The first edition of the Amazon Kindle launched in 2007 and sold out within hours. Nowadays, the Kindle remains just as popular, but there's no single Amazon Kindle product—it's a range of ereaders that includes the Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis and the Kindle Scribe.
If you've never owned a Kindle, you might be wondering whether it's right for you. Do you want to take the plunge? To help you out, we've rounded up all the top reasons why you should buy an Amazon Kindle.
1. All Your Books on a Single Device
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Kindle is that you can store thousands of books at one time. The classic Kindle offers 16GB of storage, while others like the Paperwhite and Oasis are available in 32GB models. The Kindle Scribe even has up to 64GB.
Essentially, it's unlikely that you'll ever hit the limit. Even if you do, just uninstall some; the books are tied to your account, available to redownload at a later date.
Consider going away on vacation for a couple of weeks. Do you want to use up that precious luggage space with books? Or on a daily commute, do you want a heavy hardback weighing you down? All of this is solved with a Kindle, which is lightweight and slim.
2. Cheap and Free Books
If you're a vicarious reader, the hobby can get expensive, especially if you buy books new. With high street bookshops struggling to survive, they often have to charge a pretty penny. It's understandable, but not always affordable.
There are plenty of ways to get free Kindle books; one way is to browse Amazon's Top 100 free Kindle books list. Granted, many of these reads are of questionable quality, but you can't say better than free. Amazon also lets you download samples of books for free, so you can try before you buy.
You may also find that your local library offers free ebooks, if they have a subscription to services like OverDrive. Be sure to inquire with them—it's always good to support libraries. Alternatively, use a digital library for free ebooks.
3. Instantaneous Reading
Let's say you've just read a review for a book that sounds perfect. You want to read it immediately. With a physical book, you'd have to travel to a store and hope they had it in stock. Or order it online and wait for delivery.
On the Amazon Kindle, you can download it to your device within minutes (or even seconds) and begin reading there and then. There's something powerful about being able to read whatever you want near-instantaneously.
4. Easily Look Up Definitions
When reading, do you ever come across words that you don't understand? It's only natural. There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, and you can't expect to know them all.
If you're reading a traditional book, you have to make do with figuring out the word from context (or inconveniently put the book down and grab your phone). With the Amazon Kindle, you can quickly look up definitions of words and phrases in a few taps. You can even read more on Wikipedia or translate passages, all without interrupting the flow of your reading too greatly.
5. Highlight and Annotate Passages
A great Kindle feature is the ability to highlight and annotate. There are plenty of scenarios when this comes in handy. Perhaps you've come across a quote that has inspired you, or maybe you're making academic notes.
Once you've made a note, you can easily flick between them all with a few taps. No longer do you need to earmark physical books or stuff them with sticky notes; let your Kindle effortlessly handle it.
6. Glare-Free Adaptable Display
Unlike standard tablets, Kindle screens are specifically designed for the optimal reading experience. Every single Kindle model has a glare-free screen; the base model has a 6" screen, going up to 10.2" with the Kindle Scribe. That's plenty of real-estate, so the text on the page never feels crammed.
You can also adjust the size and boldface of the text, so you don't need to strain or scramble for your glasses. Some models even let you adjust the shade of the display, from a white light to a warm amber, which can be scheduled to match the time of day or adjusted automatically thanks to the Kindle's light sensors.
7. Sync Your Reading With Audible
If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, you don't have to give these up when you buy a Kindle. In fact, if you use Audible to listen to audiobooks, your listening experience is enhanced. This is thanks to a feature called Whispersync for Voice.
With this, you can switch seamlessly between reading and listening. The ebook and audiobook will stay in sync, so you don't have to flick forward to find your position.
8. Long Battery Life
The last thing you want is to buy a Kindle and find it conks out just as you're coming to the book's gripping conclusion. According to Amazon, for the Kindle Paperwhite, "a single charge lasts up to 10 weeks, based on half an hour of reading a day with wireless off and the light setting at 13."
Some settings and activities will command greater battery life, like increasing the brightness or connecting to the internet, but if you're conservative then your Kindle will rarely need charging. Regardless, even if you use your Kindle constantly and make use of all its features, the battery will last days. Charging from zero to full will take roughly two to five hours, depending on the model and power source.
Plus, if you have the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, you can wirelessly charge your Kindle.
9. Lend Books With Ease
Finished reading a book and think your friend would love it too? You can lend some (not all, as some publishers restrict it) Kindle books easily. You don't need to ship a book to your friend or worry about it going missing. Once you've virtually lent it, the recipient has 14 days to read it, after which the book automatically returns to your library.
Plus, your recipient doesn't even need a Kindle. They can read it on the free Kindle app for smartphones or via their web browser.
10. Waterproofed to Protect Against Accidents
One of the joys of reading a book is that you can do it anywhere. That's also true when it comes to reading on a Kindle, but you might be concerned about taking the expensive electronic gadget to the pool or the beach. Handily, the Kindle Oasis and all the Kindle Paperwhite models are waterproof to an IPX8 specification.
In real-world terms, this doesn't mean you should read your Kindle underwater. Instead, according to Amazon, the Kindle "can withstand immersion in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes and 0.25 meters for three minutes in seawater."
This means that you don't need to worry if you accidentally drop your Kindle in the bath or you get splashed while reading by the pool. It's a great advantage over a physical book, where it doesn't take much water to ruin the pages.
11. Perfect for Children
If you want to encourage your youngsters to read, the Kindle is a perfect purchase. Though you could technically buy any ereader for them, Amazon offers the Kindle Kids and Kindle Paperwhite Kids bundles.
On top of the standard Kindle benefits, these include a colorful cover (choose from a few options), a two-year guarantee, and a year subscription to Amazon Kids+ ($4.99/month thereafter).
If you're unfamiliar, Amazon Kids+ is designed for children aged 3 to 12 and provides child-friendly content across the Amazon ecosystem, like games, videos, and Alexa Skills. For the Kindle, it grants access to thousands of books such as Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kid—perfect for advancing children's reading skills and keeping them entertained.
You Can Still Enjoy Physical Books
Of course, if you do decide to buy a Kindle, it doesn't mean you have to throw out your physical books or never buy one again. In fact, the two can live harmoniously side by side, each serving a different purpose.
Perhaps you can reserve the Kindle for weightier tomes you want to take on holiday, while still lining your bookshelves with plenty of colorful paperbacks. At the end of the day, reading is a joy regardless of the format.