I Never Travel Without My Kindle, and Amazon’s eReader Discounts Make for Ideal Christmas Gifts

Whenever I hit the road with a laptop, even those sleek, ultra-portable 14-inch models with their stunning OLED screens, I just can’t bring myself to read entire books on them comfortably. Instead, tossing my Kindle Paperwhite into my bag feels like a perfect solution. It’s quite the travel companion with its month-long battery life that has never failed me at a crucial moment.

Amazon, not one to settle with just having a premier eReader, has stretched the 7-inch Paperwhite’s battery to an impressive 12 weeks, while the 6-inch ‘New Kindle’ still delivers up to 6 weeks of power.

Right now, the latest Kindle Paperwhite is available for $129.99 directly on Amazon. It’s a tad pricier than the $84.99 ‘New Kindle,’ but remains my top pick. Plus, the screen update speeds up page turns by 25%—a welcome fix to one of the previous model’s biggest hang-ups. And if you haven’t yet experienced an eReader, Amazon is offering a 3-month free trial of its Kindle Unlimited service, which includes over 4 million books, along with magazines, comics, and audiobooks.

🔥The hottest Black Friday deals🔥

Microsoft could learn a thing or two from Amazon

Amazon’s Kindle Scribe still leads in note-taking capability with few competitors. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

The Kindle Scribe may not get as much spotlight due to its book-focused siblings, but it certainly made a mark with our Editor-in-Chief thanks to its Paperwhite-style E-ink touchscreen. As Daniel Rubino puts it, “It’s not only the best Kindle reader I’ve had because of the display size, but the ‘Scribe’ feature has revolutionized my workflow. I would’ve loved this tech in grad school, and any student or office worker would likely find it invaluable.”

If you’re unsure about snagging a Kindle this Black Friday, try out the Amazon Kindle desktop app on any Windows device first. It’s free, and there are plenty of no-cost books in the Kindle store to play around with, so your experience wouldn’t be drastically different from using Amazon’s dedicated eReaders.

The most noticeable advantage of owning a Kindle, particularly the Paperwhite, is its unmatched battery life compared to virtually any Windows laptop. Even a Surface Pro 11 running Windows on Arm can’t compete with a Kindle in stamina, though the Surface offers a broader set of functionalities than Amazon’s eReaders.

Still, there’s no harm in testing the Kindle app before committing to a purchase. Personally, I suggest snapping up the Kindle Paperwhite for $129.99. My fiancée and I rely on ours for travel, enjoying its amazingly long battery duration without ever needing to worry.

Holding out for Cyber Monday seems unnecessary for a Kindle, as it’s doubtful Amazon would be outdone on the pricing of its own products. You can even trade in a similar device for an extra 20% off the discounted rate, so if you’re inclined and have an old eReader collecting dust, now’s the time to confidently buy.

🍁More great Black Friday deals🦃

• Best Buy: Score big on video games, accessories, and more
• Walmart: Early savings on almost everything
• Target: Live deals spanning a wide range of products
• Dell: Unbeatable offers on laptops, gaming PCs, and accessories
• HP: Major discounts on laptops, desktops, and more
• Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on Lenovo PCs, monitors, and peripherals
• Newegg: Savings on PC gaming gear and components
• Razer: Enjoy free shipping for a limited time
• Samsung: Holiday deals now available on laptops, TVs, phones, and more
• Amazon: Ongoing sales on practically everything you can imagine