Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Announced!

hnzfaz

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Amazon's new Kindle Oasis is waterproof and has a bigger screen


We called Amazon's last Kindle Oasis "the perfect e-reader for the one percent." That still describes the new Oasis, which Amazon is officially unveiling today. To be fair, it's slightly less expensive than its predecessor, starting at $250/£230 instead of $290. It also includes some genuinely useful features: a larger 7-inch screen, an all-metal body, and yes, it's waterproof. A decade after introducing its first e-reader, Amazon has finally delivered the first beach-ready Kindle.

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If you didn't like the design of the last Oasis... well, tough luck. Amazon basically refined its look for this year's model. It's still very thin (3.4 millimeters) on one end, with a larger hump on the other. While it appears lopsided, it actually feels balanced when you hold the Oasis one-handed. The big change this time is the larger 7-inch screen, which Amazon says can hold 30 percent more text than before. It still packs in a sharp 300ppi resolution (Amazon's standard for the last few years), and includes 12 LEDs for uniform lighting.

The new Oasis marks the first time Amazon has moved beyond a 6-inch E-Ink display in its standard Kindles. The bulky Kindle DX featured a 9.7-inch screen, but that model was too expensive (it started at $489!) and unwieldy for most consumers. Amazon reduced the new Oasis's bezel size and moved to a slightly larger frame to fit in the bigger screen. The case is also made of aluminum, another first for the Kindle line. Last year's Oasis relied on an electroplated metal alloy over a standard plastic case.

The larger frame makes it slightly heavier -- 194 grams, compared to its predecessor's 131 grams. The new Oasis doesn't feel as unnaturally light as the last model, which was one of my favorite aspects of that e-reader. Still, the new model is by far the sturdiest Kindle I've ever held, thanks to its metal case. It didn't feel like it'd be uncomfortable to hold while diving into a new book for hours. And as I mentioned above, the new Oasis is also waterproof with an IPX8 rating. Amazon says it can withstand up to two meters of water for 60 minutes.

The company also managed to squeeze in a bigger battery into the Oasis for up to six weeks of reading time. The last model only had two weeks of juice on the e-reader itself, and its included leather case added another six weeks of reading. Unfortunately, that also means Amazon isn't including a leather case anymore. That omission is likely what led to the price drop, which seems like a better deal in the long run. You can still pick up a separate leather case for $60, or a waterproof cloth case for $45.

Another first for the new Oasis? It's launching with support for Audible audiobooks. You can connect it to any Bluetooth audio device and easily switch between the spoken word version of a book and the text. Of course, you'll still have to buy the Audible and Kindle releases separately. You can also find a few titles on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service, which gives you access to a limited selection of books and audiobooks for $10 a month.

Amazon also included a few helpful accessibility features in the new Oasis. You can make the display invert black and white, giving it a black background and white text. That should make it easier to read at night. I've never seen that before on an E-Ink display -- Amazon tells us they had to tweak some custom hardware to make it work. You've also got additional font size and boldness settings, which give you more customization of how text appears on the Oasis's larger new display. (Those options will eventually appear on older Kindles.) And typography nerds will likely appreciate the new ragged right alignment, which displays text similar to printed books.

I didn't have much time to demo the new Oasis, but it's certainly intriguing. I've been a devotee of Amazon's e-readers since the Kindle 2, and I was surprised just how different having a seven-inch screen felt. The text looked just as sharp and crisp as the last Oasis, Voyage and Paperwhite, all of which also feature a 300 DPI resolution. But I'd imagine it being much more convenient to get through long books without constantly turning pages. Speaking of which, the Oasis's page turning is incredibly fast. It looks to be only a fraction of a second faster than the last model, but it's one step closer to instantaneous E-Ink page turning.

The new Oasis starts at $250/£230 with 8GB of storage, and there's also a $280/£260 model with 32GB of space (which could be ideal for serious Audible listeners). And if you've just got to have cellular connectivity, you can nab that together with 32GB of storage for $350/£320. You can preorder the Oasis today, and Amazon will start shipping them out on October 31st. Keep an eye out for our in-depth review in the coming weeks.

While the $120 Paperwhite remains the most sensible Kindle for most people, this new Oasis brings Amazon one step closer to its dream of an ideal e-reader: a magical piece of paper that contains every book on Earth.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/11/amazon-new-kindle-oasis/

Finally a new kindle with a larger screen. Been waiting for this to happen for nearly a decade since the demise of Kindle DX. Will be getting it for sure. :)
 

koxinga

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That's fast. This seems to be a more worthwhile upgrade than the first Oasis. I'll probably replace me and my wife's Kindle PW with this.
 

zabuton

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I have a normal kindle and a paperwhite, for me and wifey. Both died after 1 year+. Anyone else have this issue?

Ps bought replacements. So far still ok after 1 year+.
 

hnzfaz

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I have a question regarding the new oasis.

For the old oasis, we were supplied with a cover that acts as battery backup for the oasis unit. It seems that this new oasis doesn't come bundled with a cover, which has to be purchased separately. Does it mean that all the rechargeable battery is now stored within the unit itself and not on the cover?

I'm debating if I should also order a cover, which is nearly US$60. Sigh.
 

lorettatay

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I have a question regarding the new oasis.

For the old oasis, we were supplied with a cover that acts as battery backup for the oasis unit. It seems that this new oasis doesn't come bundled with a cover, which has to be purchased separately. Does it mean that all the rechargeable battery is now stored within the unit itself and not on the cover?

I'm debating if I should also order a cover, which is nearly US$60. Sigh.
Looks like for the new oasis.

Sent from Samsung S8+ Coral Blue using GAGT
 

clifftan94

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whats the average lifespan of a kindle paperwhite? im looking to buy a second hand one but i scared will spoil very quickly
 

jeffyen2

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whats the average lifespan of a kindle paperwhite? im looking to buy a second hand one but i scared will spoil very quickly

The screen will work fine for a few years, no issue. Unless you drop it without a cover. In which case the screen may break immediately. Like the iPhone X without a cover.
 

jmwreck

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Hi guys, I just wanted to know your opinion, this is my first time buying a Kindle and which do you think is better, the 8th Gen or Paperwhite? aside from the backlight, does the resolution really matter? I haven't seen a Kindle closely and I'm not familiar with it, so I can't tell whether the resolution is great in reading distance.

I have seen local sellers on both items, each comes with bundled screen protectors and case at $138 for the 8th Gen and $198 for the Paperwhite, is it worth getting the Paperwhite or shall I just get away with the 8th Gen?
 

imacbie

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Hi guys, I just wanted to know your opinion, this is my first time buying a Kindle and which do you think is better, the 8th Gen or Paperwhite? aside from the backlight, does the resolution really matter? I haven't seen a Kindle closely and I'm not familiar with it, so I can't tell whether the resolution is great in reading distance.

I have seen local sellers on both items, each comes with bundled screen protectors and case at $138 for the 8th Gen and $198 for the Paperwhite, is it worth getting the Paperwhite or shall I just get away with the 8th Gen?
my humble 2 cents.
if you just want to read. the cheapest one will do just fine.
but one will appreciate having the backlight on the paperwhite.
 
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