Amazon·e-reader
Kindle Basic
Based on 29 credible posts from Bluesky & Hacker News. 2 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.
Medium confidenceA solid sample; expect small shifts as more owners post. How we score
Scored September 27, 2026
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Owner reviews
Overall owner mood
Most owners are happy with it: 72% of 29 reviews are positive and 10% negative. Praise centers on display. The most common complaint is price & value (3 owners). Owners with 6+ months of use are more positive (100%), which suggests it holds up well.
What owners like
Display praised by 2 owners
“I prefer this size and the screen actually looks way better in person compared to the Paperwhite”
What owners complain about
Price & value raised by 3 owners
“They’re all good, just avoid the colorsoft, the tech isn’t ready yet and at that price point…”
Display raised by 2 owners
“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.”
What owners talk about
- Price & value1 praise · 3 complain
- Display2 praise · 2 complain
- Battery & charging1 praise · 1 complain
Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.
Full text of every credible post we scored. Bot-like and off-topic comments are hidden.
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!
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.
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. [...]
I believe our website does have some basic Kindle browser support. [...]
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 👀
i need someone to tell me that i Don’t need to buy a kindle colorsoft, my kindle basic is fine, don’t you press that checkout button you bitch you don’t need it something like that
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.
Update: I bought it and have no regrets (it’s a Kindle Basic e-reader)
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 got a little kindle basic. [...] I’ve wanted one I can take with me for a while and the price was right. [...]
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…
oh i saw the yellow band thing on tiktok i think! wow i didn’t know there are so many other issues tho. will appreciate my kindle basic more for now lol
huh really? that’s not good… oh well i’ll just stick with my kindle basic for now but one day!! i will get the pink one!!
re-washi taped my kindle basic and ngl it’s come out awright
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 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. [...]
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 […]
I have successfully jailbroken my Kindle Basic 10th gen and managed to install koreader but now my brain is mush.
The claims, and the evidence
What the brand claims
No published claims on file for this product yet.
What owners report
“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.”
after 110 monthsView on Hacker News“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.”
after 3 yearsView on Bluesky“Them raising the prices of the kindle… nasty work… my kindle basic… 80 dollars.. now it is like 120”
“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
Issues at least two owners independently report.
- Price & value3 mentionsView on Bluesky
“Them raising the prices of the kindle… nasty work… my kindle basic… 80 dollars.. now it is like 120”
- Display2 mentionsView on Bluesky
“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.”