The aluminum Kindle is dumb and expensive, but I still want one

Amazon released a new set of Kindles onto the market, and all anyone can talk about is the new aluminum variant. And for good reason: It's the first time a Kindle has been available in anything but plastic. It's premium, it feels great, and it shows the Kindle is maturing.

Nah, just kidding. It's dumb, far too expensive, and you shouldn't buy one. So then, why do I really want one?

The aluminum Kindle is not needed

It just distracts from a lack of innovation

Changing device build materials is nothing new. Smartphones went from plastic shells to aluminum, and then to titanium, before coming back to aluminum again. Tablets went through a similar life cycle, though barely anyone noticed, because no one really pays attention to tablets.

So it's just a natural part of a device's evolution, right? Well, it is for a certain class of device. The flagship device.

Everyone expects the Samsung Galaxy S Ultras, Google Pixel Pros, and iPhone Pro Maxes of the world to change and adapt in new, exciting ways. They're the culmination of a company's design and construction abilities. They show off what they can do. They're the headliners, the poster children, the devices that set the narrative and drive the industry forward.

That is not how anyone would describe the Amazon Kindle.

Sure, it's an important device. But it doesn't exist in the same space as the aforementioned flagship devices. The Kindle is a cheap device that does a job and does it well. It's an e-reader, and it reads books. It isn't meant to set any new trends or drive the industry forward, but Amazon is treating it like it does.

Why is it doing that? Because it doesn't have anything else to do with the latest Kindle.

Amazon won't push out a new Kindle without some kind of unique selling point, because it wants people to upgrade from older models to the new one. A job that's been made a lot harder with recent Kindle price rises.

The usual go-to for modern devices isn't possible here. You can't just slap some AI into a Kindle and call it a day. The hardware can't really handle any sort of AI integration, and chucking in upgraded components will make the price increase worse.

So instead, Amazon grabbed headlines by giving the 32GB variant an aluminum shell.

We've seen this before.

Just the latest in a line of needless upgrades for marketing needs

Yes, I mean the Signature models

The Kindle Aluminum isn't alone in aluminum, as the Paperwhite Signature and Colorsoft Signature have also gotten the aluminum treatment.

I'm sure they have their fans, but I've always struggled to see the point of the Signature Kindles.

The automatically adjusting front lights are great, and probably the most compelling Signature feature. But the rest? Really not that good.

The bump to 32GB of storage is welcome, but won't benefit anyone who isn't loading their Kindles with audiobooks. If you are, by all means, go ahead. I've always believed Kindles are a poor way to listen to audiobooks, but if it works for you, then the Signature's boosted storage is a good draw.

But wireless charging? On a Kindle?

I get the idea. Leave your Kindle on a wireless stand, and it's always ready to go when you need it. But your Kindle doesn't need that.

E-readers have extremely long battery lives and can last weeks between charges if you don't use them much. It's easy to find a spare moment to plug a Kindle in, and the relatively small batteries also recharge quickly.

It's another one that falls under "nice to have". But it's not worth paying for. And it was introduced entirely because Amazon needed an excuse to release a new line of Kindles.

I still want one

And I'm not sure why

A Kindle with an aluminum shell isn't the world's worst idea. But it is totally needless, and so very obviously a cynical marketing ploy to justify a new range of Kindles.

I know all this. I know I'm happy with my 11th gen Kindle.

So why do I still want one?

Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe it's the prestige of the more premium material. Plastic, while exceptionally durable, can be slippery, and my Kindle is horrendously so. The new aluminum Kindle has a slight rubber edging around the display, which will make it easier to grip.

Ultimately, I probably want it because the marketing works. And isn't that the best lesson we could take from this? Even though I know the Kindle Aluminum is a terrible upgrade over the basic 16GB variant, I still want one.

If you want a Kindle, don't buy the aluminum version. But I won't blame you if you want to.