Kindle Aluminum Review with Video Walkthrough

Review unit purchased from Amazon.

Overview

With the release of the 2026 Kindles, this is the first time Amazon has offered two different versions of the entry-level 6″ Kindle.

This review is focused on the upgraded version, the Kindle Aluminum. It comes in two colors, Alpine Sky and Seaglass Green, and it sells for $189.

Aside from the metal casing, there are three key differences between the Kindle Aluminum and the base Kindle that sells for $149. The Aluminum version has 32GB of storage instead of 16GB, it doesn’t have screensaver ads, which cost $20 to remove on the base model, and it has magnets on the back for magnetic cases and such.

The Kindle Aluminum is a bit heavier than the plastic version at 162 grams versus 140 grams. But all the main features—the screen, the CPU, the frontlight, the software—are all the same.

Kindle Aluminum Review Summary

Pros

• The aluminum casing gives it a premium feel and a classy appearance.
• Darker black ink than previous gen Kindle.
• The flush layer is less glossy and fingerprint prone than the flush layer on the previous gen Paperwhites.
• Slight performance boost compared to the 2024 model.
• No screensaver ads.

Cons

• No warm frontlight.
• No page buttons (and there’s no case with buttons like the Paperwhite/Colorsoft have), but it is compatible with the Kindle Click.
• Battery life is good but not great (it’s about half that of the Paperwhite).
• Heavier than the Ube and Graphite versions that have plastic backs.

Verdict

There’s nothing “basic” about the entry-level Kindle anymore; it’s time to stop calling it that. It’s a 6″ Kindle that’s smaller and lighter and more portable than the Paperwhite. With the aluminum casing, it’s the nicest Kindle that Amazon has released since the Kindle Oasis, and it is the nicest entry-level Kindle ever.

They really nailed the design, but they dropped the ball not including a warm frontlight. Amazon should stop holding back features on the 6″ model. Why punish people for wanting to use a smaller device? There’s only a $10 difference between the aluminum Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite now; not including a warm light is just silly. Almost every other current 6″ model has that now, so it’s a glaring omission, and it’s the #1 thing people are going to latch onto and complain about.

Nonetheless, I still think the aluminum Kindle is the nicest 6″ ereader on the market from a pure design standpoint, and I really like the higher contrast screen, which I wasn’t expecting with the added flush layer. I ended up liking the aluminum Kindle more than I thought I would—I guess I’m a sucker for ereaders with premium designs. I wish more companies would make ereaders like this instead of trying to make them as cheap as possible—that’s been a trend with 6″ models in particular.

Kindle Aluminum Video Review

2026 Kindle vs 2024 Kindle Comparison >
Kindle Ube vs Kindle Aluminum >

Frontlight

There’s been a lot of talk about the 2026 Kindles lacking a warm frontlight, and that is the main knock against them.

For the most part, I like the frontlight color on the 2026 Kindle. The frontlight has a nice whitish tone during the day, and with the contrast bump with the new screen, the text really stands out.

I start to notice the bluer color of the frontlight as the natural light fades for the night, and that’s when I would like to have a warm frontlight to filter out the bluish tone. I can tolerate not having a warm light somewhat since I don’t read as much at night, but it would be nice to have. Amazon has already made me accustomed to adding some warmth to the frontlight color when using the Paperwhite over the years, so it’s just weird they would hold that feature back on the 6″ Kindle.

The frontlight is evenly illuminated on both of my 2026 Kindles—it’s actually quite nice—but the light does reflect off of the inner edge of the bezel when using Dark Mode, and it creates an illuminated line that could potentially be distracting to some. At lower brightness levels it’s less visible, but it is noticeable if you’re looking for it.

Design

The new design is a significant change for the entry-level line. They added a flush front screen, while making the Kindle smaller and thinner, and the back panels are removable now so can easily replace the battery when needed. They also moved the power button from the bottom to the side.

I wasn’t sure about the aluminum design at first; I thought it was akin to putting lipstick on a pig. But after using the Kindle Aluminum for a while, I’m a big fan of it. It just has such a nice high-quality look and feel. I reminds me of the old days when Sony sold premium metal ereaders. It’s nice to have an alternative to all the cheap plastic ebook readers out there.

The aluminum is a little on the cold side when you first pick it up, but there is a bit of a coating on it, and it does warm up fairly quickly, and it’s not super slick.

One thing I like about the aluminum is it doesn’t show marks and smudges like the plastic on the Ube Kindle—the plastic on mine already has some scratches, whereas the aluminum is still pristine, and doesn’t show any scratches or marks at all yet. Since I’m using it without a case, it’ll be interesting to see how it holds up.

Software – Kindle Click

Nothing has really changed in the software department on the 2026 Kindles. Amazon did release a new Bluetooth page turner, the Kindle Click, to go along with the new models, but it doesn’t get released until the end of the month, and the software doesn’t seem to support other Bluetooth page turners, at least not yet. I’ll post an update when we know more.