So the question is not whether the new Amazon Kindle Touch is a good ereader – it is – or a good touch ereader – which it also is. At issue is whether the touch functionality is worth £109 when you can get the basic Kindle for £89.
Indeed, it seems beyond question that the basic Kindle is here to stay purely because prices are now so low – how many consumers really wonder if they should get an iPad or a Kindle, when the difference is hundreds of pounds? These are, for now at least, very different categories of product.
So what do you get for your extra £20, or £80 for the 3G model? The 220g device is heavier and thicker than a standard Kindle by 40g and 1.5mm respectively. It offers two months battery life in light use and can store 3,000 books.
The touch interface itself is an excellent idea: tap anywhere in the right or lower sides of the screen to turn the page forward, or a slightly smaller area on the left to go back. Tap the top for the menu and toolbar. The size of the 6” screen means both left and right-handed people are fairly evenly catered for.
That screen’s contrast seems slightly better than the standard Kindle, but both are excellent. The home button takes you to a slightly redesigned front page, and swiping takes you through the home screens themselves.
If there’s a disappointment, however, it’s in the speed of the touchscreen – turning pages isn’t quite as fast as the standard Kindle, and pressing and holding to, say, share a passage on Twitter takes longer than feels right. None of this is catastrophic, but it should be faster. In PDFs and other formats, you can now even pinch to zoom. The new contextual search, called X-ray and already available in America, allows you to see how and where key words or characters appear in a book. It’s surprisingly useful, albeit not available for all titles.
Most frustrating, however, was the fact that the sleep button is now more important, as it stops pages getting turned in your bag or pocket, but it is as hidden as ever. Touch users must remember to turn their devices off when not in use, as otherwise you’ll find you’ve apparently read rather more than you remember.
All in all, if you’re given a Touch you’ll appreciate it and you may never want to go back. But the standard Kindle is faster and cheaper – if you’re buying one yourself, or offered the choice, it’s your better option.