I have always been and forever will be an avid reader – the many overstuffed bookshelves in my house can attest to that. While I still love the experience of reading a physical book, Kindles have changed the game for me. I now have a library at my fingertips, and I no longer have to stick to a budget when it comes to buying new books.
The newest Kindle from Amazon – the Kindle 2024 11th Generation – is the lightest and most compact Kindle yet. Measuring only 15.7cm by 10.8cm and 8mm thick the Gen 11 Kindle weighs only 158g (without a case) so it’s easier than ever to hold and read for hours on end.
On it’s own it’s almost to light to hold, the addition of a case puts it at roughly 250g and it becomes a satisfying weight to hold, plus the added protection that a case offers.
The Gen 11 offers 16gb of storage space, has USB C charging and comes in two colours – Black and Matcha Green. You can read in any light level, from darkness to bright sunshine courtesy of the 6 inch 300ppi glare free display. You can also manually adjust the brightness, which now goes 25% brighter than previously.
The Gen 11 is described as having a 6 week battery life, but the fine print specifies that that’s only with one hour of use per day. Having said that, I used the Gen 11 for waaaay more than 1 hour per day and the battery still lasted for nearly 3 weeks
Amazon have taken a deliberately eco-conscious approach to the manufacture and packaging of their Kindle devices. The Gen 11 is made of 75% recycled plastic, and 90% recycled magnesium. The packaging has also been considered and is 99% cardboard or paper, which is either recycled or from a responsibly managed source.
Amazon Gen 11 Kindles can be purchased via all the usual retail channels, both online and in-store, and are retailing for $179 AUD.
If you are upgrading from a previous Kindle, you will only note a few obvious changes, the battery life is a little longer, there is more storage, and it’s slightly lighter.
While there aren’t many obvious differences, this speaks to Amazon’s ability to craft a user experience and then maintain that experience across multiple generations of device. They got it right the first time and then kept right on doing it right.
They give you an immersive reading experience, uninterrupted by the dings and bings of notifications, text messages, emails and chat requests (but not from the people around you unfortunately). The only other way to achieve this is with an OG book (and by locking your door), but there is a limit to how many of them you can carry around with you (and how many times your children and partner will believe you when you say you are “busy”)
Especially when combined with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, a Kindle gives you access to thousands of hours of uninterrupted reading time that all fits in the palm of your hand.
Now if you will excuse me, I have a book to read…
