Amazon officially introduced the latest addition to their line of Kindles today. As expected, the new ereader is called the Kindle Oasis.
It has a new asymmetrical design with page buttons on one side of the screen and a sensor that detects when you flip the device 180 degrees so that you can hold it with either hand.
The design of the Kindle Oasis is also tapered so that it’s thicker on the side with the buttons and thinner on the opposite side.
It tapers from 8.5mm down to 3.4mm so that most the weight is centered in your hand, which is meant to make it more comfortable to hold one-handed.
There’s also a cover included that is designed to fit the unique tapered design of the Oasis.
Plus the cover has an added battery to prolong battery life and charge the Kindle.
Of course we already knew that thanks to the numerous leaks over the past week…
Like the Paperwhite 3 and Voyage, the Kindle Oasis has a 6-inch E Ink Carta display with 300 ppi. No change to the screen will come as a disappointment for some folks that were hoping for a larger Kindle, but Amazon did improve the frontlight to make the lighting more even and consistent.
That’s a big plus because a number of people were unhappy with subtle color variations on the Kindle Voyage’s screen.
The Kindle Oasis has 10 LED lights to help improve lighting consistency. By comparison the Voyage has 6 LEDs and the Paperwhite has 4. It will be interesting to see the actual difference in person. Check back on release day for a first impressions review.
The price of the Kindle Oasis starts at $289 for the Wi-Fi Special Offers model and goes up to $379 for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. Add $20 to those prices for the non-ad versions. Here’s the link to the international Kindle Oasis page.
So it’s $90 more than the Kindle Voyage, which is kind of crazy considering there hasn’t been any boost in specs—it has the same screen, the same processor, the same storage space. So basically you’re paying $90 for a rechargeable cover and a new ergonomic design. A regular leather cover costs $60 by itself for the Voyage, so I guess the price isn’t as high as it may seem.
The release date for the new Kindle Oasis is set for April 27th, 2016.
In Canada the Kindle Oasis starts at $399 from Amazon.ca and in the UK it sells for £269 from Amazon UK.
Here’s the link to the PDF user manual for the Kindle Oasis. The software is the same as other Kindle so there’s been no change there.
Kindle Oasis Specs
- 6-inch E Ink Carta display.
- 1448 x 1072 pixel resolution (300 ppi).
- 10 LED frontlights for increased frontlight evenness.
- Capacitive touchscreen.
- Page buttons.
- Accelerometer to switch orientation.
- Leather charging case included.
- 1 GHz processor, 512MB RAM (unconfirmed but most likely).
- 4GB internal memory.
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n .
- 3G model option.
- Supported formats: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), AZW, KFX, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.
- Battery Life: Up to 8 weeks, according to Amazon.
- Weight: 4.6 oz – 131 grams (without cover); cover weighs 107 grams.
- Dimensions: 5.6″ x 4.8″ x 0.13-0.33″ (143 mm x 122 mm x 3.4-8.5 mm).
- Price: $289-$379 at Amazon
I’m glad I bought the Voyage when it was on sale for $150 for Prime members. What a joke.
Meh, this new Kindle is kind of underwhelming to me. I personally like having the Voyage “buttons” on both sides. I know I’ve complained that I really want actual buttons, but I’d choose “both sides” over “physical buttons” any day.
Just not enough difference to shell out that kind of money. Not seeing it.
Underwhelmed from the leaks and not any different from the actual release. Looks like the cover just covers the thin area of the Oasis no? Leaving the hand held area exposed? I’m happy with my 4 LED PW3, and may look for the Voyage on sale.
So have we seen any pictures that show where the USB port is? I can’t find it on any of Amazon’s renderings.
CNet has a picture of the bottom of the Oasis that shows the USB port.
http://www.cnet.com/au/pictures/amazon-kindle-oasis-pictures/30/
That looks more like the top, if holding it in the right hand, which is the default orientation no?
It’s not the top, it’s the bottom… at least for right-handed users.
How is that the top for right handed holders? It looks like the cover is to the top of the image and opens upwards. Here’s another image,
http://www.cnet.com/au/pictures/amazon-kindle-oasis-pictures/28/
You are right. It’s the bottom for right-handed users.
I meant, how is that the bottom?
HAHA, the USB port is on top if holding in the right hand. Sorry for all the wrong wording.
LOL. I’m an idiot. The USB port is on the TOP for RIGHT-HANDED users when holding in the right hand.
*double-checks*
Yeah.
Excellent find, Dustin, thanks!
Wow, total ripoff!
I thought they were crazy at $199 but now for $289 with the same specs now they’re just blatantly taking advantage on the Monopoly type hold they have on this industry. They obviously include the case and bumped up the price because they knew it wouldn’t sell on its own. This is business greed at its absolute worst. Poor customers need more options.
I actually don’t mind the price if there was something worthwhile to me that I’m paying for. The Oasis isn’t the model to get my money.
Now I’m pretty happy with my Kindle 4 non-touch.
Disappointing all around with the device and especially the price. Now forcing people to purchase a case too? Now that’s just abuse. Any info if they at least included any new fonts or customization options?
Amazon added new font, nice one: “Amazon amber”
It can be seen on video reviews on youtube
Do you have a link?
This video shows the Amazon Ember font at 2:40 (and before then) but the video is not in English.
Yeah, it was Amazon Ember. I saw it on few reviews. Just search youtube for “Kindle Oasis review” or something like this.
Looks like a Sans font, I was hoping for a new bolder Serif. Thanks for the link.
This Kindle reader looks lopsided and it turns out to be quite expensive, I wonder how successful it will be?
Time will tell…
Odd appearance. I think I’ll stick with my PW3, especially for that price. I do have a Lenovo Yoga 3 that’s kind of lopsided, and I have to admit that it’s comfortable to hold.