With the release of the new basic Kindle for 2026, people are wondering how much of an upgrade it is over the 2024 Kindle, especially considering the basic Kindle is now $40 more expensive than it was in 2024.
On the software front, nothing has really changed. The new model got a bit of a speed boost, with general navigation and book opening speed being slightly faster, but the software features are exactly the same. The only difference I can find with the new model is there’s a battery status screen in settings.
The 2026 Kindles have user-replaceable batteries, and it’s easy to pop the back panel off to get to the battery. I don’t know how hard it is to replace the battery on the 2024 model, but it’s good to see Kindles officially getting this upgrade.
The Screen
Both generations of Kindles have 6″ E Ink screens with 300 ppi so nothing has changed there, but Amazon added a flush front layer to the 2026 model, and the screen has darker black ink so the overall contrast has improved. It’s not a huge difference but it’s definitely noticeable.
One thing I never liked about the Matcha Kindle, when reading outside in bright sunlight the text looks more grey than black. I got used to the darker text on the Kindle Voyage and 12th gen Paperwhite and it’s hard for my eyes to tolerate a downgrade on that front.
I really appreciate the darker text on the new model, but the white background color is a little warmer/darker with the added flush layer, and the screen might look slightly less clear with the extra layer over the screen. For me it’s hard to tell with the text being darker on the new model; that naturally gives the older screen a sharper look. If there is a difference it’s subtle enough not to bother me.
While the white background is a little darker on these newer Kindles with the added flush layer, the darker text is a big win in my book. I definitely prefer the look of the screen on the 2026 Kindles, and that’s saying something because I’ve never been a big fan of flush front screens on ereaders.
Speaking of the flush layer, it’s not as glossy and fingerprint-prone as the flush screen on the 12th gen Paperwhite, so that’s a plus. But the screen looks like it’s more recessed on the new basic Kindle than on the Paperwhite, and you can see a black line under the bezel all the way around. The 2024 Kindle has the exact same black line, but it just looks kind of odd with the flush layer (the Paperwhite doesn’t have that).
One thing I don’t like about the flush layer is it’s easier to accidently touch the screen when you don’t intend to, and that’s been happening for me sometimes with my large hands. The Paperwhite has the option to disable the touchscreen for everything but page swipes, but Amazon inexplicably did not add that option to the basic Kindle. Maybe they will eventually.
The Frontlights
Amazon did not add a warm frontlight to the 2026 Kindle, unfortunately. Some people are saying the new Kindles for 2026 have a warmer light than the 2024 Kindle to compensate for this, but I’m not seeing that so I guess that’s just part of the frontlight lottery.
The frontlights on my 2024 Kindle and both 2026 Kindles all look exactly the same temperature-wise. I think the color tone is fine, and the screen looks great in most lighting conditions, but it is more blue at night without ambient lighting than devices with warm frontlights. If you want a true warm light you’ll have to get a Paperwhite or a different brand.
I think Dark Mode looks great with the darker ink on the 2026 Kindle, but some people are complaining about seeing light bleed when using Dark Mode. I don’t think that’s the correct term in this case, but the light does reflect off the inner edge of the bezel and it creates an illuminated line, and I can see how that might be annoying. It’s more noticeable at higher brightness levels, and it’s more noticeable on the aluminum version. If you want to use Dark Mode at night all the time this might not be the best Kindle to get.
The Design
I really like the design change with the 2026 Kindles. Amazon had been reusing the same general design on basic Kindles for a long time, and it’s nice to finally have something different, and having easily replaceable batteries with the new design is a big advantage.
The 2024 Kindle has a retro 70’s vibe going with the comically bulbous plastic casing and green color. I don’t think the new modern design is worth upgrading for, but it is much nicer, especially with the addition of the aluminum back.
The plastic version is noticeably lighter at 140 grams, but the aluminum version weighs about the same as the 2024 Kindle at 162 grams. The 2024 Kindle weighs 158 grams.
The new aluminum Kindle looks and feels really nice with the updated design; it’s by far the nicest basic Kindle that Amazon has released. The only problem is it costs $189 and you can get a new Paperwhite with several upgrades for only $10 more, but then you’d have to pay an extra $60 to upgrade to the aluminum Paperwhite SE, so it’s all rather confusing. The plastic basic Kindle is definitely the best value at $149 if you can tolerate the screensaver ads.
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