Amazon exceeded everyone’s expectations today by announcing not one, but three new E Ink Kindles, two touchscreen models and one non-touch Kindle that costs just $79 for the ad-supported model and $109 for the non-ad version. That’s in addition to the Kindle Fire Tablet that was also announced today.
The regular Kindle Touch costs $99 for the Special Offers version and $139 for the non-ad supported version. The Kindle Touch 3G on the other hand is $149 for the Special Offers model and $189 for the ad-free version. All have the usual 6-inch E Ink screens and come with WiFi for getting ebooks from the Kindle Store.
The non-touchscreen Kindle is the only model now shipping; the Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G don’t start shipping until the third week of November.
Here are the details about the new E Ink Kindles from the press release:
New Latest Generation Kindle–Fits In Your Pocket–Only $79
The new latest generation Kindle is for readers who want the lightest, most compact Kindle at an incredible price. The latest generation Kindle features a new design that is 30 percent lighter at just 5.98 ounces, 18 percent smaller, and turns pages 10 percent faster. Kindle is now small and light enough to fit easily in your pocket and carry with you everywhere, yet it still features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.
The new latest generation Kindle is only $79. Kindle is available starting today at www.amazon.com/kindle.
New Addition to the Kindle Family–“Kindle Touch”–Only $99
Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch is also lighter, smaller, eliminates battery anxiety with extra-long battery life and holds thousands of books.
New “X-Ray” Feature
Amazon invented X-Ray, a new feature that lets customers explore the “bones of the book.” With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers. Amazon built X-Ray using its expertise in language processing and machine learning, access to significant storage and computing resources with Amazon S3 and EC2, and a deep library of book and character information. The vision is to have every important phrase in every book.
The new Kindle Touch is only $99. Kindle Touch is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch and ships November 21.
New Top of the Line Kindle e-reader–“Kindle Touch 3G” –Only $149
Kindle Touch 3G is a new addition to the Kindle family for readers who want the top of the line e-reader. Kindle Touch 3G offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch – small and light, easy-to-use touch screen, storage for thousands of books, and extra-long battery life – with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle’s free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot – you simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there’s no monthly fee or annual contract.
The new top of the line Kindle Touch 3G is only $149. Kindle Touch 3G is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch3G and ships November 21.
All Kindles have instant access to the Kindle Store with the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices, and Kindle customers can now borrow Kindle books from their public library. Kindle books are “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – on Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Touch 3G, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PCs, Mac, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, Windows phones, and web browsers with Kindle Cloud Reader.
All three new Kindle e-readers also come with special offers and sponsored screensavers that appear when you’re not reading. Customers enjoy special money-saving offers delivered wirelessly sponsored by AT&T, the Dove beauty brand and Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card by Chase. Kindle e-reader customers will also receive special offers in their own backyards from AmazonLocal, Amazon’s local deals marketplace with discounts on local services, products, and experiences. Customers can also choose to purchase a Kindle without special offers and sponsored screensavers.
I would offer up my first born child to Cthulu to get my hands on one of these right now @.@
My question is, have they made the Kindle screen more durable so that it actually CAN be put in your pocket without cracking that screen? I’ve seen that gimmick in the ads in the past, and know from experience that the screen is vulnerable to destruction, and therefore, should not, in fact, be placed in your back pocket to be sat down upon in the subway.
Agreed 100%. The glass substrate is not very durable and no they did not change it. Sitting on it will likely crack the screen. The vice president of E Ink said in this interview that they want to start using a flexible plastic substrate for the screens to make them more durable.
Looking at the Kindle Touch 3G, it seems like 3G might not work for web browsing anymore. Definitely different statements on the product pages between Kindle Keyboard 3G and Kindle Touch 3G.
For the new Kindle Touch 3G:
“Kindle Touch 3G’s experimental web browser is based on WebKit. It’s easy to find the information you’re looking for right from your Kindle Touch 3G. Experimental web browsing is available via Wi-Fi.”
For the old Kindle Keyboard 3G:
“KindleKeyboard features an experimental web browser based on WebKit to provide a better web browsing experience. Now it’s easier than ever to find the information you’re looking for right from your Kindle. Experimental web browsing is free.”
Good eye, Cynthia. I hadn’t noticed that. Unfortunately that is very very disappointing. The Kindle Keyboard does indeed work over 3G for web browsing. I hope Amazon comes to their senses. If the 3G only works for shopping the Kindle store then that is going to tick off a lot of people, me included.
While it may be disappointing, if they make the web browser more functional than it currently is, and I suspect they have, then I certainly can’t blame them for doing so. 3G is too expensive to allow people to do serious web browsing. I just hope opening links in a new window is enabled.