On Wednesday April 13, Amazon introduced its eighth-generation Kindle aimed for very dedicated readers, as well as those willing to pay $289 for a thinner and lighter device compared to other Kindles in the market that is also meant only for reading.
The new device is “30 percent thinner on average and over 20 percent lighter than any other Kindle”, said the company. But it is also the most expensive of them all. While this new device is going to cost $289, the previous Kindle, Kindle Voyage, which was the most expensive before this new release, costs $200.
Kindle Oasis weights just 4.6 ounces, which is around 20 percent less than the other Kindles, and about 6 ounces less than the latest iPad Mini, which is more than 10 ounces.
The device has an unusual asymmetrical back, which substantially thickens the device on one side, which it can be compared to the spine of a book. The thinnest part of the new Kindle is a mere 3.4 millimeters. It can be picked up with an ergonomic grip that shifts the center of gravity to the palm of the readers’ hand, Amazon explains. People can turn the pages by making contact with the touch screen or by pressing the physical buttons.
Kindle Oasis comes with a leather case containing a battery that significantly extends the charge time of the device, being this the reason why is more expensive than other Kindle devices. It has magnets in the battery pack on the cover that solidly clicks together with the Kindle Oasis.
Amazon properly moved some of its battery capacity from the device to the cover. With the cover the device can get up to 9 weeks of regular reading, which is about 30 minutes a day, according to Amazon’s definition. Without the case, the battery can last weeks, Amazon says. People can charge the device while using it via one port.
The reading device also comes with Amazon’s Paperwhite display, which closely mimics the resolution of print, having a built-in front light with 60 percent more LED’s that previous devices. It features a black-and-white screen designed to make reading easier.
People can still download books in less than a minute, synchronize the last page read, find simple definitions above complicated words, and tap into an X-ray feature that lets people explore more about characters in books, like it has been done in previous Kindle devices.
According to David Limp, the senior vice president in charge of the company’s devices business, the Kindle Oasis is better than reading on a phone or a tablet because, when people are reading on those devices, they usually get many notifications, which distracts them. Mr. Limp also added that their original vision was to make the readers get lost in an author’s story.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stated in a press release that, “We want Kindle to disappear, and Kindle Oasis is the next big step in that mission…it gets out of the way so you can lose yourself in the author’s world.”
The least expensive Kindle costs $80. At $289, the new Kindle Oasis is probably going to appeal only to electronic book fans.
Even though the introduction of this new device was on April 13, and the global preorders for the Kindle Oasis will start this same day; the device will be shipped on April 27. Previous devices will still be on sale.
Source: The New York Times