Netflix just blew past Wall Street's expectations for subscriber growth.
A big contributor to that was its limit on password sharing and its cheaper, ad-supported tier.
That bodes well for Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, which plan to follow suit this year.
Netflix said it grew subscribers by 9.33 million worldwide in Q1 — double what Wall Street had expected.
Boosting its performance was the company's crackdown on password sharing, which has led to new signups, as well as its cheaper, ad-supported option. The ads tier costs less ($6.99 per month) than adding a member outside your household ($7.99 per month).
Netflix "added more subscribers than many analysts, myself included, expected," Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes wrote. "This signals that password sharing was even more common than previously thought as Netflix keeps converting freeloader viewers into paid users."
There could be still more growth to come, as the crackdown helped drive nearly 30 million subscribers in FY23, while fully 100 million users are estimated to share their passwords, Macquarie wrote in a research note.
Netflix said its ad-supported tier grew 65% quarter on quarter, after nearly 70% sequential increases for the previous two quarters. Over 40% of signups in its markets that offer the ads tier are to that option.
The people at Disney are sure to be watching closely, with the company getting ready to tighten up on password sharing at Disney+ this summer, with a full crackdown to come in the fall.
Warner Bros. Discovery, too, said it would start limiting password sharing at streamer Max later this year.
So the password-sharing crackdown continues to be a win for Netflix — even if it effectively gives its rivals a road map to copy.
Netflix will stop regularly releasing subscriber statistics starting next year.
The streaming giant added 9.3 million paying users in the last quarter — a great result that Wall Street normally rewards.
But Netflix says those numbers no longer reflect its real value. Will Wall Street go for that?
For years, Netflix investors cared about one thing more than anything else: Go-go growth, which they measured by the number of subscribers the streaming company signed up.
Now, those investors are going to have to live without that data.
Starting next year, Netflix will stop releasing subscriber statistics on a regular basis, the company announced. Instead, it said in an investor letter, it will "announce major subscriber milestones as we cross them."
It's a major shift in how the company interacts with Wall Street. And it comes on the same day that the company announced a huge boost in susbscribers: Netflix said it added 9.3 million paying users in the last quarter — about 4 million more than the average Wall Street forecast.
What's the rationale for the change?
Netflix says it's because it no longer thinks subscriber growth is a good way to understand the company's progress — something it has been saying for some time in its investor letters.
Here's the explanation in their words:
"In our early days, when we had little revenue or profit, membership growth was a strong indicator of our future potential. But now we're generating very substantial profit and free cash flow (FCF). We are also developing new revenue streams like advertising and our extra member feature, so memberships are just one component of our growth. In addition, as we've evolved our pricing and plans from a single to multiple tiers with different price points depending on the country, each incremental paid membership has a very different business impact."
To push that point across, last year, Netflix stopped providing quarterly guidance on subscriber growth. But analysts still created their own estimates. But starting in the first quarter of next year, that's all going to grind to a halt.
Netflix shares are down a bit after the news — which could simply be a reaction to the fact that Netflix stock has been on a tear for some time, so even wowza numbers aren't enough to wow investors right now.
Will Netflix be able to crush it in the future?
But it's also understandable if investors think Netflix is going to stop providing subscriber numbers because the numbers aren't going to be as impressive in the future.
Which, really, is a proxy for the main question about Netflix for a very long time: Just how big can the company get?
Today, Netflix has nearly 270 million paid subscribers around the world, which makes it much, much bigger than its peers. But for the past few years, investors have wondered if Netflix might be stalling — either because of competition from the likes of Disney, or because there simply may not be as many people interested in paying for videos, period.
Since then, investors have stopped telling would-be Netflix rivals to grow at all costs, and have started pushing them to worry about profits, not subscriber numbers (this also, not coincidentally, synced with the end of zero interest rates, which changed the way most investors viewed most companies, period).
Netflix now looks well set up to live in that world, too: After burning money for years as it built up its streaming business, it is now consistently profitable — this quarter, it earned an eye-popping $2.3 billion on revenue of $9.4 billion, though some of that seems due to one-time accounting issues.
Will that satisfy investors? On the one hand — it's going to take some getting used to, and plenty of people will reasonably be asking why now? On the other: There really aren't any rules about how this stuff works — which is why Google/Alphabet has provided next-to-no information about its business forever and has been rewarded with sky-high stock for most of that time. Let's see if it works for Netflix.
Dominique Raroha bought a duplex as a first-time homebuyer instead of a traditional house.
Raroha, a 29-year-old who works in insurance, figured she could collect rent while building equity.
She lives in one unit with her boyfriend, and her tenant's rent cuts down her own monthly expenses.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dominique Raroha, a 29-year-old working in insurance in Sicklerville, New Jersey, which is about 23 miles outside Philadelphia, who bought a duplex as her first home purchase. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
I don't regret my decision to buy a duplex.
Honestly, it felt right. I always believe in going with a good gut feeling, and from start to finish throughout this whole process of buying it, I just had a good feeling.
Homeownership was a huge goal of mine. I'm the type of person who likes to take on a lot more responsibility, so I was excited and ready for it.
My great-grandfather bought up a big piece of real estate in Voorhees, New Jersey, and that piece of real estate gained value so much over time. Over the years stuff was sold off, we built houses, and we were able to subdivide that piece of property.
In total, I think that amount of real estate — which was once a dirt road and is now a major highway in South Jersey — had to be valued at a couple of million dollars.
Raroha bought a duplex as her first home.
Courtesy of Dominique Raroha.
The United States is a capitalist society, and real estate goes up over time. It's how you build your retirement. It's how you build generational wealth. It gives you something to pass down to the next generation.
After buying my first property, I'm already talking to my lender about buying another.
Given the financial freedom of owning a duplex, buying another makes so much sense.
My tenant's $2,000-a-month rent pays most of my mortgage
I looked at single-family homes, condos — I was looking at all my options.
The way I view money and my personal finances comes down to what I can afford on a monthly basis. Is this purchase in my best interest?
I just wanted to maximize my investment.
The single-family home I put an offer on was a really good-sized home. It was very well-priced, so that's why it made sense to put that offer in. For the condo I put an offer on, I would've been paying under $1,000 a month. But somebody else already made a higher offer and the same with the other place.
I put other offers in. Many of them were not accepted because you're dealing with a multiple-offer situation. But the more offers I didn't get accepted, the better prepared I was for the next one.
When this home came on the market, I didn't see it — I bought it sight unseen. That was why working with the real-estate agent I did made such a difference because I was like, "Hey, this house, are you sure?" She's like, "There's 15 other offers. You need to do the math. I don't see you losing in this situation."
My lender and I talked about it and we came up with our offer number based on what I could afford on a monthly basis with rental income. And to be honest, we could have gone higher and still made a decent investment.
The total square footage is about 2,400. My unit has two bedrooms and one bath — and I also have a private garage. The upstairs unit has three bedrooms and two baths.
Raroha's garage which is in the process of being turned into a "barcade."
Courtesy of Dominique Raroha.
I put in an offer for $335,000, and it appraised for $320,000, so I had to fill an appraisal gap.
My interest rate is 6.6%. I did get it lowered because I had almost an 800 credit score at the time of closing. If it was a point more, which was the average going rate, the cost would've been that much more.
The mortgage itself is about $2,900 a month— more on the $3,000 side. My upstairs tenant pays me $2,000 a month.
My boyfriend lives with me, and he helps contribute. I'm not making him pay half my mortgage, but he does. So we split half of the difference.
Owning a duplex gives me a lot of options for my next move
Before buying the duplex, I was living with my best friend, who had purchased a home, and she rented out a room to me to help pay for her mortgage. I was paying around $700 to her. It was a really good living situation because she knew the whole time I was looking for houses. So I wasn't like, "Oh my God, am I going to break a lease?"
It's important to be proactive. You have to be in this market — especially if you're a younger buyer. Even if you don't feel like you're fit today, at least talking to a lender ahead of time will help tell you where you need to be.
I started talking to my lender in June of 2022. We would discuss different houses on the market, whether or not it would make sense, or whether it would be a good investment. Then this house came up, and it was very, very quick. But because I was working with him, he already had all my financials on file. He already had everything ready to go.
If I were to rent out my unit today — I think there's a similar unit down the street from mine with the same layout that rented for $1,900 — then I would be making a profit. So there's room to make money in terms of both income coming in and then also building equity.
Raroha's backyard patio.
Courtesy of Dominique Raroha.
If you own a home, you own that home. If you're building equity, the market doesn't go down. I do like having ownership of a duplex specifically because I feel like it's opened up doorways for more options for me. Do I want to go and buy a single-family home next? Do I want to buy another duplex?
You get tax write-offs, too. I don't think I see a lot of people talk about that. I just filed my taxes, and I wrote a lot of stuff off.
To accomplish buying something like a duplex in this market, it does take years of planning. Planning ahead definitely made purchasing this home a lot more satisfying and a lot more comfortable to buy.
It's not going to happen overnight, but it starts with planting the seed. Even if it is three years from now that I buy another one, it would definitely be worth it.
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Each of the best Kindles has something unique to offer readers.
Sarah Saril/Insider
Amazon's Kindle lineup has led the e-reading space for years. In terms of design, performance, and convenience, they're nearly unrivaled by other brands. Right now, buyers can choose between four main Kindle models, and I put them all to the test to find the best Kindle for most readers.
My top pick, the Kindle Paperwhite, presents the ideal balance between performance and price. It has a larger screen than the base Kindle and is one of the cheapest waterproof e-readers you can get. But if you're on a tight budget, the more affordable standard Kindle is also a great buy. It isn't waterproof but delivers the same core features that Kindles are known for without breaking the bank.
After dozens of hours of reading, page-flipping, and book browsing, here's how all the best Kindle models stack up and why certain ones are better suited for specific buyers.
The Kindle Paperwhite offers everything a reader could want from a book replacement, balancing simplicity, capability, performance, and price. More than just the best Kindle, it's also our pick for the best e-reader you can buy right now.
The Paperwhite is designed with all the Kindle essentials, including a beautiful paper-like display with adjustable lighting, font size settings, and a dark mode. It's also got a sharp screen with 300 pixels per inch (PPI) and Bluetooth support for Audible listening. But you can expect as much from any of our picks in this guide.
Put simply, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people.
Sarah Saril/Insider
What sets the Paperwhite apart from the rest of the Kindle lineup is its perfect set of features for the money. Unlike the standard model, the Paperwhite is waterproof and has a more modern flush-front design. After unlocking the device, you'll find the snappiest performance of all the Kindles with little to no ghosting (after-images left on the screen). Its lighting temperature is also adjustable, and it has a larger 6.8-inch screen versus the standard Kindle's 6-inch display.
Starting at $150, it's reasonably priced and the cheapest waterproof Kindle available. Even better, it's often on sale for as low as $100 — which is the regular starting price of our budget pick. Whether discounted or not, the Paperwhite delivers the best Kindle value for most people.
Note: Though Amazon previously sold an 8GB version of the Kindle Paperwhite for $140, that model is no longer available. As of April 2024, only the 16GB Paperwhite is listed for purchase on Amazon's site.
Designed with all of the normal Paperwhite's splendor and more, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature offers additional features if you're willing to pay a little extra. It's a convenient size with a beautiful display and snappy performance that helps you stay immersed in your books.
Just like the regular version, the Paperwhite Signature Edition has a 300 pixels per inch (PPI) resolution with a 17-LED backlight. That translates to crisp page fonts that are easy on the eyes, with lighting powerful enough for reading books in the sun. It's also waterproof and powered by a speedy processor for quick page turns with little to no ghosting (after images left on the screen).
It gets its premium title by being the only Kindle to charge wirelessly, and it's the only model you can get with automatic light adjustment aside from the $340 Kindle Scribe. And where the normal Paperwhite has 16GB of storage, the Signature Edition comes with a whopping 32GB for building a massive library of titles and storing tons of audiobooks.
Our former pick in this category, the Kindle Oasis, offered even more cool features but had an outdated design and was more expensive. However, the Oasis has been phased out of the Kindle lineup and is no longer available to buy. I wish the Paperwhite Signature Edition had the Oasis' page turn buttons and automatic page orientation flipping, but for $60 less, missing these features isn't a dealbreaker.
Best budget
Amazon's base Kindle got an upgrade in 2022, making this model one of the newest of the bunch. That means, despite being the cheapest option, the 11th-generation Kindle now has the benefit of a modern user interface with a 300 ppi resolution.
This model forgoes many extra features in exchange for a lower price point, but it still comes with a glare-free display, adjustable backlight, and customizable settings. With a 6-inch screen, it's the smallest Kindle in the lineup, but it feels great in hand. In my review, I found it to be ideal for users who just want to read and don't want to pay for all of the bells and whistles of its pricier siblings.
The Kindle is easy to hold with one hand.
Sarah Saril/Insider
However, if a waterproof design is important to you, you'll have to get a more expensive Paperwhite. You can't read in the rain or the tub with a regular Kindle, and that's its main drawback. It also lacks extra features you might want to pay more for on another model, like lighting temperature settings, automatic adjustments, and page turn buttons.
In the end, my advice is this: if the Paperwhite is on sale for the same price, opt for that, but when the regular Kindle costs less money, it's an excellent budget e-reader.
Most readers don't need the Kindle Scribe, an e-reader you can write on, but it is a nice device. Starting at $340, it offers an incredible sketching and note-taking experience, as well as all of the essential e-reader features you could want.
The Scribe comes with the usual Kindle glare-free display, adjustable brightness, and customizable settings, with the added bonus of automatic page orientation flips and lighting adjustments. With its paper-like feel and responsive e-ink display, writing on this device is a joy that feels leaps and bounds better than writing on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. It's also well organized with digital notebooks you can format and file away into folders.
For an extra $30, you can upgrade the included stylus to the Premium Pen. After testing, I found the Premium Pen to be a nice improvement over the basic option — it adds a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button to the base design. Both can attach magnetically to the Scribe.
The Kindle Scribe is Amazon's first e-reader with a surface you can write on.
Sarah Saril/Insider
But despite just how fun it is to use, it's tough to justify the Scribe's high price. As noted in my full review, it's uncomfortably thin, making a case a necessary investment for commuters and students to prevent any potential bending. One of the Scribe's main selling points is its annotation functionality, but you can't even write on pages without using a clunky sticky note feature, nor can you use the highlighter directly on text. Did I mention it isn't waterproof?
If you have $340 to spare, the Scribe is a fun device, but if you fall into the category of "most readers," I recommend opting for a cheaper Kindle model.
Each Kindle was evaluated using the same parameters.
Sarah Saril/Insider
I used several key evaluation points to judge each of the Kindles in Amazon's e-reader lineup to arrive at their final ranking, including display, responsiveness/speed, price, and lighting customization. Here's how those aspects were considered during testing for our reviews.
Display: Though all Kindles share the same 300 ppi resolution, every model has a different size that makes a big difference when used. In testing, I found the Kindle (11th Generation) could be too small for some readers and the Scribe too large for others. Luckily, the sharp resolution was easy on the eyes across all of the models, even during long reading sessions.
Responsiveness/speed: You don't need to be a speed reader to notice when an e-reader is slow. Page turns will take a second to stutter into view, previous screens will leave an after image, and images will load in slowly. I evaluated this by loading each device with 100 titles from my ebook library before testing. The fastest model is the Kindle Paperwhite, and the Oasis is the slowest, but this difference is small.
Price: Of course, price plays a big part in judging a Kindle's value, and that's part of what brings the Paperwhite above the rest. I compared pricing between Kindle models and comparable e-readers from Kobo and Nook to see what the industry is like overall. None of the Kindles are a waste of money, but the Scribe is definitely the least cost-efficient.
Lighting customization: You won't always be reading in the same room, under the same conditions, every time, and that's where lighting customization comes in. The ability to toggle the brightness based on your current environment is a godsend for eye comfort, especially for long reads. All of the Kindles offer adjustable brightness, but the base Kindle doesn't offer temperature adjustment, and only the Oasis and Scribe offer automatic lighting changes.
What to look for in a Kindle
The Kindle Keyboard (2010), Kindle Paperwhite (2018), Kindle (2022), and Kindle Scribe (2022).
Sarah Saril/Insider
Every reader is different, but there are a handful of features that all buyers should look for when it comes to committing to a Kindle.
If you ever plan to read in the bathtub or the rain, waterproofing is a must — that eliminates the 11th-generation Kindle and the Scribe from the running. Readers who like to get in a few chapters before bed can also benefit from lighting temperature adjustment to warm the screen and ease your eyes into bedtime, which is something the base Kindle doesn't offer. And if you're looking for a digital notebook that you can write on, the Scribe is the only Kindle to offer such a feature.
Ultimately, the best Kindle for you is whichever one covers your needs the most without breaking the bank. That's why I recommend the Kindle Paperwhite as our top pick because it manages to offer the best balance between price and features for most people.
Kindle FAQs
Writing on a Kindle Scribe is smooth with no latency.
Sarah Saril/Insider
Are Kindle books free?
E-books typically cost money, just like physical books, but you can score titles for free in several ways.
Join Kindle Unlimited: This Kindle Subscription service comes with over four million digital titles when you sign up for $12 a month.
Become an Amazon Prime member: If you're a Prime member, you have unlimited access to thousands of titles as an included benefit of your subscription.
Kindle Unlimited is Amazon's e-reading subscription service. For $12 a month, it includes access to over four million books, thousands of audiobooks, magazine subscriptions, and Kindle Books you can borrow.
Can the Kindle read to me?
Your Kindle can read most content to you using Text-to-Speech, an option available in your Kindle's menu. If you prefer a human voice reading to you, you can also buy and download Audible Audiobooks of your favorite titles to have a narrator read to you from your e-reader.
Do I need a case for my Kindle?
While most Kindles are designed with a solid build, a case is still a good idea for protecting your device from drops or scratches. The Kindle Scribe, in particular, has a very thin design, which makes it feel flimsy without a case. You should also consider buying a case if you bring your Kindle with you outside your home during trips and commutes.
Cases can also help by providing a better grip on these otherwise flat devices. For less bulk, you may even want to consider attaching an adhesive phone grip, like a popsocket, to your e-reader.
Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are the best times of year to buy just about anything, including Kindles. During these major sales events, Kindles drop to their all-time lowest prices, making it easier than ever to make the leap and buy one.
Historically, we've seen the Kindle Paperwhite on sale for as low as $95 and the Kindle (11th Generation) on sale for as low as $65. Deals can be short-lived and low in stock, so we highly recommend acting fast if you come across a great deal.
Best overall
Put simply, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle for most people.
Sarah Saril/Insider
The Kindle Paperwhite offers everything a reader could want from a book replacement, balancing simplicity, capability, performance, and price. More than just the best Kindle, it's also our pick for the best e-reader you can buy right now.
The Paperwhite is designed with all of the Kindle essentials, including a beautiful paper-like display with adjustable lighting, font size settings, and a dark mode. It's also got a sharp screen with 300 pixels per inch (PPI) and Bluetooth support for Audible listening. But you can expect as much from any of our picks in this guide.
What sets the Paperwhite apart from the rest of the Kindle lineup is its perfect set of features for the money. Waterproof with a flush-front design and USB-C charging, the Paperwhite already looks and feels modern from its exterior. After unlocking the device, you'll find the snappiest performance of all the Kindles with little to no ghosting (after-images left on the screen). Its lighting temperature is also adjustable, and it has a larger 6.8-inch screen versus the standard Kindle's 6-inch display.
Starting at $140, it's reasonably priced and the cheapest waterproof Kindle available. Even better, it's often on sale for as low as $100 — which is the regular starting price of our budget pick. Whether discounted or not, the Paperwhite delivers the best Kindle value for most people.
However, if you're up to paying a little bit more, you may want to consider the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. It offers all of the same pros of the Paperwhite, with the addition of an auto-adjusting light. It's also the only Kindle that you can charge wirelessly.
If you're looking for one place to store and read books, the 11th-generation Kindle is an excellent choice.
Sarah Saril/Insider
Amazon's base Kindle got an upgrade in 2022, making this model one of the newest of the bunch. That means, despite being the cheapest option, the 11th-generation Kindle now has the benefit of a modern user interface with a 300 ppi resolution.
This model forgoes many extra features in exchange for a lower price point, but it still comes with a glare-free display, adjustable backlight, and customizable settings. With a 6-inch screen, it's the smallest Kindle in the lineup, but it feels great in hand. In my review, I found it to be ideal for users who just want to read and don't want to pay for all of the bells and whistles of its pricier siblings.
However, if a waterproof design is important to you, you'll have to pay more for a Paperwhite. You can't read in the rain or the tub with a regular Kindle, and that's its main drawback. It also lacks a few other extra features you might be willing to pay more for on another model, like lighting temperature settings, automatic adjustments, and page turn buttons.
In the end, my advice is this: if the Paperwhite is on sale for the same price, opt for that, but when the regular Kindle costs less money, it's an excellent budget e-reader.
Despite its age, the Kindle Oasis still performs as a premium e-reader.
Sarah Saril/Insider
Released back in 2019, the Kindle Oasis is the oldest device in the Kindle lineup. Regardless, it's still an incredible e-reader. It comes with the same paper-like display all Kindles are known for, along with adjustable brightness, dark mode, and customizable settings. The Oasis is also designed with a slightly larger 7-inch display than the Paperwhite and a larger, more ergonomic body, including a ledge to rest your fingers on.
All of the Oasis' features make it feel more premium, including its metallic exterior with page-turn buttons. When you unlock the device, you'll get speedy performance with handy automatic features to adjust brightness and page orientation. And, of course, it's also waterproof.
The Oasis' only negative is how old it is. Its age shows in a couple of ways like its micro-USB charging port and some minor ghosting that's noticeable between pages. It's also important to note that stock has fluctuated significantly in recent months. Given the short supply, it's possible that Amazon is planning to release an updated Oasis model, so buyers may want to hold out to see if a new version gets announced soon. If you'd like to spend your money on a newer device with some of the Oasis' extra perks, I also suggest looking into the Paperwhite Signature Edition.
But, for the most feature-packed of all Kindles available right now, the Oasis is still what you're looking for. Despite its shortcomings, its siblings can't match its capabilities and physical design, making it a solid high-end option if you're willing to pay more and can find it in stock.
The Kindle Scribe is Amazon's first e-reader with a surface you can write on.
Sarah Saril/Insider
Most readers don't need the Kindle Scribe, an e-reader you can write on, but it is a very nice device. Starting from $340, it offers an incredible sketching and note-taking experience on the same device where you can read all of your books.
The Scribe comes with the usual Kindle glare-free display, adjustable brightness, and customizable settings, with the added bonus of automatic page orientation flips and lighting adjustments. With its paper-like feel and responsive e-ink display, writing on this device is a joy that feels leaps and bounds better than writing on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. It's also well organized with notebooks you can format and file away into folders.
For an extra $30, you can upgrade the included stylus to the Premium Pen. After testing it, I found it to be a nice improvement over the Basic Pen — it adds a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button to the base design. Both can attach magnetically to the Scribe.
But despite just how fun it is to use, it's tough to justify the Scribe's high price. As noted in my full review, it's uncomfortably thin, making a case a necessary investment for commuters and students to prevent any potential bending. One of the Scribe's main selling points is its annotation functionality, but you can't even write on pages without using a clunky sticky note feature, nor can you use the highlighter directly on text. Did I mention it isn't waterproof?
If you have $340 to spare, the Scribe really is a fun device, but if you fall into the category of "most readers," I recommend opting for a cheaper Kindle model.
We tested each Kindle for dozens of hours using the same parameters.
Sarah Saril/Insider
I used several key evaluation points to judge each of the Kindles in Amazon's e-reader lineup to arrive at their final ranking, including display, responsiveness/speed, price, and lighting customization. Here's how those aspects were considered during testing for our reviews.
Display: Though all Kindles share the same 300 ppi resolution, every model has a different size that makes a big difference when used. In testing, I found the Kindle (11th Generation) could be too small for some readers and the Scribe too large for others. Luckily, the sharp resolution was easy on the eyes across all of the models, even during long reading sessions.
Responsiveness/speed: You don't need to be a speed reader to notice when an e-reader is slow. Page turns will take a second to stutter into view, previous screens will leave an after image, and images will load in slowly. I evaluated this by loading each device with 100 titles from my ebook library before testing. The fastest model is the Kindle Paperwhite, and the Oasis is the slowest, but this difference is small.
Price: Of course, price plays a big part in judging a Kindle's value, and that's part of what brings the Paperwhite above the rest. I compared pricing between Kindle models and comparable e-readers from Kobo and Nook to see what the industry is like overall. None of the Kindles are a waste of money, but the Scribe is definitely the least cost-efficient.
Lighting customization: You won't always be reading in the same room, under the same conditions, every time, and that's where lighting customization comes in. The ability to toggle the brightness based on your current environment is a godsend for eye comfort, especially for long reads. All of the Kindles offer adjustable brightness, but the base Kindle doesn't offer temperature adjustment, and only the Oasis and Scribe offer automatic lighting changes.
What to look for in a Kindle
The best Kindle for you is going to vary based on your personal needs.
Sarah Saril/Insider
Every reader is different, but there are a handful of features that all buyers should look for when it comes to committing to a Kindle.
If you ever plan to read in the bathtub or in the rain, waterproofing is a must — that eliminates the 11th-generation Kindle and the Scribe from the running. Readers who like to get in a few chapters before bed can also benefit from lighting temperature adjustment to warm the screen and ease your eyes into bedtime, which is something the base Kindle doesn't offer. Personally, as someone who likes to read while lying down, I love the automatic orientation adjustment and page turn buttons of the Oasis since they can accommodate whichever way I flop around.
Ultimately, the best Kindle for you is whichever one covers your needs the most without breaking the bank. That's why I recommend the Paperwhite because it manages to balance both of those things for most people.
Kindle FAQs
Malarie Gokey/Insider
Are Kindle books free?
E-books typically cost money just like physical books do, but you can score titles for free in a handful of ways.
Join Kindle Unlimited: The Kindle Subscription service comes with over four million digital titles at no extra charge when you sign up for $12 a month.
Become an Amazon Prime member: If you're a Prime member, you have unlimited access to thousands of titles as an added benefit of your subscription.
Kindle Unlimited is Amazon's e-reading subscription service. For $12 a month, it includes access to over four million books, thousands of audiobooks, magazine subscriptions, and Kindle Books you can borrow.
Can the Kindle read to me?
Your Kindle can read most content to you by using Text-to-Speech, an option available in your Kindle's menu. If you prefer a human voice reading to you, you can also buy and download Audible Audiobooks of your favorite titles to have a narrator read to you from your e-reader.
Do I need a case for my Kindle?
While most Kindles are designed with a solid build, a case is still a good idea for protecting your device from drops or scratches. The Kindle Scribe, in particular, has a very thin design, which makes it feel flimsy without a case. You should also consider buying a case if you bring your Kindle with you outside your home during trips and commutes.
Cases can also help by providing a better grip on these otherwise flat devices. For less bulk, you may even want to consider attaching an adhesive phone grip, like a popsocket, to your e-reader.
Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are the best times of year to buy just about anything, including Kindles. During these major sales events, Kindles drop to their all-time lowest prices, making it easier than ever to make the leap and buy one.
Historically, we've seen the Kindle Paperwhite on sale for as low as $95 and the Kindle (11th Generation) on sale for as low as $65. Deals can be short-lived and low in stock, so we highly recommend acting fast if you come across a great deal.
Investigator-in-charge John Lovell examines the area where the plane's door plug had been.
National Transportation Safety Board
Both Alaska and United Airlines reported quarterly losses this week.
But the airlines' bosses said they would've turned profits if it weren't for Boeing's door plug fiasco.
Alaska said it received $162 million from Boeing in compensation for the damages.
The Boeing door blowout in January tanked Alaska Airlines' first quarter earnings — and it's not the only airline to have been hurt by the incident.
Alaska said Thursday its results were "significantly impacted" by the door plug blowout and subsequent grounding of its fleet of 737-9 MAX planes.
Alaska reported losses of $132 million in Q1. But, excluding the grounding impacts, the company said it would have posted $5 million in adjusted income before taxes.
Alaska said it received $162 million from Boeing as "initial cash compensation" for the damages.
"Despite significant challenges to start the year our results have far exceeded initial expectations," CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.
In addition to Alaska Airlines, United Airlines also reported significant losses that it said were related to the door plug incident. The airline said Tuesday its Q1 results were down $200 million because of the Boeing grounding — without which it said it would have turned a profit.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The Military Sealift Command maritime prepositioning ship USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo is anchored during a routine port visit to the Marathi NATO Pier Facility in Souda Bay.
Petty Officer 3rd Class John Martinez
A US Navy ship deployed to help build a floating pier in Gaza returned home after an engine fire.
USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo deployed to transport equipment to operate the temporary port.
The US plans to use the pier three miles off the coast to deliver more aid into war-torn Gaza.
The Navy revealed that one of the ships it deployed to support the mission of building a pier to deliver aid to starving residents in Gaza was forced to turn back last week after it suffered a fire in its engine room.
The incident comes as the Pentagon's self-imposed deadline of having the pier operational and delivering the needed aid by May rapidly approaches, and experts say there are other delays and problems cropping up with the mission.
The USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo "experienced a fire in the engine room while in transit to the eastern Mediterranean Sea" on April 11, and while the crew evacuated the area and used portable extinguishers to put out the fire, the ship had to return to Jacksonville, Florida, using just one engine, "for further assessment," according to a Navy statement provided Wednesday.
When the Pentagon first announced the plan to use the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, platform to construct the pier that would serve as a way to quickly deliver large amounts of aid to war-torn Gaza in early March, spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the pier would be operational in the next 60 days.
An M1A1 Abrams tank is off-loaded from the USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo off the shore of Pohang, Republic of Korea.
Cpl. Mark W. Stroud
Shortly after that announcement, a group of five Army ships left for the Mediterranean, followed by the MV Roy P. Benavidez, a military sealift command vessel that was carrying "heavy equipment and material needed to construct a temporary pier," according to a statement.
Finally, in late March, the Navy said that it would deploy Naval Beach Group 1 along with the Bobo and the USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez. The unit and the ships would bring enough watercraft and equipment to operate a huge floating dock three miles off the coast of Gaza that would serve as the off-load point for aid.
Now, more than a month later, not all of the ships in the flotilla have made it to the Mediterranean, a tracker run by USNI News shows.
Sal Mercogliano, an academic and shipping expert, noted to Military.com on Wednesday that one of the Army Landing Craft Utility ships, the Wilson Wharf, seems to be stuck in Tenerife — a small island that is part of the Canary Islands cluster off the west coast of Africa. Plus, the Army's Logistics Support Vessel General Frank S. Besson spent a week in the Azores before finally making it to the Navy's base at Souda Bay in Greece.
USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo and USNS Pililaau anchor off the coast of Pohang, Republic of Korea.
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Fulton/Released
Mercogliano said such a long stay may indicate the ship had an engineering issue.
A retired Army chief warrant officer who has significant experience in the Army's watercraft community also told Military.com in an interview Wednesday that "if those boats don't have multiple major mechanical failures — I mean 'dead in the water' mechanical failures — I will be shocked."
"They're horrendously maintained. I've got videos of these things falling apart," the retired officer added.
According to the officer, the delays of the Bobo and the smaller Army ships mean "they're going to have a lot fewer pieces to work with as far as building the actual pier."
"The other rub point … is security arrangements," the officer said, noting that "these boats have next to no security."
"You've got a couple of .50 cals and small arms … and the vessel masters are not taught maritime tactics," the officer explained.
Australian dock workers secure USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo while members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Australian Defence Force begin offloading.
Cpl. Scott Reel
When asked about the safety of the vessels, Ryder told reporters Tuesday that there will be "some Israeli support when it comes to the maritime aspect of security" and noted that the Navy's 6th Fleet has "capabilities there as well."
Ryder also added some nuance to the 60-day goal that he laid out at the beginning of March.
The Pentagon spokesman told reporters that the Defense Department is "still on track to have JLOTS achieve operating capability by the end of the month or early May" but went on to draw a distinction between an initial operational capability and full operational capability.
"Right now, we're tracking that it will be operational, which means it will have some initial operating capability, by the end of the month or early May," he said.
Ryder said the construction of the two piers will probably begin "in the next two to three weeks."
Pichai said the changes, which include merging different parts of the company, would help Google "simplify decisions" and move faster.
This includes further merging its central AI teams. Last year, Google combined Brain, a group that sat within its AI Research group, with DeepMind to form a new super-unit that would be laser-focused on building AI models.
On Thursday, Pichai said that teams within Research that work on building AI models will also merge with Google DeepMind. The Responsible AI teams, which develop rules for safely and ethically developing AI, will also move from Research to Google DeepMind, he said.
All told, it gives more control to Demis Hassabis, who leads Google DeepMind. Before last year's merger, Hassabis ran DeepMind at arm's length from Google — a distance he had long fought to maintain — and now he is front and center of the company's AI push.
Hassabis has quickly become Google's MVP, with his unit developing AI models such as Gemini that are helping the company compete with OpenAI and other encroaching competitors. He's also helping turn those models into products.
Interestingly, Pichai said this change should help by "concentrating compute-intensive model building in one place." That may also help with a problem that has been getting worse inside Google for a while: the fight for computing resources.
Rick Osterloh on stage at Google I/O 2023
Jeff Chiu/AP
Google's Pixel chief also gains more power
Google is also merging two of its large product units together. The devices and services group, which oversees hardware products such as the Pixel devices and Fitbit wearables, will merge with the part of the business that runs Android and Chrome.
That's big: these are two huge organizations that are now being pulled together under the banner of "Platforms and Devices." Rick Osterloh, who previously oversaw hardware, will oversee both groups. Hiroshi Lockheimer, who ran the Android and Chrome group, will remain at Google but run other projects across the company, Pichai said.
Sameer Samat has also been promoted to "President of Android Ecosystems" and will work with all of Google's Android partners. He'll be crucial in maintaining the firewall between the Pixel and Android groups, which has long served as a way not to let Google give its hardware special treatment over rivals (a firewall Osterloh promised The Verge would remain in place).
Expect more restructuring to come as Google continues to reshape itself around AI.
On Wednesday, Google's finance chief Ruth Porat informed staff in the finance group that there would be a reorg resulting in some job cuts, BI first reported. Porat said the changes were being made as the company realigns its priorities around AI, per an employee who saw the memo.
Are you a current or former Google employee with insight to share? Reach this reporter securely on Signal (628-228-1836).
Signs outside Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's office in West Columbia, South Carolina in February, 2024.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Conservatives are fleeing blue states in favor of red states.
And South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states for newcomers.
Conservatives are fed up with the cost of living, and the politics, in blue states.
Conservatives are flocking en masse from blue states to one Republican stronghold in particular: South Carolina.
Between 2017 and 2021, about a third of South Carolina's new arrivals came from blue stateswhile a quarter came from red statesand the rest came from divided states or outside the US, according to US Census Data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal.
And the majority of those newcomers — about 57% — are Republican, the Journal reported, citing data from a nonpartisan voter file vendor called L2.
In 2022, the top 10 states people moved to South Carolina from were North Carolina, Georgia, New York, California, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, and Maryland, according to US Census Data reviewed by The State.
Conservative Move, a real estate company with about 500 agents across the country, helps conservatives find homes near like-minded people — and South Carolina is becoming a big draw.
The group's founder Paul Chabot told Business Insider that while Texas and Florida are consistently the top locations his conservative clients choose to move to, South Carolina is the fastest growing. In the last two years, he said he's seen a big spike in Americans wanting to relocate to South Carolina specifically. Currently, he said, about 5,000 of his clients are considering moving to the state soon.
A lot of his clients are coming from places like California, Washington state, and Oregon, he said.
Chabot said the people his company helps relocate are fed up with living in Democratic-controlled states where liberal policies are making daily life less affordable — policies like, he said, the new $20 minimum wage law for fast food workers in California.
Conservatives' sense of safety is another major factor in their decisions to move away from liberal enclaves, Chabot said.
"They want to live in areas where they know that they're going to feel safe, that there's going to be a police response, that the police are respected," Chabot added.
One South Carolina real-estate agent based in Spartanburg, Brad Liles, told The New York Times that he and his colleagues have started calling the flood of Republican homebuyers in the state "the great migration."
A typical home in South Carolina sold for about $281,000, according to Zillow's median home price data as of February. By comparison, Zillow reported California's median home sale price at about $673,000, while Washington state's was about $526,000. South Carolina even has an edge above Texas and Florida, where the median sale price of a home for the same time period was about $316,000 and $363,000, respectively, according to Zillow.
It's not just about affordability. It's also about being surrounded by like-minded conservatives, some South Carolina transplants told the Times.
"When I walked inside banks or stores or schools, there was always Christian music playing in the background," Lina Brock, a conservative who recently moved from California to Greenville, South Carolina, told the Times about her new city. "I felt good, I felt welcomed. I felt like I was in the United States."
But the arrival of new residents to Greenville, in particular, has driven up housing prices, pricing out many longtime Black residents, the Times reported. Since 1990, Greenville's Black population has declined 22%, according to a 2023 study from Furman University. By comparison, the city's total population has increased 21% in the same time period, the Times reported.
Chabot said blue states need to take a page out of red states' playbook.
"States right now are really competing with each other for population," Chabot said. "And so if these blue states want to get better, then they need to look at what red states are doing to retain their populations and their businesses."
Some blue states are experiencing a loss of residents — in 2022, for example, California saw a net loss of over 300,000 residents, Forbes reported, citing census data, while Washington state had a net loss of about 15,000 residents, The Columbian reported, also off census numbers.
Some savvier readers will stop reading here because Some People On The Internet are always upset and if you read about everything that makes them upset, you'll never have time to do anything else.
But if you're still with me (thank you!), here's the deal: See these evocative images?
Well, 1) none of them are actually from the movie, and 2) supposedly, A24, the indie movie studio that made "Civil War," used AI to help generate them.
And to address those criticisms, I'd say 1) who cares? And 2) who cares?
But if you're still here: 1) It's weird that people who like movies from A24, whose brand is "arty but still accessible to lots of people" (think "Ex Machina" and "Midsommar") — are upset about movie marketing that's not 100% based on actual movie footage.
When did that literalism become a requirement? Is there a new law, or even a new ethos, that I missed? Because it certainly wasn't the case in the past.
I think the best complaint you could make might be, "Hey, these posters make it look like it's a video game-like movie featuring combat all over the United States, but, actually, the movie only (SPOILER ALERT) has one big video game-like combat scene, and it's in Washington, DC."
So, OK, then. If you want to get some sense of what "Civil War" is like, you can just stick to the trailer, which does feature Actual Scenes from the movie:
And 2) If we're going to have a real discussion about AI and how it should and shouldn't be used in art and commerce, we gotta grow up a bit.
AI may definitely be an issue for both movie-makers and movie consumers, and we'll be talking about it for a long time. But A24 obviously didn't create the marketing campaign and art from scratch — at best/worst, the team that created it may have used AI engines to help generate some of the images. But I'm using a MacBook to type this instead of a hot metal typesetter, and you're reading it on a screen instead of newsprint. It's going to be OK.
PS: If you do see this movie — it is very intense, and it may not be for you, and that's fine — make sure you see it in a theater, and one that has great sound. I've never heard sound like this in a movie.
These days, cadres of well-heeled and health-obsessed clients are flocking to longevity clinics: Centers that offer everything from genetic testing to cocktails of supplements.
"The best longevity advice is something only the rich have access to today," Matt Fellowes, an advisory council member at the Stanford Center on Longevity and cofounder of health insights platform BellSant, told Business Insider by email.
Consumer spending on wellness products and services has risen since the pandemic, contributing to a $5.6 trillion wellness market, according to the Global Wellness Institute. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many people could be wasting time and money on products or services that will never materially help them, Fellowes said.
One of the few exceptions is high-end longevity clinics that offer science-based and highly personalized guidance — though they're inaccessible to most people.
Even at its priciest tiers, the longevity space is not regulated, however, and even top clinics offer unproven treatments alongside methods accepted by the medical community. Still, the uber-rich are flocking to these clinics hoping to extend their lives by a few years.
Here's a look at some of the most exclusive longevity resorts around the world.
Hooke, a longevity center in London, says “early intervention can treat the vast majority of diseases.”
Hooke's mission is to treat chronic diseases via prevention by administering an advanced roster of diagnostic tests to clients.
Hooke
To that end, Hooke has developed what it says is "the world's most advanced health screening" to create continually evolving and personalized longevity plans for its clients.
It offers around 20 assessments ranging from a four-part MRI to bone density tests to whole genomic sequencing and cognitive assessments.
"Using long-term data from individual medical, fitness, nutritional and cognitive assessments, our programmes build a comprehensive and holistic 'big picture' view of wellness risks and weaknesses — providing the basis for evolving lifestyle and medical recommendations," Kate Woolhouse, Hooke's CEO, wrote to Business Insider by email.
And Hooke offers three tiers of membership to clients. Its popular Healthspan Membership is close to $40,000 a year. It comes with Hooke's extensive roster of diagnostic tests, bespoke nutrition plans, access to a scientific advisory board, proprietary supplements, and an Oura ring — just a glimpse at what is included with membership.
Hooke's clients range in age from 23 to 70, with an average age of 50, but over the past year, the center has seen an increase in clientele in their 30s, Woolhouse said.
Clinique La Prairie sits in a small resort town on coast of Lake Geneva, and is known as one of the world’s premier longevity destinations.
Clinique La Prairie's seven-day premium revitalization package might give you sticker shock at more than $50,000.
Its premium revitalization package — a seven-day, six-night experience recommended for those ages 35 and up — includes longevity consultations, sleep quality assessments, DNA tests, personalized nutrition guidance, and personal training sessions, according to the program brochure.
And that's just a smattering of the full program, which also comes with luxury accommodations, limousine service, access to the clinic's steam room, pool, sauna, and zero-gravity floating bed — where patrons can "dry float" and listen to sounds for stress relief, according to its brochure.
The program "stimulates cell regeneration, fights the signs and causes of aging, and reinforces the immune system through a four-pillared approach of medicine, nutrition, well-being and movement," a spokesperson for Clinique La Prairie told Business Insider by email.
Prices for this one luxurious week (in a room with a balcony and view of Lake Geneva) start at $53,000.
At Six Senses, a luxury resort in Ibiza, clients can book one-day, three-day, or seven-day programs through its longevity center, RoseBar.
Part of the appeal of RoseBar's most popular longevity treatments, like intravenous infusions, is the instant gratification factor.
RoseBar at Six Senses Ibiza
The seven-day program — about $4,700 per person, excluding accommodations and meals — includes advanced diagnostic tests, comprehensive wellness screenings, spa treatments, yoga classes, energy medicine sessions, and biohacking therapies, according to its website.
Some of the most popular treatments include intravenous infusions like "Ozone Therapy," which is said to increase oxygen levels in the body and help enhance cellular function, Dr. Tamsin Lewis, RoseBar's medical advisor, told Business Insider.
"The direct delivery of certain nutrients via the bloodstream serves to have an instant impact on vitality whilst forming part of a broader approach to living well for longer," Lewis said. One of the immediate benefits from Ozone Therapy is a visible change in blood color due to increased oxygen levels, and in the long-term, the treatment can help support immune function, Lewis said.
Lewis said she has seen an uptick in clients seeking longevity treatments in recent years in the "pursuit of wellness as a new luxury."
The Well is a chain of wellness centers with locations in New York, Connecticut, Cabo, and Costa Rica.
The Well at Hacienda AltaGracia in Costa Rica offers clients a four-day longevity retreat program that starts at close to $3,000 a person.
The Well
The Well's longevity-focused offerings include customized IV drips, infrared sauna sessions, cold plunges, and health coaching sessions.
The resort's four-day retreat program — around $3,000 per person — includes a series of longevity-boosting practices, including various types of bodywork and well-being consultations, according to a spokesperson for The Well.
Guests at Hacienda AltaGracia can also book immersive experiences in the nearby Blue Zone on the Nicoya Peninsula.
The growing interest in these types of exclusive longevity treatments has dovetailed with a spike in wellness tourism, a trend that's picked up among wealthy travelers in the past few years, as some of them forgo all-night clubs and beach parties in favor of spirituality retreats and resorts that prioritize personal care.
"While travel overall has started leveling out since the post-COVID boom, all the trends point to continued growth for demand in wellness travel," Megan Mulholland, The Well's vice president of Brand & Marketing, told BI.
Lanserhof Lans, located in the Eastern Alps, is not a longevity clinic for the faint of heart.
Lanserhof Lans' programs include several medical examinations as part of the center's aim to help patients achieve "thorough regeneration of the intestines to revitalize the vital forces."
ALEXANDER HAIDEN for the Lanserhof
The central focus of Lanserhof — launched in 1984 — is "the thorough regeneration of the intestines to revitalize the vital forces," according to its website. It relies on detoxification, purification, and deacidification programs that draw upon holistic medicine, psychology, and modern medicine to achieve this revitalization.
"The first days here are not easy with the diet — guests can sleep all day or have headaches," Dr. Katharina Sandtner, Lanserhof's medical director, told Forbes. "A few days later, energy comes back and this good energy stays with you for a very long time. It's incredible."
But the "good energy" comes at a cost. The one-week "Cure Classic" program, the center's most basic offering, starts at a little above $3,000 a person, excluding accommodations. The program includes numerous medical examinations, a body composition test, urine analysis, therapeutic massages, detox treatments, hydrotherapy treatments, medical lectures, group exercise, and relaxation therapies, according to the Lanserhof Lans program brochure.
The center's offerings are as extensive as a two-week long-COVID package that's aimed at guests who are struggling with the effects of COVID. The more than $5,200 package includes seven different medical examinations, respiratory therapies, foot reflexology, altitude training sessions, and group relaxation and exercise sessions to achieve "physical, mental and spiritual regeneration right down to the core," according to the brochure.
"Minus the hunger headaches, the experience is healing in every sense of the word," one patient wrote of the Long-COVID treatment program in Allure. Lanserhof Lans didn't respond to a request for comment from BI.
You can book a high-tech longevity experience for $44,000 at the Four Seasons Maui.
The Longevity Protocol at the Four Seasons offers four advanced treatments that are designed to boost overall vitality.
Marianna Jamadi/Getty Images
Four Seasons Resort Maui guests can experience an elaborate multi-day longevity package, the Longevity Protocol, for $44,000. Since it launched last year, it has drawn at least half a dozen people, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The program — developed in partnership with longevity company NEXT|HEALTH — consists of four hour-long sessions designed to boost overall vitality by improving cellular communication and blood oxygenation and recharging the cell's powerhouses. Guests are recommended to spread the sessions out over three to four days.
"We're seeing increased interest from our patients in enhancing their longevity while on vacation and focusing more on their long-term health," Dr. Darshan Shah, NEXT|HEALTH's CEO, founder, medical director, and designer of the Longevity Protocol, told BI.
"Longevity treatments work better when you are in a relaxed state of mind, with minimal inflammation internally," he said.