Amazon Kindle Touch Pro Reviews

Initially, I had misgivings about Amazon's Kindle e-readers due to format constraints, but having used the workarounds available to good effect, this no longer remains a concern. The Kindle Touch is just the right size and its touchscreen makes for an uncluttered viewing experience. That said, navigating the user interface felt cumbersome at times and the list viewing of stored titles seems somewhat inelegant. Indeed, Amazon really should be thinking more about user expectations of touchscreen devices here, but for now, the experience is more functional than finessed.

Bigger, heavier and pricier than the non-touch version, so buy it only if audio or 3G is a priority

There's no doubt that the Kindle Touch 3G is a great device. It's not a question of whether we recommend it or not – we do – but whether it's the right Kindle model for you. For academic use, we recommend the Kindle Touch over its £89 sibling. It's so much easier to search, highlight and annotate using the touch interface that it's no competition. Similarly, if you like to buy a lot of books on your device on the go, the fact that there's a 3G option could sway you. However, if you just want a simple high-quality ebook reader for taking everywhere in your bag and reading your library, the cheaper, smaller, lighter £89 Kindle might be the way to go. You won't be disappointed with either.

Overall, I really like the Kindle Touch. Hardware-wise, I found the Nook Touch more responsive and more comfortable to hold, and software-wise I found the Nook Touch more intuitive and mature (outside of the Kindle's amazing new "X-Ray"). But if I needed a touchscreen E Ink reader right this second, I'd get the Kindle in a heartbeat — home is where the ecosystem is, after all, and there are zero dealbreakers here, just slight preferences. Still, do I really need a touchscreen E Ink reader? That's the bigger question. Between the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire, there are two great, cheap tablets available — which do a lot more than just books. Plus, with bigger and better phone displays at every turn, E Ink is started to look seriously dated. It might be worth waiting for another generation of E Ink to up the resolution and improve contrast and response even further, but I might just have to admit to myself that E Ink will probably never read as well as a real book, or interact as well as an LCD — although if you've ever tried to read on an LCD in sunlight, E Ink will be an absolute godsend.

The Kindle Touch is the flagship eInk Kindle device right now, and for good reason. Amazon has finally done away with the hardware keyboard and added a touchscreen display for easier navigation and text entry. Though it's disappointing that the 3G wireless is limited to Kindle book shopping and delivery, the Kindle Touch is an improvement in every other way over the previous generation of Kindle devices. The easy to use Kindle interface has been retained, and the new X-Ray feature is pure genius. While the cost might be prohibitive for those looking to upgrade from previous Kindle devices, for new users, the smaller size, touchscreen, text-to-speech and Audible support, as well as the X-Ray make the Kindle Touch the best option. And if your budget can expand enough to treat yourself to the new model, the Kindle Touch is an excellent upgrade. Afte all, you can always pass along your old Kindle to a friend or family member.

Though the Kindle Touch is a necessary catch-up upgrade for Amazon, this model's hardware and software introduce little innovation and imagination to separate it from the competition. The most compelling aspect of the Kindle Touch is its inclusion of 3G, and you'll pay a steep premium for it over the cost of Wi-Fi-only model. That is, of course, if you are prepared to import one from the US.

Despite apocalyptic conclusions predicting the death of dedicated e-readers in the face of competition from tablets, the battle is as heated as ever. Amazon alone is currently offering three such devices: the fourth-generation Kindle, Kindle Touch and Kindle Keyboard. So, does the Touch manage to stand head and shoulders above the rest? In a word, "naw." There's a lot to like here, including a dual-touch display, X-Ray search feature, audio functionality and a 3G option, but there's nothing here that would make us want to dump our Nook, Sony WiFi reader, Kobo or even Kindle Keyboard. The Kindle Touch is as good as any touch reader out there, but there's nothing particularly exceptional about it -- including pricing.

The Kindle Touch is arguably the best all-around full-featured e-ink reader--if, that is, its litany of extra features (audio support, X-Ray, Kindle Owners' Lending Library) appeal to you, and if you're okay with Special Offers ads. If you don't need hard page-turn buttons, it's definitely the best bang for the buck.

Amazon's Kindle Touch is a very capable touch-screen ebook reader, but when it comes to price, the Wi-Fi-only version makes the most sense. The 3G option puts it too close to the more-versatile Kindle Fire tablet.