Amazon’s new Kindles appear to have a light leak problem

Some users are reporting that new Kindles have a light leak issue, especially evident when using dark mode. The latest Kindle base models have a flush bezel that makes them look sleek and look great… as long as you keep the lights on. But things may change once you turn off the lights and increase the brightness of the e-reader.

In some cases, users see shadows around the edges of the screen or even visible LED strips. The issue appears to affect both plastic and aluminum models of all colors. A slight glow around the edges could be a byproduct of the combination of front lighting and a flush screen. But Reddit users say the shared images show something more dramatic that appears to be a flaw.

Good e-reader says Amazon is aware of the issue and has confirmed that a manufacturing issue could have caused defects in the current batch of Kindles. When contacted by The edgeAmazon spokesperson Katie Condon said: “Under some very specific conditions, such as using dark mode with higher brightness settings in a dark environment, customers may see a subtle glow at the edge of the screen on devices with colored bezels. This can be mitigated by adjusting the front lighting to a lower level.”

Updated October 9, 2026: Added statement from Amazon.

Gn tech

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