5 things I wish I'd known before I bought an Amazon Kindle ereader

It's no secret that here at T3 we absolutely love the Amazon Kindle, easily the best ereader on the market right now, despite some valiant efforts by Kobo and others.

I personally own an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, too, and use it most weeks. It's a great device for reading while on the go.

Offering a scintillating combination of excellent features, great hardware, a huge library of books, and cheap price points there really isn't anything to complain about.

Owning physical books is a really nice experience, especially after browsing a nice bookshop, but there is something so convenient about having an entire library right there in a tiny device.

With holidays abroad looming over the summer and autumn, being able to finally get your teeth into War & Peace after all these years might be possible without having to lug around all 1,225 pages.

But there are still some things you might want to know before taking the ereader leap. As such, here are five important things prospective Amazon Kindle owners should know in my opinion.

1. Make sure you buy a (nice) case

Protecting your Kindle is important, especially if you're off on holiday or to the beach. Keys and other metal objects will scratch the device pretty easily.

Luckily, there are a huge range of cases on offer, both from Amazon and third-parties, in a huge array of styles. 

I personally like Amazon's yellow case for the Kindle Paperwhite but you can get pretty much any style your heart – and fashion – desires.

If you're unsure which type of Kindle would suit you best, then be sure to check out T3's Amazon Kindle vs Kindle Paperwhite feature.

2. Kindle Unlimited is really great 

If you're a veracious reader like me then Kindle Unlimited is perfect. 

The premise is pretty simple: access to a huge library of books and more, from which you can "borrow" 10 books at a time and keep 20 on your device.

It's absolutely ideal for travelling, especially if you can't decide exactly what mood you're in – just download a bunch and see how you get on.

The selection is great, too, although it might be lacking the absolutely newest titles (which can still be purchased from Amazon's store directly).

And, well, we find that our ebook reading pile tends to be so big that we're never reading new titles on launch day anyway, meaning that by the time the book is made available on Kindle Unlimited, we can then read for free.

3. Oasis is brilliant but not necessary

The Kindle Oasis is the cream of the ereader crop – literally. 

It's the most high-end Kindle that Amazon makes, coming with a 7-inch larger display, a refreshed design with dedicated page turning buttons, full waterproofing, and more.

The thing is, for most people, I think the Kindle Paperwhite or entry level Kindle will be absolutely perfect, so just make sure you need the extra fancy features on the Oasis before buying. Oasis is the best Kindle on the market, but I feel that the majority of people don't need it to have a superb ereader experience.

Of course, if there is a deal that brings the Oasis down to the Paperwhite's price point then, well, the decision has been made. The 5-star ereader should be in your shopping trolley.

For a better idea of if the Kindle Oasis is right for you, be sure to check out T3's Amazon Kindle Paperwhite vs Kindle Oasis comparison feature.

4. Make sure you get the right storage 

Most Kindle models come with 8GB of storage as standard, which is absolutely fine for most people because e-books are very small.

However, if you plan on storing a lot of e-books – and we mean a lot, like thousands – on the device at all times or enjoy periodicals with pictures then you might want to consider going for a 32GB model.

Remember, too, that Kindle's can be used to read digital magazines and comic books, too, as well as capable of being used to play music on. All these files take up space, though, so if you fancy having more of an all-round media device then consider larger storage models.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and Kindle Oasis both come with the extra storage as standard, making them your ideal picks here.

5. If you can, wait for Black Friday Kindle deals

We absolutely love Black Friday and Cyber Monday here at T3 Towers and the two huge shopping events are right around the corner. 

This year, Black Friday sales are slated to start on November 25, so mark the date on your calendar now. 

Following on from Amazon Prime Day, the company will very often offer deep discounts on all its devices, including the Kindle. If you can wait until November, it'll likely be well worth it. 

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