Amazon Refreshes Kindle Line With Thinner Bodies and Faster Book Opens
Amazon has launched new versions of the base Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft that are a millimeter thinner than before and open books 30 percent faster. The Verge
Across the line, the power button moves from the bottom edge to the right edge near the top. The standard models use soft-touch plastic in bright colors, with aluminum versions sold as a higher-priced option.
The material choice sets storage and ads. Plastic versions ship with 16GB, enough for thousands of books. Aluminum versions ship with 32GB.
The updated base Kindle starts at $149.99 with 16GB and lockscreen ads, in ube purple and graphite. It drops the old recessed screen, where the display sat below the frame, for a flat front where frame and screen sit level.
The aluminum base Kindle costs $189.99. It doubles storage compared with the plastic version and removes ads.
Paperwhite and Colorsoft keep the same display specifications as the prior generation. The difference is in the body and add-ons. The aluminum Kindle Paperwhite costs $249.99 and the aluminum Kindle Colorsoft costs $319.99, both sold as Signature Edition versions.
All three new models have user-replaceable batteries to comply with EU regulations. That changes repair and usable lifespan more than daily reading behavior.
Much of the new function is in accessories. Signature Edition Paperwhite and Colorsoft models include rear pogo pins, small metal contacts for power and add-ons. They work with a $79.99 magnetic case that adds physical page-turning buttons. Amazon will sell a $59.99 charging dock that charges those Signature Edition Kindles upright through the pogo pins. Separately, Amazon introduced the $34.99 Kindle Click Bluetooth remote, which turns pages over a short-range wireless link.
The button case will be familiar to longtime readers. The Kindle Oasis paired a 7-inch display with page turn buttons. Amazon The new magnetic case brings back that type of control without putting buttons on every model.
There is continuity in the Colorsoft line. It began as Amazon's first color Kindle, with waterproofing, wireless charging and up to eight weeks of battery life. About Amazon
In my view, this shift from screen to package makes sense for a mature device. With displays unchanged, gains come from open times, materials, power access and input choices. Pogo pins allow charging and button input without relying only on USB or Bluetooth, which keeps the reader simple while letting heavy readers add complexity only if they want it. E-readers do not need a new screen each year to stay useful. Replaceable batteries extend service life, 30 percent faster book opens speed library access, and the case and Click remote add touch options for long reading. The result should be Kindles that feel familiar in use and easier to keep in use.
