Amazon Kindle (2024) Review: Is the Entry-Level Kindle Still Worth It in 2026?

The Kindle uses a 6-inch glare-free E Ink screen at 300 ppi with 16 levels of gray, according to Amazon's product listing. For the 2024 release Amazon claims a higher contrast ratio and a front light that is brighter at its maximum setting than the 2022 model, bright enough to match the Kindle Paperwhite (Amazon announcement). At that density, text looks as sharp as on the Paperwhite, which matches it on a larger 7-inch panel.

Independent reviewers agree the contrast improved. The eBook Reader, which bought a unit, describes darker ink than on the 2022 Kindle. The panel generation is less clear. TechRadar believes the screen still looks like an older E Ink Carta 1200 panel beside the Kobo Clara BW's Carta 1300, while Amazon names only the higher contrast ratio. Amazon has not named the panel.

What the display lacks matters more than what it has. There is no adjustable warm light, no automatic brightness sensor, and the screen sits below a raised bezel rather than behind a flush glass front, per Amazon's own comparison chart on the listing. If you read in bed at night and want an amber tone, the step up covered in our Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review adds warm light and a larger screen.

This is the smallest and lightest Kindle Amazon sells, per its listing, and reviewers single that out. Tom's Guide and TechRadar both describe it as easy to hold one-handed for long sessions. TechRadar also notes the smooth plastic back can feel slippery without a case.

Amazon says page turns are faster than on the 2022 model. TechRadar found them snappy and a little quicker than before. No outlet published a timed measurement, so treat faster page turns as a manufacturer claim that reviewers perceive rather than a measured result.

There are no physical page-turn buttons. You tap or swipe the screen. The power button sits on the bottom edge next to the USB-C port (manual), and Tom's Guide found it easy to graze with a little finger while reading.

The listing linked in the offers table is the ad-supported version. Amazon's manual says the ads appear on the lock screen and home screen, not inside books. Accessibility is better than the size suggests: VoiceView screen reading and Audible audiobooks work through Bluetooth headphones or speakers (listing).

Amazon lists this model as the Kindle (11th Generation) 2024 Release and shows it on software version 5.19.6 (software updates page), which The eBook Reader reported on 4 August 2026. The 2022 Kindle sits on an older build on the same page, so the 2024 model is the one Amazon is still updating first.

The software is built around Amazon's store, Kindle Unlimited and Audible. Syncing of your last page, notes and highlights works across Kindle apps, and Amazon content is stored in the cloud (listing).

Library lending works in the US through Libby's Read with Kindle option, which sends borrowed books to your Kindle through Amazon's site. Libby says this is available in the US only (Libby help). Kobo e-readers build OverDrive into the device instead.

Files from outside Amazon take an extra step. The Kindle reads Amazon formats, PDF and plain text natively, while EPUB and Word files go through Send to Kindle conversion (listing). Amazon's manual says 2024 Kindles need a separate app, such as Send to Kindle for macOS, to transfer files from a Mac over USB.

Amazon rates the battery at up to six weeks, based on half an hour of reading per day with wireless off and the light at setting 13 (listing). That is half the Paperwhite's rating, and heavier use shortens it.

Two informal tests give a sense of real use. TechRadar read for about four hours a day for a week and estimated up to about four weeks at its settings, with drain rising sharply at maximum brightness. Tom's Guide used about a quarter of the battery over roughly five hours of reading at full brightness with Wi-Fi on. Neither test stated a software version, so treat both as rough guides.

Charging is over USB-C. Amazon's listing quotes about two hours with a 9W adapter and about four hours from a computer, while its manual says under two hours with Amazon's 5W charger. The box includes a USB-C cable but no wall adapter (listing). The indicator light on the bottom edge turns amber while charging and green when full (manual).

This Kindle is not waterproof. Amazon's manual says so and adds that the USB-C port detects liquid and blocks charging until it dries.

Amazon lists the Kindle at 157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0 mm and 158 g (listing). It fits a coat pocket more easily than the 7-inch Paperwhite, and The eBook Reader reports that 2022 Kindle covers fit the 2024 model because the measurements are unchanged.

It comes in Black and Matcha, a pale green added for 2024. Amazon says the body uses mostly recycled plastic and recycled magnesium (listing).

The build is plain plastic with a raised bezel around the screen. Storage is 16 GB, of which about 11.5 GB is usable, according to Amazon's identification page. That is enough for thousands of books but tight for large audiobook libraries.

The model number is RS23CV (Amazon safety and compliance page). The warranty is one year, with optional extended coverage in the US.

Amazon raised the prices of several devices in August 2026, including this Kindle and the Paperwhite, according to PCWorld, which cites a Fortune report. Current prices appear in the offers table on this page. Removing lock-screen ads costs extra.

The price rise changed the reviews. TechRadar's e-reader guide, updated 4 August 2026, moved the Kindle to a budget alternative because it no longer represents good value at full price, and now recommends the Kobo Clara BW for budget buyers. Tom's Guide, updated 27 August 2026, still ranks it the best Kindle for those on a budget.

The Kobo Clara BW is the direct rival. It has the same screen size, adds adjustable color temperature and water resistance, and builds OverDrive library borrowing into the device (Kobo). Our Clara BW vs Clara Colour comparison covers the Kobo side in detail. The Paperwhite adds a larger screen, warm light, waterproofing and twice the rated battery for a higher price.

The Kindle makes sense when it is on sale or when you already live in Amazon's store. At full price, compare it with the Clara BW first.