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Amazon Kindle Touch
84
Engadget Review
Amazon's first touchscreen reader isn't a revolution, but it's certainly enough to keep the company at the forefront of the e-reader market.
Brian HeaterNovember 14, 2011
Pros
- Dual-touch touchscreenPocket-sizedX-ray search featureOptional 3G
Cons
- No expandable memoryStarting price includes ads
Amazon
Kindle
Engadget - Not yet scored
0
Critics
9 reviews70
Tom's Hardware
Despite our technical critiques, which frankly go deeper than any mainstream user will care to go anyway, we still prefer Kindles to other e-book readers, if only because they're the portal to something greater
79
AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE
Users
47 reviews90
Engadget Reader
The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - Engadget
89
AVERAGE USER SCORE
View All Critic & User Reviews
Amazon Kindle Touch
- Critic Reviews (9)
- User Reviews (47)
- 79AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE9 ReviewsTom's Hardware70Amazon Kindle Touch Review And Fourth-Gen Screen QDespite our technical critiques, which frankly go deeper than any mainstream user will care to go anyway, we still prefer Kindles to other e-book readers, if only because they're the portal to something greater.Laptop Magazine70Amazon Kindle Touch 3G ReviewThe Kindle Touch 3G gives eReader fans a great E Ink screen, an innovative X-Ray feature, and more ways to get free books.CNET80Engadget70Amazon Kindle Touch reviewThere's a lot to like here, including a dual-touch display, X-Ray search feature, audio functionality and a 3G option, but there's nothing here that would make us want to dump our Nook, Sony WiFi reader, Kobo or even Kindle Keyboard.Wired90The Kindle Touch Feels GoodEmphasis on reading and instant gratification in a comfortable package that actually improves on the e-ink touchscreen metaphor. Ads are not intrusive. It’s soothing to see page numbers that match up with the print world.PC Mag80Amazon Kindle Touch 3GAmazon's Kindle Touch is a very capable touch-screen ebook reader, but when it comes to price, the Wi-Fi-only version makes the most sense. The 3G option puts it too close to the more-versatile Kindle Fire tablet.Gizmodo80Kindle Touch Lightning Review: The Only Book GadgeShould You Buy It? Yes, if you're going to buy an ebook reader, it should probably be the Kindle Touch.Pocket-Lint90Amazon Kindle Touch 3G reviewThe Kindle Touch is, like all Kindles, excellent. There is no reason not to buy one at all... When it comes down to it, the Kindle is a great device that offers a great reading experience.TrustedReviews80Amazon Kindle Touch reviewIt is a fantastic ereader, with ease of use benefits that'll outweigh the flexibility bonuses on offer from other manufacturers. However, we're not convinced touchscreen operation is better than good old buttons here, and the Kindle Touch doesn't eclipse the cheaper model.
- 89AVERAGE USER SCORE47 ReviewsEngadget Reader90March 19, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80February 20, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It´s a great little reader but it´s really missing a light, the new Kindle is spot on.Engadget Reader100February 15, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 10, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 6, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love this as I love any of my Kindles.However I gave this to my daughter and no longer use it. i replaced it with the, cheaper, 4th generation Kindle for one simple reason: the Touch version has no buttons. The only way to turn the page is with one's finger (or thumb) which, for me, eliminated truly comfortable one-handed reading.Engadget Reader90September 20, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 8, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80July 24, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is my first eReader. I'm very happy with it! It's easy to read and navigate. Amazon does a decent job and making it easy to use, manage, and, of course, buy books. I've really enjoyed using this device. I've also gotten some great deals on books (a good chunk free, or nearly so!). I also read a lot more since Christmas (when I got it).I wish the pages could "turn" just a little faster.Engadget Reader80July 13, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Only changes I would make would a better resolution screen, addition of turn page buttons and maybe a capacitive touch screen instead of a restive so to reduce accidental page turns. But a greta buy for the price and well worth it.Engadget Reader90June 23, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80June 19, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Other than some laggy touch responses and the bevel being too deep, I really enjoy reading on it. Perfect for outdoor summer reading.Engadget Reader80June 18, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I owned a Kindle 3rd generation which was stolen, so I was in the market for a new e-reader and considered the Nook as well as other Kindles. Ultimately I decided to get the Kindle Touch. I'll focus on the benefits and downsides of the new design. The number one benefit of touch is that books become much more interactive. Highlighting words for definitions and annotations is so much more effortless than with the old d-pad. I have restarted my LA Times subscription and it is amazing how much more natural it feels to navigate through a newspaper with the new interface. I personally feel that the Kindle 3rd gen was the peak of design for the brand. It was slim and handsome, but it had its own issues with usability. I was constantly accidentally pressing buttons when adjusting the device in my hands, an issue that has plagued Amazon's designs since the early days. The new Kindle has a buttonless bezel which allows you to truly sit back and enjoy the content on the screen.However, the trade-off is a large, unsightly, and raised bezel which dominates the face of the device. It's function over form, unusual in this day and age so it's a mixed blessing. The device looks like a picture frame. It feels outstanding in the hands, though. Very balanced and ergonomic in every position, including landscape mode which I like for PDFs. The touch keyboard is definitely better than the old hardware one. Amazon has stood on the shoulders of giants here and duplicated the type of keyboard found on many smartphones and tablets, which is a good thing. Some of the new gestures are better and some are kind of wonky. I wish there was a menu key because I find tapping the upper edge to get options to be unintuitive. The text-to-speech functionality has always been a favorite function to me. I like to read before bed and so having a voice to assist me when my eyes are tired is great. But it's annoying that I have to continuously turn off the voice when I want to annotate or click to see a footnote. Why can't I do both at once?E-readers are still developing. I think in a few years we will have full-color magazines on e-ink displays, with much higher resolution. I considered buying the Nook with Glowlight, which integrates a lighted layer on the device, but ultimately decided to go with Kindle and get a lighted case. I didn't get the ad-enabled option because I don't think it's worth the savings, and I got 3g so my subscription content will be delivered when traveling when I often don't have access to wifi. Overall, I recommend the Kindle Touch because the immense benefits of the technology outweigh the quirks of a still-developing product category. I think Amazon's advantage of scale and experience gives it the edge over Barnes and Noble's and Sony's competitors.Ryan90June 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!a smaller bezel (bigger screen) would make it a 10/10. and the price is great too.Engadget Reader80June 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I am a fan of the hardware but I feel like the software has a long way to go. Overall I'm happy with my first eReader purchase. I'm reading a lot more and am carrying it around when I never would have considered taking a book.Engadget Reader90May 31, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 8, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Great device if you're looking for an e-reader. But I find myself using the iPhone and iPad more for reading. The smoothness in the rendering of the text on the retina displays make it easier on the eyes than the Kindle, even though it is backlit. Magazines and dailies are also so much more dynamic on the iPad.Engadget Reader100April 13, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Love it, so much better to read than on iPad. When I received the Touch, I had to do a force- restart as the screen was not responding, after that everything went smooth.Engadget Reader60April 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!As far as e-ink based reading devices go, you really only have two choices, the Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch or a Kindle. For a device that's primarily focus is the screen, the user's interaction becomes the most important part. The original Kindle's mode of interaction was in the form of a dedicated keyboard and that carried on for 3 generations (the 3rd-gen Kindle is still being sold by Amazon under the moniker of the Kindle keyboard). The natural evolution of these reading devices is to tact on a touchscreen to interaction.While having a touchscreen might sound more natural and appealing making the touchscreen its greatest feature, with the way it's implemented with the Kindle Touch, the touchscreen becomes its greatest flaw.Whenever someone asks to see my Kindle (before purchasing the Kindle touch), the first thing someone did was touch the screen. It's been ingrained in our minds, if it has a large screen, people will try to touch it. So what did Amazon do? They decided that the Kindle needed that touchscreen and unsurprisingly they reveal the Kindle touch (at the same time they pushed out a new non-touchscreen Kindle, demoted the Kindle 3rd-gen to Kindle keyboard and released the much anticipated Kindle Fire).The touchscreen technology on the Kindle touch isn't new, Sony's been using it with their e-ink based readers for roughly a year or two now as does the Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch. In summation, it uses IR sensors around the edges of the screen to detect your touch instead of embedding a touchscreen on the actually screen. Sidenote: Sony tried both approaches, first with the embedded touchscreen, which was actually extremely detrimental to the screen because it caused it to reflect light, contrary to the design of e-ink, then moved onto this IR tech in their latest touchscreen-enabled e-ink readers.So how does the touchscreen add to the experience of the Kindle. For me, it's a double-edged sword. Navigation on the device became much easier and more natural. Rather than fumbling with the terrible keyboard on the Kindle keyboard to search for titles, ultimately causing me much frustration that I would just turn to a computer, the touchscreen was a joy to use. I found that I was actually using the device more for browsing for titles. However, the reading experience, which is the most important aspect of any e-reader, was the most frustrating. Since Amazon got rid of the side page-turn buttons, the only way to turn the page is via the touchscreen. It seems logical on paper, but in practice, it's a nightmare. With the side buttons, it was more of a passive experience, you can have your hands (or hand) on the device and never need to move them to read, just click one of those buttons and you're off reading. But with the touchscreen, you have to literally lift your finger or thumb to turn the page, by either swiping from left to right or by touching the bottom left hand corner. A majority of the time, I was left with a touchscreen that wouldn't register my swipe or the device thinking I swiped, turning the page for me, completely interrupting my reading. It may sound like I'm nitpicking, but if my primary goal is to read a book or article uninterrupted and you're interrupting me, then that's a problem.Another issue I had with the device, page turns were slow (it's on par with the Kindle keyboard though) when compared to the Barnes and Noble Simple Touch or the 4th-gen Kindle, but I wouldn't have noticed this unless I played with all three devices at a local Staples.Overall, I'd say that if you're looking for a superb experience with navigation, thanks to the new touchscreen, and can put up with the miss/accidental swipes, then by all means, go for it, but if want a device with a frustration-free reading experience, then look to the Kindle keyboard or 4th-gen Kindle.Engadget Reader90March 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100March 7, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 21, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100February 20, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 19, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 16, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100February 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love books; real, dead-tree books. Most of the time I buy real books, but lately I can't make the time to carry and read them. The Kindle does what I needed, reduce the size of my books so that I can carry them with me everywhere and read more books.Engadget Reader70February 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Touch screen functionality is not great.Engadget Reader90January 31, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 24, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 15, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 14, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I received my Kindle Touch Wi-Fi with Ads for Christmas this year and I've barely been able to put it down! I've never considered myself a big reader but now I find myself reserving time in the day to read on my kindle. It is a great, lightweight, easy to use ereader with plenty of book choices. The touch screen works much better than I anticipated it would. If you are thinking about getting an eReader, please just get the Amazon Kindle TouchEngadget Reader80January 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Just like the ipod revolutionized the bulky MP3 player, the kindle touch will reconcile the books sitting on peoples' shelves. This device is the best. First Gen complaints are reading in the dark, switching from portrait to landscape, lack custom wallpapers, interactive 8bit pc games(kings quest), bluetooth networking.Engadget Reader90December 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Having just upgraded from the Kindle 2 to to the Touch I am very impressed with the e-ink improvements, size and performance of this unit. Purchased direct from Amazon via a 3rd party shipping company since it is still not available in Australia but is still cheaper doing it this way than the rip off prices charged in the country.Engadget Reader90December 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Kindle Touch might be my Gadget of the Year. This is my first Kindle, and I love it. For people with a Kindle 3, this upgrade might be useless, sure; but the product by itself is just perfect. The Touchscreen works great, and, at least for me, it is not hard at all to hold it while reading.Zen80December 16, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 14, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Despite hearing some negative reviews regarding the Kindle Touch, I really like mine! The lag on the touchscreen can be bothersome at times after I've been on my iPhone all day, but it really doesn't bother me. This is my first e-reader and I'm hooked - I have been doing more leisure reading the past month than I have in the past couple years! Now time to catch up with the reading selections featured on the Sword & Laser podcast... :-)Engadget Reader90December 12, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 1, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 26, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I had actually purchased a Kindle Fire. I'm a proud owner of a Kindle second generation. This one is really hard to beat. About the only thing better would be color :)Engadget Reader100November 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 18, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I really love the Kindle Touch - way more than my Kindle Keyboard. It only refreshes once every six pages which makes page turns relatively instant (probably faster than you could turn one in a real book). The new navigation system is intuitive, and the system's touch is very responsive and easy to use.Like I noted above, I've never been a fan of the way Kindle handles documents, and too often I've loaded a PDF that just doesn't work right. I would not use it as a go to for saving documents for later use.The sound is good, a little tinny, but good out of the two rear speakers. The browser seems more responsive than I remember, and is much MUCH easier to use with a touch screen.Love it!
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Key Specs
SCREEN TYPE
E Ink
SCREEN SIZE
622
TOUCHSCREEN
Yes
MOBILE BROADBAND (3G)
No
INTERNAL STORAGE
41
BATTERY LIFE
Up to 3020
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