This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide on everything you need to know and how to make sure you get the best deal.
If you’re in the market for a dedicated e-reader, Amazon will once again will have nice discounts on some of its Kindle e-readers as part of Prime Day 2020. The Kindle Paperwhite will be $80, or $50 off, beating its all-time previous low by $5.
If that isn’t the type of Kindle deal you’re looking for, Amazon also announced that the Kids Edition of its entry-level Kindle, which now has an integrated light, will cost $75 or $35 off its list price of $110. The Kindle Kids Edition includes a case and a year of Amazon’s Kid Plus subscription service, a $36 value.
Read more: Best e-reader for 2020
Furthermore, Amazon will be offering a $5 credit for “any Kindle book” with the purchase of select Kindle devices.
Like most of the other Prime Day sales, these are expected to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 12:01 a.m. PT and last for up to 48 hours. If you’re not seeing the deal you were hoping for, don’t lose hope — experience has shown us that there are likely other Prime Day Kindle deals to come.
It’s unclear whether the higher-end Kindle Oasis or baseline Kindle (non-Kids Edition) will also be on sale, but we’ll keep an eye on their prices because Amazon often slips previously unannounced deals on its devices into Prime Day.
David Carnoy/CNET
This is the Goldilocks in Amazon’s line and our current CNET Editors’ Choice in the category. Here are some things we love about the Kindle Paperwhite:
- It’s 10% thinner and lighter than the previous version.
- It has a “flush-front” design with a back made of a softer, grippy material instead of hard plastic.
- It’s a fully waterproof Kindle, like the high-end Kindle Oasis, and has a plastic screen that Amazon says is shatter- and scratch-resistant.
- It has built-in Bluetooth, so you can download Amazon Audible audiobooks and listen to them with wireless headphones.
Note that Amazon could update the Kindle Paperwhite in 2020 (it was released in Nov. 2018). If and when that happens, it’s unclear how much of an upgrade it will be. For instance, USB-C charging could be added and perhaps the lighting scheme could be updated, but we wouldn’t expect any dramatic upgrades.
Read our Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2018) review.
David Carnoy/CNET
The latest iteration of Amazon’s entry-level ebook reader, which Amazon simply calls the Kindle, now has a self-illuminated screen and an upgraded design. At $90, this ebook reader does cost $10 more than the previous model, the Kindle 2016, but this Kindle device regularly goes on sale for as little as $60. We prefer the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which has the high-resolution display (text and images appear a bit sharper), is waterproof and has a slightly better lighting scheme. But if you don’t want to spend much for an e-reader, the standard Kindle is a good option, especially when it’s discounted.
The Kids Edition on sale here includes a case — there are 4 case options to choose from — along with a year of Amazon Kids Plus (FreeTime Unlimited), which normally costs $3 a month and gives you access to hundreds of kids books. Amazon Kids Plus includes the complete Harry Potter series, and the first book from other popular series such as Artemis Fowl.