Take $30 off a new Amazon Kindle, our recommended budget ebook reader

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Take $30 off a new Amazon Kindle, our recommended budget ebook reader
Ars Technica

Today’s Dealmaster is headlined by a nice discount on the Amazon Kindle, which is currently down to $60. That’s tied for the lowest price we’ve tracked for Amazon’s entry-level ebook reader and a $30 drop from its usual going rate. The deal also bundles a three-month subscription to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited ebook service, which typically costs $30 on its own. Just note that the subscription will be set to auto-renew at $10 a month once the free period is up, so you may want to set a reminder for yourself if you wish to cancel.

The Kindle is the “best budget” option in our guide to the best ebook readers. We like it for offering a decent 6-inch display with adjustable front lighting that helps it stay visible in darker environments, a lightweight (6.01 oz.) and comfortable design that takes up little room in a bag, solid battery life that lasts roughly four weeks a charge, and Bluetooth connectivity that lets you connect wireless headphones and listen to Audible audiobooks. And like any other Kindle, it comes with access to Amazon’s massive ebook library.

To be clear, though, this is priced below Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite, our favorite ebook reader, for a reason. By comparison, the entry-level Kindle’s display isn’t as sharp, with a 167-pixel-per-inch (ppi) density compared to the Paperwhite’s crisper 300ppi display. This won’t be a major nuisance unless you’re coming from a sharper ereader display, but the Kindle’s text is fuzzier, and the drop-off will be particularly noticeable with image-heavy material like comic books and manga. Beyond that, the Kindle lacks the Paperwhite’s waterproofing, its display is a tad dimmer due to having one fewer LED front light, it has half as much storage space at 4GB, and its display is recessed from the rest of the design, not set flush à la the higher-end model. In either case, you still have to put up with home-screen ads (unless you pay a one-time fee) and DRM protection that effectively locks your ebook library into Amazon’s platform.

Still, while the Kindle Paperwhite is a better device, the latest Kindle is still a solid buy for those who just want to pay as little as possible for something serviceable. If you have no interest in a new ebook reader, though, we also have a big one-day sale on Anker charging accessories, a few Amazon Fire TV device deals, God of War for $10, and more. Have a look for yourself below.

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Top 10 deals of the day

  • Amazon Kindle (4GB, ads) ereader + Amazon Kindle Unlimited 3-month membership for $59.99 at Amazon (normally $90).
  • Today only: Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD USB-C portable battery – 18W total, 18W USB-C PD, USB-A, 10,000 mAh + Anker PowerPort III Nano 18W USB-C wall charger for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
  • Today only: Anker PowerCore III Fusion 5K USB-C portable battery + wall charger – 18W total, 18W USB-C PD, USB-A, 5,000 mAh for $32.99 at Amazon (normally $43).
  • Today only: Anker PowerPort Strip 6 USB power strip – 6x AC, 3x USB-A for $24.99 at Amazon (normally $34).
  • God of War (PS4) for $9.99 at Amazon (normally $15).
  • Aukey Latitude EP-B40 Bluetooth sports earphones for $16.49 at Amazon (use code: H2C42MEE – normally $30).
  • Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K HDR media streamer for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
  • Instant Pot Ultra Mini (3qt) 10-in-1 electric pressure cooker for $83.41 at Amazon (normally $115).
  • Google Pixel 3a (64GB) unlocked smartphone for $279 at Amazon and B&H (normally $350).
  • Apple Smart Keyboard for iPad (7th gen), iPad Air (3rd gen), and 10.5-inch iPad Pro for $99 at Amazon and Best Buy (normally $150).
The SanDisk Extreme portable SSD next to an iPhone XR.
Enlarge / The SanDisk Extreme portable SSD next to an iPhone XR.
Valentina Palladino

Laptop and desktop PC deals

  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet PC – Intel Core i5-1035G4, 12.3-inch 2736×1824, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD + Surface Pro Type Cover (Black) for $1,299 at Amazon (normally $1,600).
  • CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock – 2x Thunderbolt 3, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, 5x USB-A 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, digital optical audio, analog in/out, 87W charging for $229.99 at Amazon (normally $270).
  • WD My Passport (5TB) portable external hard drive for $99.99 at Amazon (normally $115).
  • SanDisk Extreme (500GB) portable external SSD for $81.77 at Amazon and B&H (normally $90).
<em>Metal Gear Solid 5</em>.
Enlarge / Metal Gear Solid 5.

Video game deals

The Razer Viper Ultimate.
Enlarge / The Razer Viper Ultimate.

Gaming deals

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K.
Enlarge / The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K.

TV and home entertainment deals

The Amazon Kindle ebook reader.
Enlarge / The Amazon Kindle ebook reader.
Valentina Palladino

Electronics deals

  • Google Pixel 3a (64GB) unlocked smartphone for $279 at Amazon and B&H (normally $350).
  • Google Pixel 3a XL (64GB) unlocked smartphone for $319 at Amazon and B&H (normally $410).
  • Amazon Kindle (4GB, ads) ereader + Amazon Kindle Unlimited 3-month membership for $59.99 at Amazon (normally $90).
  • Aukey Latitude EP-B40 Bluetooth sports earphones for $16.49 at Amazon (use code: H2C42MEE – normally $30).
  • Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm) smartwatch for $179 at Amazon (normally $199).
  • Apple AirPods Pro true wireless noise-cancelling earphones for $227.99 at Amazon (discount seen in checkout – normally $240).
  • Apple AirPods (latest gen) true wireless earbuds with Qi wireless charging case for $149.98 at Amazon (normally $169).
  • Beats Powerbeats Pro true wireless earphones for $199.95 at Amazon (normally $250).
  • Beats Solo Pro Bluetooth noise-cancelling on-ear headphones for $249.95 at Amazon (normally $300).
  • Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones for $49.99 at Amazon (clip $10 coupon – normally $60).
  • Amazon Eero Pro mesh Wi-Fi router for $159 at Amazon (normally $199).
  • Amazon Eero Pro (3-pack) mesh Wi-Fi router for $399 at Amazon (normally $499).
  • Amazon Eero Beacon mesh Wi-Fi range extender add-on for $119 at Amazon (normally $149).
  • Synology DS218+ 2-bay NAS for $272.99 at Amazon (normally $297).
The Beats Solo Pro noise-cancelling headphones.
Enlarge / The Beats Solo Pro noise-cancelling headphones.

Smart home deals

Aukey's PB-Y13 portable power bank.
Enlarge / Aukey’s PB-Y13 portable power bank.

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

  • Today only: Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD USB-C portable battery – 18W total, 18W USB-C PD, USB-A, 10,000 mAh + Anker PowerPort III Nano 18W USB-C wall charger for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
  • Today only: Anker PowerCore III Fusion 5K USB-C portable battery + wall charger – 18W total, 18W USB-C PD, USB-A, 5,000 mAh for $32.99 at Amazon (normally $43).
  • Today only: Anker PowerWave 7.5 Stand Qi wireless charging stand – 10W Galaxy/7.5W iPhone + AC adapter for $34.99 at Amazon (normally $49).
  • Today only: Anker PowerPort Strip 6 USB power strip – 6x AC, 3x USB-A for $24.99 at Amazon (normally $34).
  • Today only: Anker PowerPort Strip PD 2 Mini USB power strip – 2x AC, 18W USB-C PD, 2x USB-A for $22.49 at Amazon (normally $34).
  • Today only: Anker PowerLine+ II (3-pack) Lightning cable – 3ft, 6ft, 10ft for $29.99 at Amazon (normally $40).
  • Today only: Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim USB desktop charger – 65W total, 45W USB-C, 3x USB-A, GaN for $38.99 at Amazon (normally $55).
  • Anker PowerLine (5-pack) microUSB cable – 2x 1ft, 2x 3ft, 6ft for $9.99 at Woot (normally $16).
  • Anker PowerLine II (3ft) USB-C to USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 cable for $16.99 at Amazon (use code: AKCTCTB3 – normally $20).
  • Anker PowerExpand+ 5-in-1 USB-C hub – 3x USB 3.0, HDMI (4K 30Hz), Ethernet for $26.39 at Amazon (normally $33).
  • Anker PowerWave Base Pad Qi wireless charger – 10W Galaxy/7.5W iPhone, no AC adapter for $10.99 at Amazon (normally $14).
  • Nonda USB-C to USB-C 3.0 mini adapter for $7.99 at Amazon (normally $10).
  • iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 dashboard smartphone car mount for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $25).
  • iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD slot smartphone car mount for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $25).
  • Aukey PB-Y13 USB-C portable battery – 18W total, 18W USB-C PD, 2x USB-A, 10,000 mAh for $18.89 at Amazon (use code: 53KXUCV7 – normally $30).
  • AmazonBasics USB-C to USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 (5-pack, 3ft) cable for $34.24 at Amazon (normally $43).
  • Apple Smart Keyboard for iPad (7th gen), iPad Air (3rd gen), and 10.5-inch iPad Pro for $99 at Amazon and Best Buy (normally $150).
  • Nekteck 5-Port 111W Charging Station USB-C desktop charger – 111W total, 87W USB-C PD, 4x USB-A for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
  • Mophie Powerstation AC portable battery pack – 100W AC, 30W USB-C PD, USB-A, 22,000mAh for $127.59 at Amazon (normally $195).

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