New Kindle 4 review UK 2011
By John M. | October 2, 2011
New Amazon Kindle reader (late 2011 model or Kindle 4) hit UK on 28 September. On the same day, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO announced new 4 Kindles including the new plain Kindle, Kindle touch, Kindle touch 3g and Kindle Fire tablet.
Only basic kindle 4 is available in UK. I’ve just received my kindle 4 from Amazon. Here’s my review on my second kindle.
Smaller, lighter and faster
The new Kindle 4 is significantly lighter and smaller than the previous model. Screen size remains unchanged. The body is made of high quality plastic with metal frame on the top and bottom. I think this version looks tougher than Kindle 3. The e-ink screen is impressive, it produces no glare in bright light and comfortable to read for a long time. Text size and font are adjustable. Amazon claims this new Kindle has most advance e-ink display. Page turning is also strikingly faster with shorter blink during transition.
On-screen keyboard
Kindle 4 has no physical keyboard which I rarely used on kindle 3. Instead, the virtual one will pop up when you press the keyboard button. No keyboard may be an issue if you frequently use Kindle to browse the web or take a lot of notes. To type a word, you have to select each letter using 5-way controller. However, typing experience is not as sluggish as I thought.
Fewer options
The new Kindle 4 does not support musics and audio books (which are options in Kindle 3). Storage size is also decreased because there’s no need to store these large audio files. This may in part make the new Kindle cheaper than previous version. Despite decreased internal memory, it can hold up to 1400 books while the rest will be stored on the cloud.
The new Kindle does not have 3g connection. In UK, this is unlikely to be troublesome because WiFi access is abundant and you can also download e-books via USB cable.
Summary
Overall, I give the new Kindle 4.5 out of 5. Slimmer and faster. Brilliant e-ink display. Amazon Kindle 4 is a basic kindle with all essential functions at more affordable price.
Read more review on kindle 4 here.
Despite the new Kindle release, Kindle 3 (now named Kindle keyboard) is still available on Amazon UK website.
Amazon didn’t say when the Kindle Touch will be available in UK. However, expected release date is later than its official release in the US (21 Nov). Kindle Fire tablet will not be available in UK soon.
20 Comments
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Jamie Ho on October 2, 2011 at 9:48 pm.
This kindle is perfect for a minimalist reader like me. Great price.
Jamie on October 3, 2011 at 11:22 am.
Why Amazon UK sell the new kindle more expensive than US? I see it’s only $79 on Amazon.com (which is equal to only £50!!!)
Sam S. on October 3, 2011 at 11:22 am.
@Jamie, The price you see is for a kindle with special offer which will display ads targeting customers in US. Kindle without sponsored ads is priced $109 which is equal to £70. Extra £19 may be tax.
Stewart on October 4, 2011 at 9:01 pm.
Why kindle touch is not available in the UK???
John M. on November 8, 2011 at 2:53 pm.
I think it’s about product availability. Kindle will be a highly-demanded item during holiday season. Amazon may want to preserve it for US citizen.
Toby on October 6, 2011 at 12:17 pm.
I have received my kindle this morning, surprisingly. I think it will arrive next week. This is my first kindle. It fits pretty well in my hand and light enough to hold for hours. The e-ink screen is crisp and clear. Impressive.
Abigail on October 7, 2011 at 2:19 am.
I really notice a faster page turn. I feel it’s a lot better than K3.
Keira Myers on October 7, 2011 at 7:47 pm.
This is a basic kindle just for reading. If you want a kindle that can play audios, download books anywhere or you frequently use keyboard, kindle 3 is a better choice.
Ellis Carey on October 7, 2011 at 8:58 pm.
This version is very light and easy to hold in one hand. It’s the lightest device compare nook, iPad, and other tablets.
Harry on October 8, 2011 at 8:20 pm.
Very helpful review on kindle 4. I was very confused which kindle should I buy. I think I’m going to get the new kindle. I just want a simple e-reader.
Charles Stanley on October 10, 2011 at 11:34 am.
Very portable, easy to carry around. I really love the feature that allow me to download free sample. It’s very helpful when deciding to purchase a new book.
Francesca on October 11, 2011 at 6:01 pm.
This is what I’m waiting for! A simple e-reader at reasonable price. I don’t need new stuff to go online, play games or listen to musics. My phone and laptop can do all these things.
Abigail on October 12, 2011 at 10:33 am.
I live in rural area, even there’s no 3G coverage but I can download e-books with slower EDGE or GPRS. I think there should be an option for me.
S Coates on October 13, 2011 at 2:00 am.
My favorite upgrades of kindle 4 are super light weight, faster page turn, and expensive-looking new body.
Madaline Johnson on October 15, 2011 at 7:21 am.
2 GB is not very much internal memory… any chance this device will have a slot for SD cards?
Anthony N on October 15, 2011 at 3:32 pm.
Pro’s -There is more space to place my thumb comfortably, lighter, slimmer.
Con’s – Doesn’t support epub books.
Zenith on October 18, 2011 at 10:34 am.
Virtual keyboard works better than I thought. Controller responses faster than K3. But I think the power button should be bigger. I have to use 2 hands to push it.
Naomi on October 21, 2011 at 6:05 am.
I tried to order a kindle touch from Amazon.com but it said kindle touch cannot be shipped to UK. Does anyone know how to get a kindle touch in UK???
John M. on December 27, 2011 at 10:42 am.
@Naomi, see how to buy kindle touch in U.K.