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You can now preorder the new Kindle Paperwhite

You can now preorder the new Kindle Paperwhite

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Amazon’s new e-readers come out on October 27th

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The new e-reader is still waterproof and adds new features for an increased price.
The new e-reader is still waterproof and adds new features for an increased price.
Image: Amazon

Amazon has officially taken the wraps off of the 11th-gen Kindle Paperwhite ahead of the company’s fall event on September 28th, and preorders are now open directly from the retail giant. The new Kindle comes in three flavors: a standard model (with or without ads), a Signature Edition, and one designed for kids. All versions of the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite will launch on October 27th. Preorders are open at Amazon and Best Buy for now, but we’ll update this post with more retailers as they become available.

The new baseline Kindle Paperwhite is the 11th-gen ad-supported model, which starts at $140. The price represents a $10 increase over its predecessor, though, the last-gen model has seen some larger discounts in recent months. We will see if the higher price is justified once we do our full review, but improvements like a bigger screen, USB-C charging, longer battery life, adjustable color temperature, and a speedier processor sound appealing on paper. Ditching the lock screen ads will cost you an additional $20, bringing the ad-free Paperwhite to $160.

A hand holding up the Kindle Paperwhite
$140

Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch E Ink display with adjustable color temperature for nighttime reading. It also boasts a faster processor, additional battery life, IPX8 waterproofing, and — finally — a USB-C port.

The pricier, step-up tier comes in the form of the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. This model offers Qi wireless charging, a massive (for e-books, mind you) 32GB of storage, and a light sensor that automatically adjusts the display illumination in response to ambient lighting conditions, a feature once reserved for the Kindle Oasis. The ad-free Signature Edition will run you $190.

$135

The premium Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition offers the same design and performance as the new base model but with more storage, an automatic light sensor, and Qi wireless charging. It’s also only available in an ad-free configuration.

Lastly, Amazon is offering a new Kindle Paperwhite geared toward children. The apt-titled Kindle Paperwhite Kids is the same as the base model but comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids Plus, giving your child access to a trove of kid-friendly books and audiobooks. The Kids model also comes with a two-year warranty and a kid-friendly cover, which is available in three different designs. The Kindle Paperwhite Kids costs $160, the same as a standard Paperwhite model without ads, and it is also not ad-supported.

$145

Amazon’s kid-friendly Paperwhite is the same as the standard Paperwhite, but it’s ad-free and comes with the added benefits of a two-year hardware protection plan, one year of Amazon Kids Plus, and a choice of three kid-friendly covers.