Does my Kindle have a headphone jack?
The new Amazon Kindle line for 2024 is now available, but there is an important aspect to consider if you are thinking about upgrading from an older model and want to take advantage of more features beyond reading.
Amazon is introducing an exciting series of upgrades to its line of Kindle e-readers for 2024. It has launched faster and brighter versions of its black-and-white e-ink readers, in addition to introducing the innovative Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which marks the arrival of the first Kindle with a color screen. Despite the appeal of this new model, those who already own a relatively recent Kindle may not have many reasons to consider upgrading to the monochrome versions of 2024, except for the new Matcha finish.
Kindles have been around for many years and have proven to have remarkable durability. This extended time on the market presents an ideal opportunity for those looking to modernize an older model. When considering the possibility of upgrading, it's important to take into account the presence of a headphone jack in the new models. At first glance, it may seem strange that an e-book reader requires this port; however, Kindles are also compatible with audiobooks. Although not all users take advantage of this feature, it is the main reason these devices have so much storage capacity. In general, a Kindle e-book takes up less than 5 MB, allowing even the 16 GB model to store thousands of them. While comics or illustrated titles take up more space, you will likely have enough capacity to load more books than you might need.
Audiobooks require more storage, and a 16 GB Kindle should provide space for several dozen of them. Since the Kindle lacks speakers, a way to listen to them is necessary. Unlike Apple, which removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016, Amazon had made the change earlier. The first generations of Kindles, released between 2007 and 2010, included both headphone jacks and speakers. This trend changed in 2011 with the launch of the Kindle 4, which eliminated the audio jack. Since then, Kindle versions have lacked wired audio output, except for a brief inclusion of USB audio in the Kindle Voyage and the Kindle Paperwhite 3 between 2014 and 2015.
With the absence of wired audio output, some models did not support audiobooks. In 2016, Amazon introduced Kindles with wireless audio capabilities via Bluetooth: the original Kindle Oasis and the Kindle 8. Since then, Bluetooth has become standard in all Kindles, including the new 2024 model. This allows any pair of Bluetooth headphones to connect to current devices, ensuring that there are no compatibility issues, regardless of the quality of the selected headphones or speakers.
In addition to listening to audiobooks, the Bluetooth functionality on the Kindle allows access to VoiceView, an accessibility tool that reads everything on the screen. This feature is specifically designed to assist people with low vision and is not limited to narrating books; it also reads menus and other options that must be activated with a double tap. However, the use of Bluetooth on these devices is primarily aimed at audiobook playback and is exclusively compatible with Amazon's Audible service. Older versions of the Kindle allowed users to load music and other audio files, but those options have disappeared, and currently, Bluetooth functionality is limited to Audible content, also restricted in regions where this service is not available. Nonetheless, VoiceView can still be used in those areas, allowing for a temporary connection of audio devices.
