Colour Kindle skips Australia for now
Amazon has announced new Kindle e-readers, though the most interesting one won't arrive in Australia until 2025.
The Kindle Colorsoft features "a new light-guide with nitride LEDs that, when combined with our custom algorithms, enhances colour and increases brightness, all without washing details". The colour e-ink screen displays at 150ppi, while black-and-white elements show at 300ppi.
You can zoom in on images without worrying about pixelating and you can choose between standard or vibrant colour styles. Kindle Colorsoft comes with wireless charging, up to 8 weeks of battery life, and is waterproof so you can bring it with you in the bath or take it to the beach without having to worry.
Australian pricing and a specific release date hasn't been announced either, but a direct conversion puts the device at a hefty AU$418.83 (US$279.99).
In other news, a new Kindle Paperwhite is available now and priced at AU$299 with 16GB of storage. A 32GB Kindle paperwhite Signature Edition is AU$329 and comes with wireless charging and an auto-adjusting front light. Both can get up to 12 weeks of battery. From Amazon:
Scrolling through your Kindle Library or Store is snappy and responsive, with 25% faster page turns. The display uses an oxide thin film transistor which gives it the highest contrast ratio of any Kindle Paperwhite, so text and images pop off the screen. A larger, seven-inch display is a first for Kindle Paperwhite — and yet it is also the thinnest Paperwhite ever with up to three months of battery life.
The new regular Kindle is available now for AU$199 and has 16GB of storage. Amazon highlights the device's weight in its description of the refreshed model, which is also now also substantially smaller (6") than the Kindle Paperwhite (7"). Though battery life is cut in half when compared to the Kindle Paperwhite, with just 6 weeks of expected use (depending on how much it gets used each day - Amazon is a little tricky when it comes to exact Kindle battery life):
Weighing in at just 158g, the new entry-level Kindle is small enough to fit in your hand or carry in your back pocket —and it’s packed with premium Kindle features. It has a 300ppi, glare-free display, now with faster page turns, higher contrast ratio, and a front light that is 25% brighter at max setting—as bright as Kindle Paperwhite.
An updated Kindle Scribe is available December 5 and comes in Tungsten and Metallic Jade. The device will start at AU$649.
The 10.2 inch display has new uniform white borders and the screen has a smooth, paper-like texture that makes it look and feel like you’re writing on a sheet of paper. Plus, at 300ppi text looks crisp and clear when you’re writing or reading. The Premium Pen is finely crafted to deliver just the right heft and balance, so it feels like holding an actual pen, and the new soft-tipped eraser feels like a pencil—you’ll think will you have to brush the screen clean after erasing.
The new Kindle Scribe offers a first-of-its-kind in-book writing experience. With Active Canvas, you can write your thoughts directly in the book when inspiration strikes. Your note becomes part of the page and the book text dynamically flows around it—if you increase the font size, change the font style, or the book layout changes, the note remains visible exactly where you want it so you never lose any meaning or context.
