The Amazon Kindle comes with much less storage than a smartphone, but how many books can be stored on the models with 8GB of storage? Amazon has various Kindles catered to different budgets and use cases. There's the entry-level Kindle, the mid-range Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition, and the premium Oasis and Scribe. Depending on the model, Kindles are available in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, and some buyers may be wondering if they can save a few bucks and get by with the smallest-capacity model.

According to Amazon, an 8GB Kindle can store "thousands" of books or over 35 Audible audiobooks, while the 32GB version can store more than four times as much content, including over 160 audiobooks. The exact number depends on the size of each e-book and the amount of free space in the Kindle. An 8GB Kindle typically has around 6.8GB of free storage space after accounting for the operating system and related software, while the 32GB model typically has around 27GB of free space. The exact amount of free space, however, varies from model to model.

Related: Kindle Oasis Vs. Paperwhite Signature Edition: Which Should You Buy?

How Much Storage Does An E-Book Take Up?

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An average text-only e-book takes up between 1MB and 2MB storage space, meaning an 8GB Kindle can store between 3,000 and 6,000 e-books. However, more voluminous books can take up more storage space, which could reduce the number of books that could be stored on the device to between 2,000 to 3,000, which is still plenty. While the aforementioned calculations hold true for e-books, comics or graphic novels are an entirely different story. They can take up between 1MB and 5MB per page depending on the graphics, meaning a typical 30-page comic could be anywhere between 30MB and 100MB in size, while a 50-page graphic novel could come in at 300MB or more.

As for audiobooks, the numbers are even larger. High-quality audiobooks can come in at around 30MB per hour, meaning a typical 10-hour audiobook can take up 300MB of storage space or more. So with 6.8GB of available space, users will only be able to store between 30 and 40 audiobooks on their 8GB Kindle. For folks wondering which Kindles are available with how much storage, Amazon offers the standard Paperwhite with only 8GB of space, while the Paperwhite Signature Edition comes with 32GB. The entry-level Kindle has been upgraded to offer 16GB of storage. The Oasis comes in both 8GB and 32GB options, while the Scribe is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options, given that it supports note-taking and sketching as well.

It is worth noting that the estimated storage for books can vary somewhat, based on the size and content of the e-books and the quality of the audiobooks. The aforementioned calculations are only meant to be an indication of what buyers can expect from an 8GB Kindle, so that they are well-informed when they pick a smaller-capacity model. Either way, the numbers suggest that an 8GB Kindle should be more than enough for those who read only e-books, while folks who are into graphic novels or listen to audiobooks will do well to pick up a 16GB or 32GB variant to avoid running out of space.

More: Do Kindle E-Readers Have A MicroSD Card Slot?

Source: Amazon