How do you pick the best Kindle for your needs? It should be relatively easy, you'd think, considering there are only five models to choose from and cost is surely the determining factor. But it's not really that simple.
One way to make the most out of your Kindle is to get an Amazon Prime subscription as it gets you access to Prime Reading where you can 'borrow' ebooks instead of purchasing. For just $9.99 a month (or $79 a year), a Prime subscription also gets you free and fast delivery on thousands of items sold on the shopping site, and includes free access to Prime Video, Prime Music and Prime Gaming as well. You also get a 30-day free trial to test run the service and you can cancel any time.
Click here to sign up for an Amazon Prime free trial
While your budget is definitely the determining factor, there are other things to keep in mind when choose the best Kindle, like screen size, available features and performance of the device. Either way, though, a Kindle is a great asset for an avid reader as you get to carry an entire library – typically numbering hundreds of books, if not thousands – on a device that weighs only a few hundred grams.
With excellent E Ink displays that render text crisply and offering days of battery life, if not weeks, a Kindle ereader is a good digital solution that will also save you storage space at home and can be cheaper on the long run as ebooks typically cost a little less than the printed versions.
Moreover, all Kindle ereaders get you access to both Prime Reading (available for free as part of the Amazon Prime membership) and Kindle Unlimited, so anyone with a subscription to either can find their next read without any extra cost over the monthly fee.
All Kindles are also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair a set of wireless headphones and listen to audiobooks available on Kindle Unlimited and Audible.
There are five Kindle ereader models available in Australia, each with their pros and cons. So, which one is best for Aussie readers? Take a look below.
The best Kindle in Australia
RRP: $249 for 8GB; $269 for 16GB
Release date: September 2021
Why we recommend the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
A 6.8-inch ereader is a great size for most readers and, if you can find it on a discount, the Paperwhite becomes a mid-range offering. A responsive screen, the ability to log into any Amazon (reading) service and buying ebooks from the Kindle Store directly from the device itself makes this a top choice.
Expert consensus
There was a time when the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite was an ereader with a 6-inch screen. That is the case no longer. The latest edition of the Paperwhite, while getting a hefty price bump, also gets a whole plethora of upgrades. It's bigger than any Paperwhite model before it and comes with other upgrades that justify its price point.
To start, the screen is now 6.8 inches, making it an ideal size for reading, even if you like your fonts larger than usual. Thinner bezels means more screen real estate. There's also a bigger battery – while Amazon doesn't specify the battery capacity, you'll get weeks of use from a single charge. And topping up that battery will also be quicker via the USB-C port when connected directly to a wall charger. Incidentally, it's the first Kindle ereader to feature a USB-C port.
It's also the first Paperwhite to get adjustable light temperature too, so you can change to a warmer screen light colour for evening or nighttime reading. And if it falls into the pool or the kitchen sink, it will be fine for a while.
There are two versions of the Kindle Paperwhite available in Australia – an 8GB storage option and a 16GB model. While the former is still available at most Aussie retailers (provided stock is still available), Amazon has has phased it out and now only stocks the 16GB option.
The Kindle Paperwhite gives you full access to the Kindle Store to purchase ebooks and, as we've mentioned earlier, you can also sign into your Kindle Unlimited and/or Audible accounts too, if you have one. That means the Paperwhite will suit anyone comfortable being locked into the Amazon ecosystem. While you can sideload ePUB format files to a Kindle now, it's not as easy as a simple plug-and-transfer.
Sources: TechRadar (4.5/5) | Tom's Guide (4.5/5) | PCMag Australia (4.5/5)
User reviews
There are a staggering 1,063 user ratings on Amazon for the latest Kindle Paperwhite, giving it an average user review score of 4.7 out of 5. 84% of those ratings are a full 5 stars. Shoppers leaving reviews on store sites also rate it very well, with two Officeworks customers loving the device, and 70 customer reviews via The Good Guys rates it an average 4.7 out of 5.
How much should you pay for the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2021?
There's no denying that the 2021 Paperwhite is expensive for an ereader without any writing capabilities or physical page buttons. However, if you can pick it up during a major sale like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday, you'll be able to save a decent chunk of change on it. We've seen the 8GB version (when it was available on Amazon) drop to $167 during one of these sales, but we think paying around $190 for the 16GB storage option is a good price.
Live price check
You can find the top three prices for the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite below. Compare more Aussie prices for the Kindle Paperwhite 2021 on Getprice.
Other Kindle ereaders to consider
Amazon Kindle (2022)
RRP: $179
Best budget Kindle
The Kindle has always been the basic ereader model from Amazon, but the 2022 edition ups the ante and isn't all that basic anymore. It's got a better screen that offers a 300ppi resolution as compared to the 167ppi on the previous iteration of the Kindle, and gets the USB-C charging port that first appeared on the Kindle Paperwhite in 2021. There's also double the storage now – 16GB on board compared to just 8GB previously.
It's still a 6-inch ereader, though, and it does miss out on some other upgrades you'll see in the Paperwhite. Firstly, the backlight can only be dimmed and brightened – there's no way to change the light temperature to warmer hues for evening or night reading. And there's no waterproofing here. Despite these missing upgrades, the 2022 Kindle is priced higher than the previous generations, but it's possible to pick one up for a little less during a major sale event.
- Compare Amazon Kindle (2022) prices on Getprice
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
RRP: $299
Best ereader with wireless charging
As the name suggests, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is a slightly upgraded version of the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite listed above. You get the same 6.8-inch ereader with the bigger battery, better screen and USB-C charging port. In addition, you get a whopping 32GB of storage on board here instead of 16GB, so you can store thousands upon thousands of ebooks – yes, you likely won't need to delete anything old to make space for something new. To also justify the higher price tag, Amazon has added wireless charging capabilities to the Signature Edition. It's the only mainstream ereader available in Australia that offers wireless charging, so just place it on any Qi-enabled charger on your bedside table and it will top up – no USB-C cable needed, although you can of course use one. Moreover, the Signature Edition can be set to automatically change the backlight hue to warmer at a specific time via the settings pane.
Amazon Kindle Scribe
RRP: from $529
Best for reading and writing
If you really want the full E Ink experience of both reading and writing, the only Kindle model to let you do that is the very premium Amazon Kindle Scribe. It's the first note-taking Kindle and, experts agree, has the best screen of any of Amazon's ereaders. 10.2 inches of bright, clear screen real estate means you can fill pages after pages of digital notes. You can also add notes to books you're reading, but they're more sticky notes than scribbles in margins. The Scribe let's you import Microsoft Word documents, mark up PDFs and a whole lot more. And when it comes to reading, that screen is gorgeous. Everything is rendered crisply and you get access to the Kindle Store to stock up your library. Of course, access to Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited and Audible can also be had like all other Kindles.
Its premium price tag is also justified by its metal chassis, making it one of the best-looking Kindles available today. Where the Kindle Oasis (below) is luxurious, the Scribe takes that experience a whole new level, with even writing on the screen one of the smoothest there is.
There are three models of the Kindle Scribe varying in storage capacity – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The base model comes with the Basic Pen and a couple of nib replacements, while the 32GB and 64GB come with the Premium Pen that features a dedicated eraser at the top end and a shortcut button just above the nib. While handy, the Premium Pen models are very expensive compared to similar note-taking ereaders on the market.
- Compare Amazon Kindle Scribe prices on Getprice
Amazon Kindle Oasis
RRP: $429
Best for single-hand use
With a metal chassis and a flush 7-inch screen, the Kindle Oasis oozes luxury. And it's got the price point to boot. It might be expensive, but it feels wonderful to hold in the hand, plus its asymmetric design and physical page-turn buttons on the broad bezel means you can hold it in just one hand. The buttons are placed exactly where you'd place your thumb (whether left or right) when holding the tablet. Waterproofing and automatically adjusting light hues are also on board.
The Kindle Oasis, however, is the oldest model in the current Kindle lineup and the screen could feel a little sluggish compared to newer models. That's not a problem, though, as it's still very responsive – it's only oh-so-very-slightly slow in comparison. Because of its age and the fact that the Kindle Scribe offers more features than the Oasis, we're recommending this Kindle last... unless Amazon updates the Oasis in the near future.
- Compare Amazon Kindle Oasis prices on Getprice
