cases also have a pen holder that’s positioned at the bottom of the front cover. It’s clever because when you open the case the pen lands behind the device together with the case’s foldable front.

Kindle Scribe (2022) full specs

The full technical specifications of the newest 1st-generation Amazon Kindle Scribe e-reader are listed in a table below. For further reference, please read the full Kindle Scribe user guide online.

Kindle Scribe 10.2 (2022) product description

Here are the highlights from the Kindle Scribe 2022 product page on Amazon.

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2022 release)

16 GB / Basic Pen

Read and write as naturally as you do on paper
With a 10.2-inch 300 ppi glare-free Paperwhite display, Kindle Scribe is perfect for reading and writing, even in direct sunlight. The large display gives you room to take notes and journal, and makes it easy to adjust font size and margin width for improved reading comfort. Writing on Kindle Scribe feels like writing on paper.

The power of the pen
Kindle Scribe includes either a Basic or Premium Pen. Both give you more ways to use your Kindle than ever before. The Premium Pen has a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button, which can be assigned to seamlessly switch between pen, highlighter, and more.

​​Add handwritten notes to your books
Create handwritten sticky notes in millions of eBooks from the Kindle Store without cluttering up the page. Simply tap where you want to insert a note on the page to quickly capture that handwritten thought for later. Sticky notes are automatically organized by book, into one place, so you can easily navigate and browse.

Streamline your life’s notes
Kindle Scribe is also a notebook and a journal with included templates like lined paper, blank paper, to-do lists, and more. Stop searching through stacks of paper—keep notes organized in folders, and search for notebooks by title to quickly reference later.

Make notes in your documents
Easily import and mark up PDF files or insert sticky notes on Microsoft Word documents and other compatible formats. Send them to your Kindle Scribe through your desktop web browser or via the Kindle app using the “Share” button on your iOS or Android device.

Read and write in any light
Adjustable warm light and auto-adjusting front light provide a comfortable, personalized reading and writing experience, day or night. And with USB-C charging and a battery life that lasts months for reading and weeks for writing, you can immerse yourself in your content without the worry of finding a power outlet.

⇢ Kindle Scribe

Keep reading. Here are other tips and lists to explore:

Kindle Scribe comes with a large 10.2-inch high-resolution display, asymmetric design, battery-free pen, and a variety of handwriting templates (notebook, to-do-list, and diary, among them).

The price of Kindle Scribe is set at $339.99 – that’s for the variant with 16 GB storage and basic pen. It’s $90 more than for the Kindle Oasis, and roughly the same as for the entry-level 10.2-inch iPad.

If you want more storage (Kindles don’t come with microSD cards, remember?), you will have to buy the premium pen, and the price jumps to $389, not a usual $20 price increase for twice the storage.

You can compare the detailed specs on the Kindle Scribe product page, but please keep in mind one thing: the Scribe, more than any other Kindle model, will change the way you read and work.

Are you ready for a switch in your working habits? Will you accept the lack of usual tablet features? Are there enough books (textbooks, academic publications, non-fiction) in your Kindle account that are suitable for active reading?

Below, you will read about the benefits and disadvantages of the Kindle Scribe from the perspective of your potential needs and expectations, not technical features.

You may love Kindle Scribe…

If you desperately need a large-display e-reader

You are a long-term Kindle user. You had the Kindle before, but realized it was too small, even for novels you were reading for pleasure.

And increasing the font size didn’t solve your problem. It was not about text visibility but space.

You miss the good old days when you were thinking about Kindle DX and feel sorry you didn’t do it. If you want to read a book, you prefer the 10-inch Amazon Fire you gave your son for Christmas.

The Kindle Scribe is just for you. It comes with the 10.2-inch, 300 ppi, crisp display, and you will be able to read not only novels but also non-fiction, comic books or magazines without the need to zoom in.

Plus, it comes with warm light and adjustable front light – everything you need to comfortably read in all possible lighting conditions.

And the pen? It’s optional. You may use it or not, but it will always be at hand. The only problem is the price – twice as much as the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite. Isn’t $340 too much for the e-reader that’s just the size you need?

If you make lots of notes on your Kindle already

You make notes on your current Kindle, in a Kindle app on your tablet, or in a browser, using Kindle Cloud Reader. You access all your highlights on your laptop, at read.amazon.com, and use them for work.

Kindle platform with note taking, reference, and highlighting tools, is your natural habitat. You use this environment extensively and don’t want to change it.

The Kindle Scribe is an excellent choice for you. With the attached pen and the handwriting support, it will help you raise book annotation to a new level, letting you read, learn, and work more efficiently.

If you want to upgrade from the Oasis

When you take a look at the Kindle Scribe without the size reference (the palm or the stylus), it looks just like your Oasis 3. It has an edge-to-edge glass front and an asymmetric design.

Having seen the Scribe, would you like the next-generation Oasis to support handwriting and have the stylus? And will the 7-inch screen be large enough, after all?

If you’d like too many features from the Scribe to see in the 4th-generation Oasis, you are most certainly ready for the Scribe.

The question is: am I ready to pay at least $80 more?

Will the Oasis 4 be launched at all? I’m not sure. From my experience, too many devices cause confusion. Three devices are the perfect range to choose from.

If your primary concern is sore eyes

Here is your workday as seen through your tired eyes: looking at a large computer monitor at work, looking at a tablet during commuting to work and back home, looking at a smartphone hundreds of times. All these devices have one thing in common: a backlit display.

Backlit displays are used in TV sets, laptops, tablets and smartphones. The source of light is placed directly behind the screen. The light comes through the display right into your eyes. Your eyes are tired, red, and dry in the evening.

Are you looking for a device that would take a part of your work to an eye-friendly tool?

E-readers, including the new Kindle Scribe, come with the e-paper display that’s much more friendly for the eyes, because the front light is distributed over the display, not directly into your face.

If you’d like to use e-paper based devices for more than just reading novels, Kindle Scribe is worth considering. 

If you are ready to upgrade from paper note-taking

You love the feel of paper, the sound of turned pages, and the personal touch of everything you write using the pen you got from your dad.

You tried making notes on a tablet, but it was painful. All your thoughts (some of them brilliant) were being killed by an ugly textarea, a tiny font, and an irritating autocorrection.

Plus, the tablets offer everything you hate: information overload, push notifications, several separate environments (they call them “apps”), stupid system sounds, shouting colors, jumping ads, and way too many other distractions.

You may stick to making notes in a classic paper notebook, but if you decide to upgrade, the distraction-free Kindle Scribe, with the handwriting support and paperlike black-and-white feel is the right tool to try.

You may hate Kindle Scribe…

If you want it to be your eye-friendly tablet

The Kindle Scribe is not a perfect device, after all. It comes with a colorless e-paper display, and offers a clean but limited interface. You can count the tools on one hand: dictionary, basic Google and Wikipedia lookup, highlights & notes, and handwriting interface.

Now, compare it to the possibilities of a tablet, no matter which one you use (be it an iPad, Amazon Fire, or Samsung Galaxy). Endless number of apps you can tailor exactly to your needs, ability to switch between these apps, fully-fledged internet browser, videos…

If you use your tablet for learning, writing, and active reading, for instance your Amazon Fire, or an iPad with the Kindle app on it, you may be disappointed with the Kindle Scribe.

Kindle Scribe will never be an eye-friendly tablet. Because it’s not meant to be.

If you switch from another productivity platform

The Scribe comes with handwriting and annotation tools that you can perform in a distraction-free, classic-feel environment. 

What you have to keep in mind is your work habits and the tools you have used so far.

If you were extensively using the Kindle platform and books, using the Kindle Scribe is not painful at all.

But if your work is built around Google or Microsoft apps, the pain starts, and it may be big. Kindle Scribe does not come with apps, such as Gmail, Adobe Acrobat, Google Keep, or OneNote.

You will need to send each document to your Kindle account to make it available on the Scribe. Sounds like a daily send-to-Kindle duty. 

What may happen with your annotated documents afterwards? You can keep them on the Kindle platform, but the productivity tools (advanced note-taking and to-dos) are just starting. Or you can access your Kindle notes and highlights online, from your computer, and use the results back in your Google or Microsoft workspace.

Switching from your current productivity platform just to use a nice device with a handwriting support does not make sense.

You can only try the Scribe, if you are about to set up a digital productivity workspace.

If you want to search, edit, and copy your handwritten notes

If a note is handwritten on a digital display, you expect it to be searchable and editable, just like any standard digital text.

We are used to OCR, an optical character recognition technology that transforms a text in images to editable text, which you can edit, copy, and use in your digital text editors.

Many users assume that it’s what you will be able to do with the notes on your Kindle Scribe – they should be available somewhere as digital text. 

In a press release announcing the new model, Amazon wrote:

All notebooks are automatically saved and backed up to the cloud for free, and, coming in early 2023, they will also be accessible via the Kindle app.

Does it mean the handwritten notes will become editable once they are available in other connected devices? I hope so.

However, for now, the Kindle Scribe doesn’t automatically convert handwritten notes to typed text. This info can be found in the Q&A section of Kindle Scribe product page on Amazon:

I just listened to the podcast by Len Edgerly (he has talked about Kindles since day 1) and he interviewed the VP of devices at Amazon who said they may eventually have an update to convert handwritten notes to typed text! That is what I want, too. 

Without automatic text conversion, the Kindle Scribe is not a fully-fledged writing companion.

If you want to give digital handwriting a try

When you look at the pictures and videos of the Kindle Scribe, you may realize that you have almost forgotten to write by hand. And this single device may bring the charm of handwriting back. It’s like an old good composition book you were using in college!

Wait. Don’t spend $340 to test your predisposition to handwriting.

You have a smartphone and most probably a tablet, too. If you want to see how it feels to jot notes by hand, all you need to do is get the right app from the application store and get a decent stylus that costs a few dollars.

If you heavily use the Kindle app on your tablet

Are you using the Kindle app on your iPad or Android-powered tablet? Treating the Kindle Scribe as a replacement for the tablet is a bad idea.

The Amazon Kindle app on your tablet is just one part of the productivity chain.

When you are reading a book in the Kindle app, you can create a highlight or note, and look up the topic. The same happens on the Scribe.

But on the tablet, you can switch to other apps to learn much more about the topic. You can find the location on the map, explore social media, see images, and watch videos. You can create a quick note – and if you have a stylus, it can be a handwritten note.

On the tablet, you can write and edit the entire text based on what you have read in the Kindle app. There is no need to switch to a computer. And you can use your current productivity platform or a set of favorite apps. 

What’s more, if you have the tablet, you can also publish or share what you have written after reading the Kindle book. WordPress, Gmail, or social media are a few taps away. None of them are on the Kindle Scribe.

Kindle Scribe pros and cons – conclusions

For many users, the Scribe will be the most challenging Kindle model ever released. When you consider buying it, it’s not about the display size, front light, or water resistance.

You will have to change your habits, routines, and – most probably – productivity tools, to make the most use of the Kindle Scribe.

Because, opposite to other Kindles, it’s meant for active reading. And opposite to tablets, it’s not meant for fully-fledged writing.

Keep exploring. Here are other tips and lists:

Amazon has just added the 16 GB variant to Kindle Paperwhite 5. You can get it for $149.99.

When the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite was launched in October 2021, only two storage variants were available. The regular Paperwhite came with 8 GB of internal memory, while the Signature Edition was available with 32 GB.

There was no way to buy the regular Paperwhite 5 with a bigger storage. Fortunately, things are getting better.

The same day Amazon announced the newest base-level Kindle 11, the 16 GB storage variant was added to the Kindle Paperwhite 5 product page. I have checked Wayback Machine, and no 16 GB variant was available earlier this day, so it happened exactly at the time of announcement.

Kindle Paperwhite 5 Regular with 16 GB and lockscreen ads costs $149.99. It’s $10 more than the 8 GB variant. For the 16 GB version without ads, you will pay $169.99.

There is one more thing worth mentioning. You can now get the 8 GB Paperwhite with a free 3-month Kindle Unlimited subscription at no extra cost. The Kindle Unlimited offer was not available at the device’s launch – and it’s still not available for the 16 GB storage variant.

Is the bigger storage size important? The 8 GB Paperwhite has some 6 GB available for the user. You can store thousands of text-only ebooks on your e-reader. Would you ever be able to read them?

Things change when you use your Kindle Paperwhite to collect and listen to Audible audiobooks. The 8 GB Kindle will handle some 35-40 full-length audio files. When you get the 16 GB variant, you will have 70-80 audiobooks ready to be played any time.

Plus, the storage is important for readers who use the Kindle as the ultimate ebook bookshelf and rarely sync their content with Amazon Kindle cloud servers.

Are you planning to buy the Kindle Paperwhite with 8 or 16 GB of internal memory?

⇢ Paperwhite 16 GB

Keep exploring. Here are other news and tips for Kindle users:

[ef-archive number=5 tag=”kindle”]

The newest base Kindle model was announced on September 13, 2022. It was available for pre-order on the same day, with shippings starting on October 12.

It’s the 11th-generation Kindle, according to Amazon’s device classification. The 2022 Kindle model costs $99 and comes with a crisp 300 dpi display, USB-C port, 16 GB memory, and a battery that lasts up to 6 weeks. 

Compared to the 6.8-inch Paperwhite 5, the 2022 entry-level Kindle is not waterproof. It doesn’t have warm light, and lacks the all-glass front. It sports a 6-inch display, with similar specs to Kindle Paperwhite 4.

Instead of presenting sheer tech specs of the 2022 Kindle, I will put its main features in the context. It will let you compare the benefits that matter to you, and help decide between this model and the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite released in 2021.

By the way, the previous-generation Kindle released in 2019 is still available on Amazon. The price of the white variant dropped to $65 (most probably until the stocks are empty). For that price you will get the e-reader and a free 3-month Kindle Unlimited membership.

Amazon Kindle 11 2022 – things to know

Kindle 11 is pricier than its predecessor

The newest 11th-generation base Kindle model costs $99.99. It’s $10 more expensive than its predecessor, which was released back in 2019.

Is the higher price of the 2022 Kindle justified? Yes, there are three major improvements that make the device worth its money:

• 16 GB of internal memory – the memory size is twice higher than 8 GB in the 5th-generation Kindle Paperwhite that costs $139.99.
• 300 ppi high-resolution display – the new display has three times more pixels than the previous model, offering sharper text and images in a paper-like feel. 
• USB-C port – the port allows you to charge the Kindle and transfer files much faster than the regular USB port used so far.

Amazon made it a rule to offer new Kindle models at constantly higher prices. The basic Kindle released in 2012 had a price of $69.99. The 7th-generation model from 2014 was $79.99, the one released in 2019 was already $89.99.

Will Amazon keep increasing the price of future generations of the basic Kindle? I doubt so. $100 is a level that would prevent from perceiving the most affordable Kindle model as, well, affordable. I believe Amazon will keep the price of the most affordable variant of the basic Kindle under $100.

Kindle 11 has twice as memory as Paperwhite 5

The cheapest version of Kindle Paperwhite 5 costs $139.99 and comes with only 8 GB of internal memory. Approximately 6 GB is available for the user. It’s enough to store thousands of text-only books or some 30-40 Audible audiobooks.

The new base Kindle model comes with 16 GB memory as a standard. System files take about 2 GB, so about 14 GB will be available for you. Will you ever be able to load your e-reader with thousands and thousands of ebooks? I doubt so.

Space matters, however, if you want to use your Kindle as an audiobook player. Instead of 30-40 full-length audiobooks in the 8 GB Paperwhite 5, you can have 60-80 of them ready to be played any time.

It’s worth noting that at launch Kindle Paperwhite 5 (Regular) was available only with 8 GB memory. Amazon added the 16 GB Paperwhite 5 variant at the time of announcing the new basic Kindle in September 2022.

You can get Kindle Paperwhite 5 16 GB for $149.99 or you can get Kindle 11 for $99.99. What’s your choice?

Kindle 11 has the similar display as Paperwhite 4

The 2022 Kindle is now the only Amazon e-reader that sports the 6-inch display. Paperwhite 5 comes with the 6.8-inch and Oasis the 7-inch touchscreen.

Is the 6-inch display large enough? Readers’ needs are evolving. Why not get the 6.8-inch Paperwhite and enjoy 13% more space for bigger text and larger margins?

Ask yourself a question: was my previous Kindle’s screen too small? You can always increase the font size or reduce margins to get the page layout that fits your needs the most.

The thing that matters the most is the resolution. And it has significantly increased. The previous-generation basic Kindle from 2019 had a display with a 167 ppi pixel density and 800 × 600 px screen resolution.

The 2022 Kindle sports the display with 300 ppi pixel density. It’s three times more pixels than the 2019 model. As a result, you will see crispier text and images. On top of that, the display is visibly whiter than the previous model. When you looked at the white version of Kindle 2019, the display appeared gray.

Amazon does not specify the resolution of the Kindle 2022 display. The 300 ppi and the display’s description – “glare-free, paper-like” – suggest that it may be the same display as the one used in the 4th-generation Paperwhite.

There is no warm light in Kindle 11

Front light is not the same as warm light. The first function brings light to the display, letting you read without the need of using an external source of light. The latter function is responsible for the color tone of the light – either blue or yellow/orange.

Kindle 11 has an adjustable front light – just like the previous generation. LED lamps placed around the display spread an even light over the display, making the text visible even during the darkest night.

The Kindle 11 does not have a warm light. This feature is available in the Paperwhite 5 and Oasis 3.

What is warm light? It lets you control the color of the screen. It’s delivered by the same LED lights that are placed around the display – but this time it’s not about the brightness but color of the light.

In the evening, the light changes its tone from blue (which is the color of sunlight) to a warmer yellow and orange (which is typical for the evening artificial light). Warm light will help you minimize the negative effect on sleep.

Will the basic Kindle model ever get the warm light? At some point it may happen, but only after the Paperwhite gets a new, much more advanced feature or features, such as the color display.

It’s worth noting that the light over the Kindle’s display doesn’t hurt your eyes the way tablet screens do. It’s because the light in tablets is directed from behind the display directly into your eyes. The front light in e-readers is directed from the display’s edges over the surface.

Kindle 11 released in 2022 is not waterproof

You can’t have everything for $100. Unlike the Paperwhite 6.8 or the Oasis, the new basic, 11th-generation Kindle released in 2022 is not waterproof.

Avoid taking it to the beach, swimming pool, or bathtub.

A free, 4-month Kindle Unlimited plan is included with Kindle 11

In a press release announcing Kindle 11, Amazon claimed that the new model came with a free, 4-month Kindle Unlimited subscription.

It’s a real deal, if you read a lot of books and are open to new, less known authors. If you bought a regular Kindle Unlimited membership, you would pay $40 for four months (the monthly fee is $9.99). So, when you take out the cost of the Kindle Unlimited, you could say that you bought your Kindle 11 for $60, not $100.

Unfortunately, a few days after Kindle 11 pre-orders started, there was still no option to get the device with the promised free 4-month Kindle Unlimited plan. There was only a message saying “Without Kindle Unlimited”.

I wanted to find out whether the offer was available only to Amazon customers who never tried Kindle Unlimited before. But no, after signing up with another Amazon account, no “With Kindle Unlimited” option was available either.

At some point the free Kindle Unlimited offer for Kindle 11 will go live, and it should happen on October 12, 2022 (the day shippings start) the latest.

It’s worth noting that, opposite to Kindle 11, the Paperwhite 5 was launched without Kindle Unlimited offer. The option was added later, and it includes the free 3-month Kindle Unlimited membership for 8 GB variant only.

Kindle 11 doesn’t have the all-glass front

The newest base-level Kindle is slimmer and smoother than its predecessor, with smaller width, height and depth, as well as thinner bezel around the display.

Unfortunately, there is no all-front glass over ther display, a similar solution to what we see in the Paperwhite 4 and 5.

The glass makes the Kindle look like a tablet. It’s easier to clean the device, and the bezel frame becomes “invisible.”

The white version of Kindle 11 is not available

The previous basic Kindle model, the one released back in 2019, came in two body colors: Black and White.

The 2022 Kindle model comes in Black and Denim instead. The Denim color is interesting because it’s not a dark navy blue. And it looks just perfect in a new Amazon’s original Denim fabric cover.

Will we ever see the white Kindle in the future? Right now I tend to say “no”. When the first white Kindle was launched back in 2016, I was extremely excited. The white color made the e-reader look more like a page in a physical book.

It turns out the white color variant is not so popular after all. As I said earlier, Amazon has just slashed the price of the white version of the previous Kindle to $65 (28% down), while keeping the black variant at $89.

Dark Mode is available on Kindle 11

Dark Mode is a standard feature in tablets and smartphones. When you enable it, you will see white text on a dark or black background. It’s a way to reduce eye strain – a must if you are using your tablet in the dark.

Would you need a dark mode in an e-reader, a device which is way more eye-friendly than a tablet?

I am using the Dark Mode on my Paperwhite 5 quite frequently. The Kindle’s display with the Light Mode creates a glow in the dark, and it sometimes irritates my wife. And I am used to reading with a dark mode enabled in the Kindle app on my iPhone.

Generally, Dark Mode is worth trying, and in the newest Kindle 11 it is available by default. You can find the Dark Mode toggle in the Quick Access menu which slides from the top of the display.

Dark Mode is also available in the Paperwhite 4 and 5, as well as the Oasis 2 and 3. Older models don’t have it.

Kindle 11 comes with a USB-C port

The newest Kindle is the second Amazon e-reader to sport the USB-C port for faster charging and data transfer. It’s a useful feature if you still add your own books and audiobooks via the cable – copying the files will take less time.

You will need about 3 hours to fully recharge Kindle 11 via a power adapter or about 4 hours when you plug your Kindle to a computer.

However, having in mind that you will be charging your device not once a day, but every few weeks, fast charging is not the most needed feature.

The charger is not included in the Kindle 11 box

Although the new Kindle sports the USB-C port, the box includes only the cable. This cable has USB-C plug on one end and a standard USB plug on the other.

Power adapter is not included in the Kindle 11 box, but you can use your old 9W official Amazon power adapter.

Should you invest in a USB-C compatible power adapter? No, if you are going to use it only with your Kindle. You will take out the charger every few weeks, so why invest $10-$20?

However, if you have more USB-C devices at home, getting a powerful charger that features not one but two or three USB-C ports makes a lot of sense.

Kindle 11 battery may last up to six weeks

The previous basic Kindle was running up to four weeks on a single battery charge. The new model is 50% better.

According to Amazon, the 11th-generation Kindle released in 2022 may run up to 6 weeks without the need to recharge it. Battery life is based on a half hour of reading per day with the display brightness set at 13 and wireless charging turned off.

The number seems stunning, but let’s count battery life in hours instead of weeks, especially that the assumption (half an hour of reading a day) is way too limiting.

6 weeks × 7 days × 0.5 hours = 21 hours

A typical tablet, for instance any of the Amazon Fire models, can run on a single charge for around 10 hours. And you have at the back of your head that you’ll need to recharge it every night.

Kindle 11, with a 21-hour battery life, is only twice less dependent on a power socket. Imagine binge-reading holidays: you read for seven hours a day, and you have to recharge your Kindle 11 every three days.

Maybe a fast USB-C power adapter is not a bad idea, after all?

Expect the Kindle 11 price drop of up to $30 this year

The more the new Kindle costs, the more users are looking for the deals.

Can you wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday? The chances are the newest Kindle will already be available at the price reduced by $30.

We have tracked Black Friday Kindle prices since 2016. $30 is the usual price drop for the basic Kindle model, no matter when it was introduced during the year.

Kindle 11 now costs $99.99, and it could cost $69.99 at the end of November. Are you willing to wait to save enough to get an original Amazon cover?

Kindle 11 Kids Edition is a way to save over $100

If you are looking for ways to save as much as you can on a new Kindle 11, consider getting the kid-friendly edition.

The 2022 Kindle Kids costs only $20 more than the regular version – $119.99. And it includes:

• Kindle 11 (a version with lockscreen ads) – worth $99.99
• A specially designed, fancy kids case cover worth $20
• A free, one-year Amazon Kids+ membership worth $79 a year ($48/year if you are a Prime member)
• 2-year worry-free warranty – if the device breaks, you can return it, and Amazon will replace it for free without any questions asked. A regular 2-year Kindle Protection Plan costs about $20.

Amazon claims that the 2022 Kindle Kids has a value of up to $209, but in fact it’s between $90 (if you are a Prime member) and $220.

In other words, if you want to buy just the Kindle 11 ($99) and an original cover ($29), you will spend $128 – $9 more than the Kids Edition which gives you a 2-year warranty on top of it.

Obviously, what you have to accept is a colorful kid-friendly case cover. Opposite to Paperwhite 5, no plain black cover is available for Kindle 11 Kids bundle.

Kindle 11 (2022) vs. Paperwhite 5 (2021)

When you consider getting the most affordable Kindle model, a comparison to the Paperwhite is inevitable. It’s a question of spending the equivalent of an original Amazon case cover ($30-$40).

You pay $40 more and you get a more advanced e-reader, the one that would meet not only your current needs but also the ones that may arise in the future.

So, how does the latest base Kindle released in 2022 stack up against the regular variant of the 6.8-inch Paperwhite? Let’s have a look at a comparison table.

Paperwhite 5 (2021) vs. Kindle 11 (2022)

Kindle 11 (2022) – pros and cons

Keep exploring. Here are other lists and tips for modern book lovers:

In this provoking list, I discuss whether case covers are still a must-have e-reader accessory.

Almost anyone who buys a new e-reader starts looking for a relevant case cover. Many add cases to the same shopping basket. You can’t leave your shiny new e-reader unprotected for even a few seconds, right?

The problem with e-readers is that they are less popular than tablets. As a result, there are much fewer case designs on the market. 

There are many times less case covers for the Kindle than for the iPad. And there are many times less case covers for other e-reader brands than for the Kindle.

Do you own a Kobo or Nook e-reader and have a hard time finding a compatible case cover because the original one doesn’t meet your needs? Are you a happy owner of the newest Kindle, and can’t decide which color of the case to choose?

Maybe you are asking yourself the wrong questions. Maybe all you need is not a case cover. Maybe alternative e-reader accessories fit your needs much better.

Reasons not to buy a case for your next e-reader

Reading is one of the safest activities

Reading books is one of the safest and calmest daily activities. You find a cozy and quiet place, and turn the page or tap the screen once in a while. 

Compare it to using your smartphone hundreds of times a day, in most unexpected situations. Even tablets are prone to damage much more often. We use tablets as cookbooks or drone monitors, we play games for hours, and use them in extreme weather conditions. And that’s just us. Imagine what can happen when your tablet lands in your kids’ room.

The fact is that the probability of accidentally dropping an e-reader is much lower than in the case of a smartphone or tablet.

The biggest threat is water. No damage is done if your e-reader is waterproof, but if it’s not, the case won’t help.

The only main benefit that’s left is protecting against dust and scratches. Oh, and there is also auto sleep & wake support like there was no power button.

Case covers are annoyingly expensive

The prices of e-readers are going down constantly. You can’t say that about prices of case covers.

During Black Friday or Prime Day shopping events on Amazon, you can buy the basic Kindle for about $50. Original Amazon case covers cost between $30 and $50. Fifty dollars – for that price you could get another e-reader for your family member.

A dedicated cover can serve only one e-reader model

It’s the biggest problem I have with e-reader case covers. There is a low probability of damage done to e-readers, so the benefits of case covers are limited – but their prices are not.

And every time you buy a new e-reader, you will have to buy a new case cover, because the old one won’t probably fit.

I know, looking for a cover for your e-reader that’s about to arrive in a few days can give a lot of pleasure. But in the end, you will pay even twice as much as the e-reader itself.

There are not enough dedicated covers for most e-reader models

There are many e-reader models on the market, not only Kindle Paperwhite. Unfortunately, it’s not reflected in a range of compatible case covers.

You can find hundreds of dedicated Kindle covers online, but there are only a dozen for Kobo or Nook models, not to mention less popular e-reader brands.

In fact, if you buy any e-reader that’s not a Kindle, you will have to rely on original cases from the e-reader producer. And that usually means you can choose from a few color options of one case design.

Yes, you can always try to find a “universal e-reader cover.” However, if you have ever searched for such products on Amazon, you know how ugly they could be.

No cover will make an e-reader feel like a print book

When ebooks were on the rise, and many book lovers were still hesitating about them, it was case covers that turned e-readers into objects that resembled real print books.

A book-like design, with a front cover opening to the left, as well as materials resembling leather-bound books, were a way to embrace digital reading.

Currently, I have noticed there are less and less book-style covers on the market. Readers just don’t need the link to print books any longer. E-readers are useful devices that you can adjust to your needs, and they don’t have to pretend to be something else.

The fact is that, no matter what you do to make a case cover look like a real book, it will never make reading ebooks feel like reading print books.

If you want to read a print book, buy one or go to the library.

A cover doesn’t increase the comfort of reading

Case covers offer protection against dust and support for auto sleep & wake. What other benefits could you name? 

Some cases can be turned into vertical stands. Some cases come with a comfortable hand strap. These advanced case covers are rather rare, and they are available only for most popular e-reader models.

There are alternatives that can solve similar problems

If you are looking for ways to improve reading experience and protection, you can always find an alternative to a case cover.

And in most cases, these alternatives can be used with more than one e-reader model.

Here are a few examples:

▸ If you are looking for protection – choose a sleeve. Because most accidents happen not when you are reading on your e-reading, but when you are carrying it.

▸ If you want to securely hold the e-reader – choose a detachable hand strap. Such handles can be detached and attached, and you can adjust their angle and position.

▸ If you want to bring the e-reader to an eye level – choose a stand. There are many stands on the market, and you can find the ones that will raise the e-reader to a level that will prevent pain in the back.

▸ If you want to comfortably read in bed – choose a pillow stand. Pillow stands are cozy and you can use them on uneven surfaces. Advanced designs let you adjust the angle and come with flexible holders.

A case cover is a limitation

I had a few e-readers before, and was always determined to give them “necessary” protection by buying a case cover.

Then I realized I have never dropped an e-reader. I damaged a few smartphones, my kids made one tablet unusable, but all the e-readers at the time I was replacing them with a newer model, were in almost perfect condition.

So I decided to refresh my mind and stop thinking about the case cover as a must-have accessory. And I have found a perfect protection for my new Kindle e-reader. Interestingly, it’s not even intended for electronic devices.

Do yourself a favor and try to free yourself from being a case cover slave. Case covers can be a huge limitation.

E-reader case cover – pros and cons

To summarize, here are the pros and cons of e-reader case cover. Maybe it’s time to try another solution the next time you buy an e-reader?

Check out these innovative and clever accessories that you may need for your e-reader more than a case cover:

Keep exploring. Here are other popular lists:

[ef-archive number=5 tag=”lists”]