Amazon revealed its refreshed version of the basic Kindle a few days ago. You may or may not have noticed that this update included the entry-level Kindle Kids as well. While the differences between the older base Kindle and its 2022 counterpart are quite clear, things aren’t as transparent when it comes to the All-New Kindle Kids (2022).
To help you better understand what’s been bumped up and what has been retained in this year’s Kindle Kids Edition, let’s go through the highlights of the newer model together.
Amazon improved the display quality of the All-New Kindle Kids (2022) significantly, upgrading the pixel density to 300ppi as opposed to 167ppi of the older-gen e-reader from 2019. This will translate into better color contrast and clarity on the Kindle e-paper screen.
Most notably, the popular e-reader has been upgraded quite a bit in terms of its battery life and charging. The Amazon Kindle Kids (2022) features an impressive six-week-long battery life on a single charge. That’s an incredible improvement, adding two more weeks of uptime over the 2019 Kindle Kids variant which delivered four weeks of battery life.
You should also be excited that Amazon is finally ditching the outmoded Micro-USB port in favor of the universally used USB-C charging port. USB Type-C is better in every conceivable way. Not only does it enable faster charging on the latest Kindle Kids, but it will also last longer since the connector is reversible and less prone to wear and tear caused by regular usage. Children are likely to find it easier to use USB-C charging cables as there’s no “right way up” while plugging it in.
The All-New Kindle Kids (2022) fully charges in approximately two hours with a 9W USB power adapter whereas the Kindle Kids (2019) takes four hours to charge up to 100%. Not to mention, the older Kindle only charges at 5W owing to the older Micro-USB port.
Another great improvement that you’ll get in the latest e-reader from Amazon is increased space for audiobooks and e-books. Every Kindle Kids now sports double the storage space, bumping up the miserly 8GB previously available to 16GB.
The updated Kindle Kids is also lighter which obviously makes for a more comfortable reading experience and improves portability. Amazon’s Kindle Kids Edition from 2019 weighed 288g with the cover while the newer version weighs 256g with the case taken into account.
Speaking of cases, this year’s Kindle Kids features three new cases called Space Whale, Ocean Explorer, and Unicorn Valley. Customers get to pick one of these three designs when placing their orders.
As you may have gleaned from all the information stated above, there are small meaningful differences between the All-New Kindle Kids and the previous Kindle Kids from Amazon. However, the Kindle Kids (2022) isn’t unique in its characteristics compared to the new base model Kindle. The only difference is the addition of a one-year Amazon Kids+ subscription, a two-year worry-free guarantee, a parental dashboard, a case designed for children, and the lack of ads in the Kids Version.
If you were hoping for drastic upgrades like waterproofing or expandable storage, you may be disappointed. The most worthwhile trait of the Kids variant of the entry-level Kindle is probably the overall value for money. There isn’t really a huge gap in the cost of acquiring the base Kindle (2022) and its Kids Version. Still, you get some extra features which are the same as they were in the previous Kindle models.
Namerah is a Technology Journalist with experience at leading online publications like Android Central. She has a passion for all things tech and gaming, and has been an honorary Goodreads librarian since 2011. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing stray cats and dogs in the streets of Dhaka or slaying dragons in the land of Skyrim. Email her at namerah@goodereader.com