Book lovers, listen up! Amazon just unveiled a new lineup of Kindle devices, including the fastest and thinnest Kindle Paperwhite to date.
On Wednesday, Amazon announced four new devices for book aficionados, writers and basically anyone to enjoy, from the reimagined Kindle Scribe to a pocket-sized entry-level Kindle.
And for the first time in its 17-year history, Kindle has unveiled a device that shows colour! The remarkable achievement comes after a roughly two-year process of developing the product and getting it ready for the market.
Amazon’s Lead of Devices and Services, Panos Panay, introduced the new lineup of devices to a room full of journalists in New York City earlier this week, and prefaced the announcement with stating the massive growth of readers using Kindle devices to date.
Panay shared that Kindle’s fastest growing cohort are Millennials and Gen Z, who are picking up more books than ever and sharing their love for literature online.
“Customers love Kindle and are reading on their devices more than ever—global sales last year hit their highest in a decade with the majority of purchases by first time Kindle device owners,” Kevin Keith, vice president of Amazon Devices, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Interestingly, 60 per cent of Kindle users are first-time customers, and those customers are reading a whopping 20.8 billion pages a month, what!
And with reading being a go-to passion for people of all ages worldwide, the need and desire continues for more and updated Kindle devices. And Amazon is here to deliver. With a famous quote from one of the United States’ founding fathers Benjamin Franklin plastered on the walls behind Panay during his announcement, “Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing,” the giant tech company is motivated to inspire people to enjoy the beauty of literature in this modern age with its latest Kindle devices.
Here’s what you need to know about each of the new devices features and prices below!
Kindle Colorsoft
The most requested feature Amazon receives from customers is the desire for a colour Kindle, and now they are delivering.
Perfect for comic book readers or book lovers who want to see their novels’ cover pages come to life, Kindle Colorsoft presents a seamless entry into the colour universe and marks “just the beginning” of coloured devices from the beloved Kindle line, Panay said. Although Colorsoft is only available in the U.S. right now, there are plans to launch in Canada soon!
The Colorsoft device has a 150 ppi colour filter providing a vibrant and fulfilled experience for users looking to add a big splash of colour to their literary imagination through their device.
The spacious seven-inch screen is an ideal size to comfortably hold in your hands, while the front light has optimal brightness modes to provide an easy adjustment for your eyes.
As Panay puts it, Colorsoft doesn’t compromise in quality compared to its black and white counterpart and offers a “romantic” experience for users.
Although this device is not yet up for grabs, it’s one you don’t want to miss out on!
Kindle Scribe
Now, if you’re looking for a device to not only read from but write on as well, the Kindle Scribe is for you! The new 16 GB multi-purpose device combines all the benefits of Kindle along with a first-of-its-kind in-book writing experience where you can take notes directly in the pages. It also has 300 ppi resolution on a smooth screen with a paper-like texture where it feels like you’re writing on an actual sheet of paper.
Ideal for writers, students or anyone wanting to make notes while reading, the Active Canvas allows users to write their thoughts directly in the book whenever and wherever they want. This feature is so seamlessly integrated that your notes become part of the page and the text flows around it, meaning if you increase the font size or change the font style or the book layout, the note remains visible exactly where you left it.
Equipped with a sturdy but lightweight pen that doesn’t need charging, users can easily jot down notes while they’re fully engrossed in the content they’re reading. The Premium Pen is finely crafted and has a new soft-tipped eraser that feels like a pencil, so much so that you’ll think you have to brush the screen clean after erasing!
Along with note taking, Kindle Scribe offers refined writing, a handy tool for messy writers out there! The refined writing option uses AI to beautifully enhance your penmanship into the type of font and style of your choice, resulting in a cleaner and clearer version of your notes.
Speaking of AI, Kindle Scribe has a new ability to summarize your notes too. Whether you want to get a synopsis for one page or multiple pages, in just one click your notes can be efficiently summarized in a short but relevant review, providing an exciting option for busy noteakers who need a brief summary of their reports.
The new Kindle Scribe will ship on Dec. 4 and is available now for pre-order starting at $499.99.
Kindle Paperwhite
For avid Kindle users, you’ll enjoy the new and improved Kindle Paperwhite as it’s their fastest and thinnest model yet. The best-selling Paperwhite, which has been around since 2012, has a 25-per cent faster page turn allowing you to breeze through your latest novel, and it has a larger seven-inch display- a first for this model.
Are you using your Kindle while enjoying your morning coffee? No need to worry about spills because Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof, a welcome addition to protect your beloved device. The Paperwhite comes in black with 16GB of storage and offers up to three months of battery life, an awesome feature because who wants to worry about charging their devices these days?
Allowing for constant, uninterrupted flow while reading, the Paperwhite is perfect for readers on the go or first-time Kindle users who want a reliable and light, yet solid device. And if you need more space to hold all the fabulous digital books you’re reading, the Paperwhite Signature Edition comes with 32 GB of storage, along with the ability to charge it wirelessly and an auto-adjusting front light. The Signature Edition comes in the metallic black colour too, along with a new fun raspberry colour.
Kindle Paperwhite is available now for $184.99 and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is available for $229.99.
Kindle
Ok, this Kindle is a compact version of the others, so small it can easily fit in your back pocket! Weighing in at just 158g (less than one pound!) this entry-level Kindle has 300 ppi and a glare-free display like the others, but is now equipped with faster page turns and a front light that is 25 per cent brighter at max setting. Like the other devices, this Kindle offers weeks of battery life from a single charge and has 16 GB of storage for holding your huge book collection. And if that wasn’t enough to win you over, this Kindle comes in a fresh, new Matcha colour.
Kindle is available now for $144.99.
Launching alongside these four devices is the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, providing a modern way to spark a joy of reading for young kids that will last for a lifetime. The new Paperwhite Kids comes with a cute Cyber City or Starfish cover, along with Amazon Kids+, a kid-friendly subscription service that provides access to a huge library of age-appropriate books. This device comes with a two-year guarantee and will ship on Oct. 30. It’s available for pre-order now for $214.99.
After getting your beautiful new Kindle, you’ll be able to explore the world’s best e-book store with a free three-month trial subscription to Kindle Unlimited, which houses a massive library of digital books, comics and magazines.
Happy reading!
