Amazon·e-reader
Kindle Basic
Based on 32 credible posts from Hacker News & Bluesky. 3 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.
Medium confidenceA solid sample; expect small shifts as more owners post. How we score
Scored November 11, 2026
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Owner reviews
Overall owner mood
Most owners are happy with it: 75% of 32 reviews are positive and 6% negative. The most common complaint is price & value (4 owners). Owners are divided on display. Owners with 6+ months of use are more positive (100%), which suggests it holds up well.
What owners like
Nothing two or more owners agree on yet.
What owners complain about
Price & value raised by 4 owners (1 disagree)
“Them raising the prices of the kindle… nasty work… my kindle basic… 80 dollars..”
Owners are split on
- Display 2 like it · 2 don't
Worth reading the reviews on these if they matter to you.
What owners talk about
- Price & value1 praise · 4 complain
- Display2 praise · 2 complain
- Controls & input1 praise · 1 complain
- Battery & charging1 praise · 1 complain
Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.
Every credible owner review, most detailed first. Bots, off-topic comments, and ones that say nothing about using it are left out.
I've decided with all my commercial e-readers that the USB+calibre is my only option as I do not wish to share my reading habits with the zillionaire overlord. There might be new and fancy UI or something, but I spend 99% of the time only flipping pages so the outdated UX is nothing compared to the privacy I get. Ancient Basic Kindle works still nicely and so does 1st gen Paperwhite + the few Kobo's we have in the family.
[...] I had to replace the battery, it doesn't have WiFi, and they shut down the 3G network access years ago. [...] I removed the 3G modem when I replaced the battery to prevent it from being turned on and draining the battery as it constantly tries to connect. [...] On the bright side, that's only an issue every few weeks when it gets charged and a new load of books. My wife has the newest basic Kindle because she prizes light weight over any other aspect.
Instead, I read my Kindle books on my S24 Ultra. [...] One reason is the classic photographer's question: "What is the best camera?" The one you have with you. I have a Kobo Libra and while it’s bigger than the basic kindle I had (which I could put in my back pocket), it’s still fairly portable. The nicest thing is that I only need to press the power button to get back to what I was reading. [...]
I picked up the new kindle basic version. It was terribly expensive ($150!) but they go on sale often. [...] The basic kindle has a perfect backlight. [...]
Well, Amazon does have a global presence, for worse rather than better in my opinion, but I live in Brazil and, as far as I am aware, there isn't really any other decent e-reader brand selling its devices here officially and conversion rates plus taxes would make it really expensive to import anything else, so that could be a reason. I have an 2016 basic kindle that I use often, it is sideloaded with KOreader (official software didn't support epubs when I bought it) and I mainly use it for non-amazon books through Calibre or cable transfer.
Nice!! I bought myself a 6” Kindle Basic for my birthday a few years ago and I absolutely love it, even with all of the other “more convenient” ways to read. The e-ink screen is great for reading outdoors and the softness of the backlight is perfect for knocking out a few pages in bed.
I got a Kindle Basic earlier this year. Have read more books in the last 10 months than I have in the last 6 years!
my solution is to buy a basic kindle with wifi and use that to download the books, then transfer them to calibre directly from the kindle
You might be interested in the Kindle Basic. It's the smallest in the lineup and a comparable size to the first-gen oasis (before they increased the screen size) – my previous daily carry. [...]
[...] I have a Kobo Libra (I bough a Kindle Basic before this and it's so locked down I switched). I put Koreader on it (easy process) and I used it more than my phone. The current book is at most a button press away. It's lighter and more ergonomic than the phone too. I also have a dedicated audio player (Shanling M0). [...] The phone is only for communication, taking photos, and quick browsing. [...]
Them raising the prices of the kindle… nasty work… my kindle basic… 80 dollars.. now it is like 120
And this is not moving me… my kindle basic is going to be enough…
I decided to change my Kindle Paperwhite to a Kindle basic. The Paperwhite is just too big and heavy to use, I prefer a small and light ereader.
anyway i have news: i have a brand-spanking-new matcha kindle! for bulk manga consumption and seasonal essay reads ☺️ i got the kindle basic (2024, 11th ed) but if you guys have a different ereader.. (chinhands) please convince me; i welcome suggestions re: a second colored e-ink device 👀
They try to set your expectations low by adding “soft” to the name, yet even that fails to properly communicate just how lacking in vibrancy the screen is. Going to put it through its paces just to be certain I don’t want to retire my Kindle Basic, but I’m pretty certain it’s going back.
I have successfully jailbroken my Kindle Basic 10th gen and managed to install koreader but now my brain is mush.
I love the Kindle Basic, especially in this color. I literally returned my Kindle Paperwhite Signature a few days ago, so I could go back to a basic one. I prefer this size and the screen actually looks way better in person compared to the Paperwhite
i just jailbroke my kindle basic and installed koreader, which can support basically any ebook format (without drm) and can connect wirelessly to calibre (as well as some other cool features), but i don't know how good of an exprience that would be on a scribe
I had a kindle basic for years and loved it, never understood the appeal of the Paperwhite, but I got the new Paperwhite for Christmas and now I totally understand. They’re all good, just avoid the colorsoft, the tech isn’t ready yet and at that price point…
[...] I bought the Kobo Clara Colour at launch and returned it. Then I bought the Kindle Colorsoft at launch and I’m returning it. And now I’ve bought the Kobo again because A) I don’t subscribe to Kindle Unlimited and B) it’s the same size as my beloved Kindle Basic. [...]
I'm going to assume current Kobos are better than what I had, mine was a clunky POS that lagged and was outdated so fast. I got the 2022 Kindle basic about a month ago and I'm obsessed tbh, I understand why people don't like Amazon but it's such a handy little ereader and the sales are so good 😩
[...] When compared to my 2022 Kindle Basic, it’s a significant upgrade because of that color e-ink. The problem is when you pit it against literally anything else with a color display, like my iPad Mini. [...]
I got a little kindle basic. [...] I’ve wanted one I can take with me for a while and the price was right. [...]
In case anyone wandering about the difference size between Kindle Basic and Kobo Libra Color.. For this pics I use light mode setting with brightness 12/24 for Kindle and 50%/100% for Kobo.. my Kindle is 2022 model so don’t have warmth tone color.. [...]
JailBroke my Kindle Basic (KT3) with LanguageBreak (took multiple repeat attempts, including re-flashing the original). Then I needed a launcher: KUAL (TIL: “booklet”) which, on this generation of Kindle (Gen 8), is installed by one of its […]
The claims, and the evidence
What the brand claims
No published claims on file for this product yet.
What owners report
“Instead, I read my Kindle books on my S24 Ultra. [...] One reason is the classic photographer's question: "What is the best camera?" The one you have with you. I have a Kobo Libra and while it’s bigger than the basic kindle I had (which I could put in my back pocket), it’s still fairly portable. The nicest thing is that I only need to press the power button to get back to what I was reading. [...]”
“I've decided with all my commercial e-readers that the USB+calibre is my only option as I do not wish to share my reading habits with the zillionaire overlord. There might be new and fancy UI or something, but I spend 99% of the time only flipping pages so the outdated UX is nothing compared to the privacy I get. Ancient Basic Kindle works still nicely and so does 1st gen Paperwhite + the few Kobo's we have in the family.”
“I picked up the new kindle basic version. It was terribly expensive ($150!) but they go on sale often. [...] The basic kindle has a perfect backlight. [...]”
“They try to set your expectations low by adding “soft” to the name, yet even that fails to properly communicate just how lacking in vibrancy the screen is. Going to put it through its paces just to be certain I don’t want to retire my Kindle Basic, but I’m pretty certain it’s going back.”
Common Kindle Basic problems
Problems most owners who mention them agree on, plus ones owners are split on.
- Price & value4 owners report this (1 disagree)View on Hacker News
“Well, Amazon does have a global presence, for worse rather than better in my opinion, but I live in Brazil and, as far as I am aware, there isn't really any other decent e-reader brand selling its devices here officially and conversion rates plus taxes would make it really expensive to import anything else, so that could be a reason.”
- DisplayOwners split: 2 complain, 2 happyView on Bluesky
“The problem is when you pit it against literally anything else with a color display, like my iPad Mini.”