We’re just one big rotation away from Amazon’s huge devices event, where we expect it to deliver updates on everything from Echo smart speakers to Fire TV sticks and tablets, Kindles, and more. Of all Amazon‘s gadgets, the only one I use virtually every day is my Kindle Paperwhite ereader.
It’s my bedtime companion, the last gadget I touch before I nod off mid-paragraph, and, aside from my partner, the one thing I spend hours with during a vacation. Put another way, I’ve been using an Amazon Kindle for over a decade and have come to know it intimately. That’s why I feel qualified to point out a few aspects that Amazon could adjust in this latest, anticipated upgrade of one of the best ereaders.
Move the power button
Let’s start with my biggest Kindle pet peeve: the power/sleep button placement.
I should preface this by saying I mostly love the Kindle’s minimalist design. Every version from the basic Kindle to the Paperwhite Signature Edition is thin and light. The screens, typically 300ppi, are clear, bright, and sharp. You can buy a Kindle Colorsoft model, which adds a range of hues to support reads like graphic novels, but the monochrome models are still my preference, especially since I mainly use these ereaders for wordy novels.
I like the touch screens and embedded lights that cascade brightness over the surface, and I am never happier than when I’m on the beach, where sunlight is the only illumination I need, or in bed reading for minutes or hours of enjoyment.
During a recent cross-country flight without WiFi, my Jade Kindle Paperwhite was my only source of distraction. I rested the Kindle on my lap and read away until the screen unexpectedly blinked out. I hadn’t run out of battery, just leaned a bit too hard on the tablet and inadvertently pressed the power button into my lap.
This happens more often than you might think, and there’s a simple solution: Move the power button to the back of the device or, alternatively, to one side. My hope is that the new Kindles we’re all expecting this week from Amazon feature this one change.
Add a kickstand
When I read at night, I make a rather complicated pile of the covers on my chest to try and prop up my Amazon Kindle. It usually doesn’t work, and at some point, the Kindle topples forward onto my face or backward onto my stomach. I don’t want to awkwardly hold it the entire time I’m reading, and instead, I prefer to have my hand resting next to the ereader so I can reach out to tap the screen with my index finger.
Yes, I’m a little lazy.
You know what would instantly solve this issue? An integrated kickstand; it should just pop out from the back and be wide enough to keep the Kindle steady. I understand that a case might solve this problem, but I don’t keep my Kindle in a case because I don’t like the extra weight, and the Kindle is tough enough (even waterproof) to survive without one.
I bet everyone who loves their Kindle would appreciate it just a little bit more with a simple kickstand made out of the same material as the chassis.
Give me touch sensitivity control
Another pet Kindle peeve I have is when I accidentally highlight text on the page or turn a page seemingly because I breathed on it. Obviously, that’s an exaggeration, but I’m not alone in complaining that the Kindle screen can be too sensitive and that there’s no way to adjust that sensitivity (there are Reddit threads devoted to the issue).
So that’s my simple ask: a little software update that lets me adjust touch sensitivity. In lieu of that, I would like Amazon to add a toggle switch so I can turn off highlighting. You know how many times I’ve highlighted in the hundreds of Kindle books I’ve read? Next to never.
X-Ray all the time
Sometimes I read a book, and a character is mentioned that I cannot remember. Amazon’s X-Ray offers quick access to information on all the book’s players.
I’ve found, though, that if a character isn’t mentioned by their full name, or the book introduces another way of mentioning them, X-Ray may not be helpful. Sometimes I just start paging back in search of the first mention. I think that if Amazon did a slight redesign and offered the option to make X-Ray omnipresent, that might help with more complicated, character-filled tomes.
Basically, the bottom quarter of the page would be devoted to X-Ray, and characters would be added as they appear. The list would be scrollable and always put the characters who are currently on the page at the top. If you tap on a character, it instantly shows you their first mention in the book.
Add Alexa+
This feature might work smoothly with another feature I’m requesting: Alexa+ AI synopsis.
Now that Alexa+ got its big AI upgrade, it’s high time for Kindle integration. Maybe Amazon adds an Alexa+ button. You tap it, and a context-aware synopsis appears. It lets you know who the characters currently in play are, what they’ve been doing, and clues you into any relevant subtext and events that are pertinent to that moment in the story. It could even go further and explain references both within and outside the book.
Maybe it also acts as an integrated, virtual book club, to discuss with you the actions and themes up to that moment. It could be text and/or audio-based.
Such an integration could mark the end of confusion for even the most complex stories. There might be a question of processing power and local models. I’d prefer that the feature work locally, but would understand if this were an Airplane Mode-off-only feature.
There you have it. I’m not asking for the world, and certainly won’t be crushed if all these Kindle features do not come to pass. I’m certain, though, that at least some of them can or will. When that happens, I will happily upgrade to my next, beloved Kindle ereader.
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lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff)
