After all the chaos we have seen in the Kindle world over the last week, I’ve noticed that there tend to be two types of reactions from users.
The first reaction is that some people want to move off the Kindle platform as quickly as possible. Their whole interest is setting up a new reading environment where ebook ownership means having all their books’ files on backup media somewhere.
The second reaction, fueled by either old Kindle devices or unregistered Kindle devices, is the desire to get a new Kindle. As part of the bulk download process many of us went through before Amazon cut off that ability, my wife realized that although she has three devices, the newest Kindle she owns is a Paperwhite she bought back in 2012.
Also: Want free ebooks? These 10 sites offer thousands of options
Her favorite device, the large-format Kindle DX, can no longer load Kindle books because it lacks connectivity to Amazon. We tried registering an old Kindle Keyboard from 2010. Even though it has Wi-Fi connectivity, the security protocols in that machine are so out of date that it wouldn’t authenticate with Amazon.
This article is for those with active Kindle libraries or those who want to get started in the Kindle ecosystem. As it turns out, if you want to buy a new Kindle, there are a number of ways you can save big on the purchase.
First, I’ll show you the ways you can save. Then, I’ll build a couple of configurations, and we’ll do some math on the savings.
1. Save 20% with trade-in (plus bonus bucks)
Amazon has an offer where you can trade in an old device and get a 20% discount — plus a few bucks for your old device.
Amazon has a full page of details<!–> and a fairly comprehensive set of terms and conditions–>. There are a few very interesting details that pertain to this deal:
- The trade-in doesn’t have to be Kindle-for-Kindle. You can trade in Kindles, but you can also trade in old Echo devices and a variety of other devices that aren’t even Amazon-branded.
- Your device must be unregistered and unlocked when you trade it in. That means that devices that won’t sustain registering (like our old Kindles) are eligible, as long as they can take and hold a charge.
- You get the value of the trade-in returned as a gift card. This is entirely separate from the 20% discount.
- You can only get one 20% discount via a trade-in per calendar quarter. This is March. So if you buy now, presumably you can trade in something else next month in April.
As you can see, my account has a few Echos on it that are eligible for trade-in. They’re only worth five bucks on their own, but five bucks is five bucks.
Also: How to easily convert EPUB files to Kindle format in minutes
You can trade in a bunch of device types, including most Amazon devices, as well as mobile phones and gaming consoles.
2. Save 10% for using an Amazon credit card
Some Kindle devices will also give you a 10% return when a purchase is charged to a Prime Visa card.
Note that there’s also a “Save $40” notation on this price block. That’s not all that useful. It turns out that if you buy two Kindle Scribes–> at once, then you get an extra $40 back. I guess, if you’re buying for your whole family, it might add some value, but it’s not all that practical for most folks.
3. Three months of Kindle Unlimited worth $36
This deal is also only on select Kindle devices and really only provides a dollar savings if (a) you’re already a Kindle Unlimited–> user and (b) you time your purchase just right.
Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 per month. On some devices, you can get three free months of Kindle Unlimited when you buy the device. If you cancel your current Kindle Unlimited subscription and then get the three free months, you’ll net a savings of $36.
Also: How to add EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files to your Kindle – no converting required
The timing factor is you’ll need to cancel Kindle Unlimited the month before you buy the new Kindle so your billing period is completed on Kindle Unlimited before you get the three free months. For our scenarios below, we’ll assume you got the timing right.
Be careful here. It looks like if you choose the free three months of Kindle Unlimited, the 20% trade-in option goes away. So you’re choosing one or the other.
4. Save $20 with lockscreen ads
With some Kindles, Amazon gives you the option to accept ads on the Kindle lock screen. If you do so, you’ll save $20. When I bought my base-model Kindle–> last month, I opted for the cheapest I could find, which cost $109. Without ads, it would have cost $129.
The ads aren’t particularly bothersome or egregious, so it was a pretty worthwhile deal for me.
5. Buy a bundle and save on accessories
–>
