The current Kindle Paperwhite is the third generation Paperwhite model, and it was first released at the end of June 2015.
Could Amazon release a new updated Kindle Paperwhite model in 2017? A Paperwhite 4?
Looking back at the release dates of the two earlier models it makes a 4th gen model seem likely in 2017.
The 1st gen Paperwhite was released in fall 2012.
Then the 2nd gen model was released almost exactly one year later in 2013, so it was on the market for less than 2 years before it was upgraded to the Paperwhite 3.
Unless Amazon releases a newer model in the next couple of months it will make the 3rd gen Paperwhite the longest-lived model of its line.
The main upgrade with the Paperwhite 3 was the addition of a higher-resolution 300 ppi E Ink screen, along with a boost in RAM and storage space from the 2nd gen model.
The only problem with that is E Ink screens have pretty much peaked so there isn’t any upgrade that they can apply there unless E Ink suddenly comes out with a new and improved screen.
There’s been talk of a new processor over the past couple of years, the iMX 7 series, but it’s yet to make an appearance in a single E Ink device so who knows what’s going on with that.
The timeline of past Kindle releases suggests an upgraded Paperwhite could be in the cards for 2017, but unless Amazon goes with a larger screen size, it’s hard to imagine what upgrades a Paperwhite 4 could feature at this point in time.
A new paperwhite could integrate buttons…even if it kept the recessed screen…. But i know what you’re saying….they have kind of peaked at that price point….especially because of the tiers they’ve set up.
They could eliminate the Voyage completely to give the PW some wiggle room.
I was thinking the same, or rather incoporating the advantages of the Voyage (non-recessed screen)into the 4th gen. Kindle, just keeping the Kindle and Oasis lines
Then there’s this Paperwhite that got introduced in Japan last year and should be coming to America this year. Not too exciting unless additional storage blows your skirt up.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/a-kindle-for-your-manga-amazon-launches-32gb-paperwhite-for-japan/
It’s not really a new model, though; it just has more storage space than the regular Paperwhite 3. Not sure it will ever get released outside of Japan since manga isn’t all that popular elsewhere.
I lost my paperwhite 3rd generation,so I ordered a fire … the Kindle fire has been a real disapointment, even with the backlighted screen.
Too many complaints to list. The constant marketing and advertising, not only a nuisance, but a real distraction. The marketing boys & girls will end up chasing biz away with all this cr#p
I’d like to see an adaptive RGB frontlight that reduces the blue spectrum during night time like the tolino vision 4 or the Kobo Aura One have. Amazon is not really up in front any more as far as these kind of features go…
They really need to make a waterproof paperwhite. That’s what I want. Other companies have done it, so why is Amazon lagging behind? I bet it would be their most popular ereader.
I would only be interested in a waterproof kindle. Surely they realise there is a great need for these.Do I wait for one, or do i buy another brand?
I’d like buttons on either side and a microSD slot. 🙂 Although with my Voyage, I finally found the sweet spot for me with the “buttons”. This chick is happy.
Amazon needs to fix the quality control of their Kindle lineup. It’s been horrible since it’s inception and 8 generations later is still an issue which is unbelievable. Uneven poor distributed lighting has always plagued Kindles, especially with the newer Voyage and Oasis models. A lot of upgrades which is needed has less to do with hardware aside from an obvious larger model but more with software upgrades like margins, more font sizes, weight adjustments, line spacing options and of course fonts. Basically everything Kobo already has. Amazon really needs to step up their game.
Oh and Amazon needs to buy Instapaper or at least integrate it with Kindle same way Kobo integrates Pocket and Overdrive with their devices. Like I said, Amazon needs to step it up.
An 8″ screen would be nice, but I’m not holding my breath for a PW4 or any substantial features.
Would like to see a couple items which had been on the K3 but “lost” on recent versions: page turn buttons on each side and audio capability for audiobooks/music. More storage would be a real plus, especially for audio.
I’m not sure there is a 4 device line up for ereaders in the first place. Kindle, Paperwhite, Voyage, Oasis. I don’t know why they don’t just dump the Kindle and Paperwhite, lower the prices for the Voyage and Oasis then come put with a larger screen (8 or 9 inches) ereader.
So sorry about my post. My brain moving faster than I can type.
I’ll never own a Kindle until they add a micro-SD slot.
I won’t spent any pennies until they add the audio function.
Audio features on Kindles make no logical sense in this day and age. Kindles batteries are so small they can only last for a few hours for audio playback. You can get a phone or tablet for half the price of a Kindle and the battery will last 3-10 times longer for audio.
I hope Amazon releasing 8 inch Kindle paperwhite.
This is almost same size as real book size
In this day and age, why would a Kindle with an audio function have to have such a limited battery life? I would love the kindle to have an audio function. Had my Kindle stolen recently and hanging off getting another in the hope of audio being added! Sounds like I am being a bit unrealistic…
The main reason is because the battery is the major contributing factor to the overall weight, so they try to keep the battery as small as possible to help make the Kindles easier to hold for reading. Thus the reason for offloading the Kindle Oasis’ battery to the cover.
Hi, I had the Kindle touch for a long time. It had a earphone jack and also was capable of reading the ebooks. But I ahve to admit that I used neither the audio nor the reading feature.
At the end I had all my music in my phone (spotify), language learning audios, etc. So there was no point for me in copying again all potential audio files.
With regards to the reading feature,…I never found the moment when I thought I could use it.
Later I bought a Paperwhite and although I felt sorry at the beginning, I understood that made no difference. However I DO love the backlight of the paperwhite. Without that one I cannot live anymore.
But that is my experience.
Kindle Paperwhite Gen 4 could have:
i) Standalone audiobook support
ii) Faster processor
iii) Reduced bezels and increased screen size ~ 7 inches, keeping the same device size
I have the Kindle Voyage. I love it. I would love to see a larger screen, and water proofing. I would love to see audio support for audio books. I use my phone for this. I would love to see an android based e-reader that could also read books from other sellers. But I know that this is not going to happen.
I have tried to push waterproof 8″ and 300dpi screen with USB-C for for next kindle paperwhite, but the Amazon customer service doestn want to serve and share contact informations for responsible white collars.
Do anyone know is the CEO only channel to pass the message what customers really need?
I would like to see a Paperwhite 4 gen that has a non recessed screen and support to playback TTS and Audible types of books. More ram and faster processor would also be nice.
I am really waiting for a new paperwhite that has 1) audio for audible/kindle books and 2) waterproofing for reading in the jacuzii!
I could go for any or all the following,
Increased memory or slot
Increased battery life
Faster processor
A 32 GB microSD card isn’t any bigger than a 4 GB microSD card. Amazon could increase the memory without running out of room inside the shell. The price would go up by about $10 to account for the difference in price between the two amounts of NAND flash memory.
The battery should be stronger. The Kindle PW3 battery is about 25% weaker than the PW1 battery was.
The Paperwhite should have 1 GB RAM instead of only 512 GB RAM, and the CPU might could be speedier, say 1.2 GHz instead of 1.0 GHz.
The Kindle price is stable over the years period. I suggest the old version must have a bit lower price.