Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Amazon Outs 2 New Kindle e-Readers both with Wi-Fi and More

It appears those rumors about a new Amazon Kindle E-Reader weren’t just a bunch of hot air.  After selling out of the 6” Kindle yesterday, Engadget & Wall Street Journal are reporting that Amazon has two new Kindle e-Readers coming our way!

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

While this will really be the Kindle 3 or something like that, Amazon will be calling these two new e-Readers “The Kindle” and nothing more. Both are available for preorder Now and are expected to be available by August 27th.  

Here’s a photo of the new Kindle:

New Amazon Kindle

What’s New?

  • Smaller – 21% smaller than the last 6” Kindle – all size reduction happened on the frame around the screen as the screen size remains 6”.  Thinner and now about 1/3 Inch thick.
  • Lighter – 15% lighter than the last 6” Kindle at 8.7 ounces
  • Faster e-Ink Refresh Rate – 20% Faster page refreshes!
  • 2 Wireless Versions both with Wi-Fi:
    • $139 (£109 UK) Wi-Fi Only.  Great price point and one I can see dropping to $99 before too long.  This one is the one that kills off much of the e-Reader competition in my opinion. 
    • $189 (£149 UK) 3G included free Plus Wi-Fi– this is the same Global (over 100 countries & territories) wireless in the current 6”.  And now includes the Wi-Fi capability too for times when you aren’t in 3G range.
  • Longer battery life – rated at a month with wireless turned off & 10 days with wireless switched on.  Wow!
  • Larger (double) Internal Storage – 4GB which is enough for about 3,500 books.  Enough to last me oh… a lifetime.
  • 2 Color Choices: Charcoal Black (like the DX) or original White
  • Keyboard 5-way controller is no longer joystick style
  • Webkit-based web browser included – experimental feature. 
    • Web Browser includes new "article mode" feature that simplifies web pages to just the main text- based content for easier reading.
    • Web browsing with Kindle over 3G or Wi-Fi is free. 
    • Web Browser provides a New Voice Guide: With Text-to-Speech, Kindle can read out loud to you. New Text-to-Speech enabled menus allow customers to navigate Kindle without having to read menu options. In addition to listening to books aloud, users now have the option of listening to content listings on the home screen, item descriptions, and all menu options.  What an awesome improvement for the vision impaired!!!
  • Quieter Page turn buttons – The current version has a little “click” noise.  I’m guessing they’ve eliminated this sound???
  • Optional (for additional Fee) New LED-Lighted Leather Cover features an integrated, retractable reading light that is powered by the Kindle itself – genius! The light is a permanent part of the cover that hides away into the cover when not in use.

Kindle Thin

Details from this post were originally obtained from Engadget and Wall Street Journal

Full Press Release Available Here

You can preorder either of the new Kindle e-Readers as well as the new built-in-light Jacket Now at Amazon

You’ll be able to preorder on these sites Thursday as well.  I’m seriously considering getting one of the Wi-Fi versions as they have pretty much answered all of my wants for an e-Reader with the exception of the color e-Ink of which that technology just won’t be ready this year.