Amazon Kindle 10th gen review: Perfect Companion

The all-new basic Kindle has come in with a bang. This time, you get an entry-level e-book reader with an illuminated display (a first for this affordable range so that you can read in the dark), chic design and a number of features which make reading a fantastic experience. Thanks to an ever-growing repository of digital books and constantly evolving hardware, Amazon's Kindle remains the undisputed leader in this space. And this 10th generation device definitely packs a punch, lifting it way above the 2016 model.

The shimmery plastic chassis houses a 6-inch E Ink display surrounded by a raised bezel. The design looks neat too, with clean side panels, a wake key (read power key) and a charging port at the bottom edge. At 174g, it is sleek and lightweight and can be comfortably held for long reading sessions.

The best feature, however, is the illuminated screen - four built-in LED lamps placed around the display (under the front bezel) light it up evenly. A quick tap within the settings allowed me to adjust the brightness and I could easily read the text at five-point brightness although the surroundings were pitch-dark. I was also able to increase/decrease the font size by pinching in/out using two fingers and the Kindle instantly auto-fitted the text. One can further adjust page spacing, margins, orientation and alignment using the page display option appearing on the top. With 167 ppi resolution, the text was sharp enough for reading, but the images looked slightly distorted. However, it should not bother you unless you are reading a lot of comic books and graphic novels. Also, unlike the premium editions (Paperwhite and Oasis), this one lacks a waterproof body.

Setting up the device is simple. You can register using an existing Amazon account or create one on this Kindle. This is a Wi-Fi-only device with 4 GB onboard storage, good enough to download and store hundreds of e-books. Being an Amazon Prime Member, I was able to access more than 100 books for free. Whenever I opened a new book, the Kindle displayed a page with basic information such as number of pages, the average time required to read the book and popular highlights. There are plenty of additional features such as resuming reading where you left off, instant access to a dictionary, text highlighting, note-taking, sharing and more. Its battery life is reasonable, and a single charge lasted me more than a week as I read a couple of hours every day.

This e-book reader is ideal for children as it offers a safe reading environment. The parental control setting allows restricting the device's access to Experimental web browser, store and cloud and even Goodreads, the social platform for book lovers.

For Rs 7,999, the all-new Kindle (10th gen) is great not just for a first-time buyer but also if someone wants to upgrade from a previous gen.

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