AmazonKindle 16 GB (newest model) - Lightest and most compact Kindle, now with faster page turns, and higher contrast ratio, for an enhanced reading experience - Matcha

UPDATE: I received an email from Amazon Outreach asking if I would talk to a developer. End result: I was sent a web address to manually update my Kindle (11th Generation) 2024 Release to 5.18.3. WOW, what a difference. Now, I can sync with my phone without the lag time. No restarting my Kindle and waiting for the reader to respond. There are other bonuses with this update, it now responds more like a Kindle Fire. Very pleased with the update, I’m loving my Paperwhite now!I was excited to get this reader. I read a lot, and it fits in my purse nicely. But it lags in downloading books. I've had to factory reset it twice to get it to work correctly. I don't know if I got a lemon or if it's the nature of readers to be this frustrating. Before you ask, yes, I make sure it has the latest software. I've had several Kindles and have never been disappointed until this Reader.

Wow! I started with the 5-button Kindle in 2011 and acquired various tablets from Amazon and others along the way. The post 2011 devices had the same problems: they didn't work well in sunlight and were too bright for my nighttime reading. Phones and tablets interrupted reading with e-mails, texts, calls, updates, etc. Other than the 5-button Kindle, they were "heavy."The new green kindle works outside in Texas sunlight, inside on the couch, and in bed. This Kindle weights less than my 5-button Kindle and easily fits in my shoulder bag or gym shorts.My charging station charges the new Kindle in minutes.My audible books play via Bluetooth to a Bluetooth speaker when needed. Said another way, if you wish, you can listen to books or leave the speaker at home or in the trunk of your car - no weight and no wires.I still use and love the 5-button Kindle, but the green Kindle is a wow.Finally - set up. There is no setup. Amazon configures it in advance. You turn it on and start reading. Because of my experience with Kindles from 2011, there was no learning or need for a manual. However, I wanted to find the answer to a question and went to Amazon's FAQ and "Help" webpage.This is the best Kindle I've owned (still love my 5-button Kindle).

The first thing I noticed when I opened the Kindle box was the size, it was compact, lightweight, and it fits perfectly in my hand. I had one of those “wow, this is exactly what I needed” moments.I started using it right away, especially at night, which is when I enjoy reading the most. The other thing is that it doesn’t strain my eyes at all. No annoying glare, no need for a bedside lamp, just me and the story.I’ve always wanted something made just for reading, no distractions, no notifications. My father always wanted to instill the habit of reading in me, and now, at 30 years old, I've finally started and I love it. So it's never too late to begin.

I vacillated on wether to try a Kindle or not because I LOVE paper books. Like everyone else reviewing I love the feel of a book, the smell of a book, the cover art. That said, as a dental professional who has job related arthritis my hands and wrists hurt tremendously holding a book for any length of time. So I decided its a low risk at $100 and purchased one. I am SO happy I did. I love my kindle basic. Its so light I can read for hours in any position, lying down holding it over my head, sitting up, on my side, without any pain. When I've had a particularly long work week and my hands/wrists hurt in general I use a stand and page turner and its a readers heaven. No more struggling w a heavy book and clumsy book light at night; I happily read in bed w candlelight. If you have hand pain like i do treat yourself and get a kindle. I wish I had done it sooner.Extras that i appreciate are: time on screen so I dont get too lost in a book. Time left in chapter/book. Adjustable brightness. Battery life. I also love how customizable they are.

The media could not be loaded. What *should* an e-reader be? In my opinion, very different from a phone or tablet. Using an e-reader should evoke cozy feelings. No distractions, no “hostile” materials that make phones and tablets arguably feel more “premium”, nothing to get between you and your books.This is the fourth Kindle device I’ve owned. Prior to this, I was a not-so-proud owner of a 2nd generation Kindle Oasis from 2017. I was really impressed by the 1st gen model. It was a perfect e-reader. Impossibly thin and light, detachable from the included case that came with extra battery. I avoided buying it, then blindly jumped on its successor. Unfortunately, it was terribly designed and got me reading less over the years. It may have *felt* premium to the designers, but it felt like the opposite of a book. It used IMO hostile materials like cold metal on the back, with sharp edges that left indentations in my fingers after reading for a while. I liked the hardware buttons, but they weren’t enough.Most importantly, the Oasis gen 2 was a tad too heavy to hold up when reading in bed, at almost 200 grams. And it was intentionally shaped to be held one-handed. Although it was designed with the asymmetrical weight balance to make it feel lighter, it still felt too cumbersome to me.Anyway, enough reviewing my last Kindle.For a while, on and off, I looked for a worthy successor, but the Paperwhite models of subsequent years were just as heavy or even heavier. I decided that there wasn’t a Kindle model that was really made for me.Then I got THIS one, and it changed everything. I’ve had it for a few weeks now. I had never truly considered the base model as an option because they didn’t have the front-lit screens years ago.THE GOOD- Truly lightweight at 158 grams. Thank you for designing an e-reader that’s not a chore to pick up and read for long periods of time, even one-handed.- Great materials. Light plastic, doesn’t get too cold to the touch. The matte finish almost makes the front *and* back feel like paper.- Power button is nice and clicky, easy to press, and I’ve never pressed it accidentally.- Comes in a not-boring color (matcha). I’m not *really* into the color, but I’m definitely not into the ubiquitous black electronics aesthetic. I wish there was a white version, but the matcha is fun.- Very performant. Just browsing around the OS is leaps and bounds ahead of the 2017 model. Page flips are so quick, a couple of times I’ve missed the flip transition while simply moving my eyes from the bottom right corner to the top left. As long as future updates don’t make it slower, this will never get old.- Kindle branding is subtle and classy. In some lighting conditions, you can barely see it head-on.- USB-C is a great upgrade from the 2017 model.- Lower price is a bonus. I didn’t buy it for the low price. I got it for the weight. So it’s a win-win.THE NOT SO GOOD- No warm lighting. I get why this is. They want to keep some features exclusive to the higher-end models. But I don’t consider this a low-end model. It’s the compact, lightweight Kindle. I wish there was a small Kindle with premium features. This base model was so close, but not quite there. Even today, while I love this thing, there isn’t a Kindle truly made for me.- BEWARE: The back plastic is very easy to scratch. If you don’t put it in a sleeve or case, the lightest hits and knocks against other hard material will immediately scratch it. Scratches are hard to see in the matcha color, but they’re there if the light catches them right. It’s annoying, but I still like the matte feel.- No hardware buttons. Not a dealbreaker for me, but hardware buttons have a side benefit that I really miss from the Oasis - the ability to turn the touchscreen off while reading. I like putting my hands all over the screen for easier holding. The Oasis would allow this, and to re-enable, you’d have to put it to sleep and re-awaken. Obviously, you can’t do that on this model. Can only hold it by the bezels, OR by sliding your finger up or down and holding it there (vs left or right for page flip).- No way to flip landscape mode upside down. There’s no tilt detection in this model, so you’re stuck with defaults. Want to hold this Kindle in landscape with the thicker bezel in your right hand? Nope, no way to achieve that. It’s on the left side. I hope they improve this with an update one day.I love this *only* for the weight and size. This is how all e-readers should feel. I wish there was a premium small and light Kindle with all the bells and whistles, and that would be the truly ideal one for me.