The 12th-gen Kindle has surfaced in what appear to be official Amazon marketing images, revealing four colours, redesigned display corners and a relocated power button. The refresh gives Amazon’s most affordable e-reader a fresh look, though a recent price rise raises questions about how it stacks up against rivals such as the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kobo Clara BW.
The images show the base Kindle in black, green, light blue and purple. The display now features slightly rounded corners, a departure from the perfectly square panels used across previous generations of the entry-level model. The power button has also moved from the bottom edge to the upper right side, a change intended to reduce the chance of accidentally putting the device to sleep while it rests in your hands or on your lap.
What the leak shows
The renders include two slightly different front designs, one with the screen sitting almost flush and another with a raised frame around it. This could indicate more than one device, or simply marketing material that changes before launch. A refreshed Kindle Kids also appears to be on the way, differing mainly through its bundled cover and a longer warranty. Price, specifications and a release date remain unknown, though the screen is expected to stay at around 6 inches.
The current model retains a 6-inch, 300ppi screen and 16GB of storage, matching the specifications the 2024 version launched with.
Price and rivals
In August, Amazon raised the price of the current Kindle from roughly £85 to about £115, an increase of more than 36%. That amounts to around £30 extra for the same screen and storage as before.
The comparison with rivals is where the base Kindle looks less compelling. The Kobo Clara BW is listed at approximately £125, only about £10 more, yet it adds a waterproof build and adjustable warm lighting, neither of which the base Kindle offers. Owners of a Kobo Clara have little reason to switch based on the leak alone, at least until full specifications are confirmed.
The Kindle Paperwhite, priced at around £155, continues to offer a larger 7-inch screen and waterproofing that the entry-level model lacks, so existing Paperwhite owners have no pressing need to upgrade either.
Who the refresh targets
The 12th-gen Kindle is likely to appeal most to first-time buyers and parents shopping for a child’s first e-reader, where colour options such as light blue or purple offer broader appeal than black alone. The side-mounted power button is a practical improvement for anyone whose older Kindle tends to sleep when shifted in hand. Amazon is expected to announce the new Kindle shortly, with the official price still to be confirmed.
Source
Image: phonearena.com
