Black Friday and Cyber Monday are prime times throughout the year to get mobile tech at lower-than-usual prices. That means there are ample Cyber Monday phone deals, tablet deals, and smartwatch deals. But those aren’t the only mobile gadgets you can buy for cheap. Also available at a discount today is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.
The Kindle Paperwhite isn’t a particularly exciting mobile device, at least not on paper. It isn’t a flashy flagship smartphone or a powerful tablet you can use to play CoD: Mobile. Instead, it’s a very simple e-reader that’s designed for reading e-books and nothing more. But it’s because of that simplicity that the Kindle Paperwhite is so damn good — and why it’s the best $100 you can spend on a new gadget this Cyber Monday.
Why the Kindle Paperwhite is a killer $100 deal
I used to read all the time growing up. I always had a book by my nightstand and would read almost every night before bed. But I fell out of that habit at some point as I got older, and numerous times, I’ve tried getting it back by reading books on my phone or tablet. But the experience just isn’t the same.
No matter how many notifications I silence or how strongly I crank up my phone’s blue light filter, something about reading a book on an LCD or AMOLED screen just doesn’t feel right. It strains my eyes, I get distracted by Twitter — something always takes me out of it.
Then, last Christmas, I received a Kindle Paperwhite as a gift. And I’ve used it almost daily ever since.
The beauty of the Kindle Paperwhite lies in the simplicity I mentioned above. It’s a device designed exclusively for reading, and that makes a world of difference. There’s no Twitter app to tempt me away from my books, no YouTube app to watch videos on, and no gaming horsepower to knock out a couple of rounds of Call of Duty. I can only read on the Kindle Paperwhite, and having that forced limitation means that when I pick up my Kindle, I know I’m putting myself in a place to read — and nothing but reading.
None of that’s new for Kindles, and you can get a basic e-reading experience for less with the baseline Kindle e-reader. But the Kindle Paperwhite elevates things in a few key areas. It has 17 LEDs with an adjustable warm light to help you comfortably read in the dark, a large 6.8-inch screen that’s roomy without being too bulky, and an IPX8 rating that lets you read your favorite books near the pool or in the tub.
The Kindle Paperwhite isn’t something that’ll replace your phone or tablet — but it is a perfect companion device to live alongside them.
And once you have your Kindle, finding books to read is both easy and affordable. You can buy books individually through Amazon, use a subscription service like Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited, or loan books for free through your local library using the Libby app.
The Kindle Paperwhite isn’t something that’ll replace your phone or tablet — but it is a perfect companion device to live alongside them. It’s a lightweight, comfortable, approachable gadget to help you read and not a thing more. And at just $100 for Cyber Monday — $50 off its typical $150 retail price — there’s never been a better time to buy one.
