PRODUCT FEATURES
OUR REVIEW
Amazon has done it again introducing a new member of the Kindle family – Kindle with Special Offers for $114. Hardware-wise, the $114 version is the same as the wi-fi only Kindle priced at $139. Amazon shaves off a hefty $25 by streaming personalized ad content to the Kindle.
Honestly, the ads are not as intrusive as one may think. In fact, they even seem to liven up the otherwise stale presentation of the home screen. Amazon has put considerable effort in ensuring that the ads are attractive enough to avoid annoying a user when using the Kindle. Amazon also assures that users get a say in what ads appear by way of a voting system to crowd-source appropriate ad content.
Interestingly, the sponsored ads will never appear in the text you are reading. The only times they do appear is on the home screen and when browsing book titles. When the Kindle goes to sleep, you will get a sponsored screensaver. Like all Kindle screensavers, you can ignore or skip through it easily. The bottom line is that the ads are not bothersome and you’ll get to save $25.
People sitting on the fence on whether to buy this Kindle version over the pricier $139 version should rest assured that the ad content in this $114 bundle is unobtrusive. The Amazon has done a great job in making sure that the ads are visible yet subtle. At this price, we can safely say the latest-edition $114 Kindle is a solid value for readers looking to make the jump to e-books.
Michelle S. from Williamsburg, VA gave it a 5-star and wrote,
“Folks, don’t pay full price for your Kindle. The only difference between the full price and Special Offers Kindles are the screen savers (pictures of authors vs. advertisements), the bottom of the home page (nothing vs. a small strip of advertisement), and the price ($139 vs. $114). For the savings of $25, you also get extra savings, like this gift card – $20 Amazon Gift Card for $10. To me, it’s well worth the advertisements. BTW, you do NOT see any ads when you are reading your books. Best of luck making your decisions.”
