Yahoo Lifestyle Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Kindle Essentials bundles are cheaper than ever ahead of Prime Day
Get a case and a power adapter for free when you buy the e-reader.
Those who have a Kindle on their holiday shopping list are in luck. Amazon’s running an early Prime Day deal that knocks up to $70 off a couple of Kindle Essential bundles, which include the e-reader, a case and a power adapter. Prime members can grab the standard Kindle Essential bundle for $89.97, roughly $45 off its normal price, or the Kindle Paperwhite Essentials bundle for $119.97, which is roughly $70 off its normal price.
Buy Kindle bundle at Amazon - $89.97 Buy Kindle Paperwhite bundle at Amazon - $119.97
If it wasn’t clear, this is deal is only available to Prime members — but you can still sign up for a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime. If you do so, you’ll get access to deals like this on and ahead of Prime Day, which will run October 13 and 14.
To put these Kindle sales into perspective: the $89 price for the standard Kindle bundle is the same as the normal price for the Kindle by itself, so you’re essentially getting the case and the power adapter for free. With the $119 Kindle Paperwhite bundle, you’re actually getting those freebies plus a discount of $10 because the regular price of the Kindle Paperwhite is $129. The Prime savings will be listed under the bundle price on the product pages and you’ll see the full sale price before you checkout.
It’s hard to go wrong with either of Amazon’s e-readers. We gave the regular Kindle a score of 91 and the Kindle Paperwhite a score of 95. Both are excellent e-paper slabs that make for a comfortable, convenient reading experience. Regardless of the storage capacity you choose, they can hold thousands of titles and both support Audible integration, allowing you to listen to audiobooks if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones paired to the device.
The biggest differences between the two come in the displays. The standard Kindle has a 167ppi screen with four LED front lights while the Paperwhite has a 300ppi display with five front lights. The Paperwhite also has a slightly sleeker design thanks to its display sitting flush with its bezels — and that design is also IPX8 waterproof.
These bundle deals are great for anyone who has wanted to buy one of the newest Kindles and knew they also wanted a case and a power adapter to go with it. Just keep in mind that both deals are for the ad-supported models, so you’ll have to deal with home screen advertisements delivered by Amazon.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
