A number of people have asked about what new Kindles Amazon could potentially be releasing in 2022, so I figured it would be a good time to post a new Kindle speculation article.
Amazon released the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite last October so it most certainly isn’t getting replaced anytime soon. But it can be used a guideline of sorts about what to expect from upcoming new Kindles.
I would say the model that is most likely to get replaced next is the entry-level Kindle. The current model was released 3 years ago this month. That’s actually the longest the entry-level Kindle has gone without being replaced by a newer model since the Kindle was first released in 2007. Amazon used to upgrade it every year or two, but the last one took was just under 3 years, and now they’ve just surpassed 3 years with the current model so the development process has really slowed down over the past several years.
It’s hard to predict what changes will be made to the next entry-level Kindle because Amazon tends to change very little each time a new one is released. For instance, the Kindle still uses the same low resolution 800 x 600 6-inch display as the original Kindle that was released in 2007. The screen itself has improved but the resolution has not. That seems like the most obvious thing to upgrade, especially considering other companies stopped using such low resolution screens several years ago, but they still haven’t done so after 15 years so maybe they never will.
I doubt they’ll add a warm frontlight to the entry-level model because then it would infringe on the features of the new Paperwhite, and it most certainly won’t get wireless charging or an auto-adjusting frontlight like the Paperwhite Signature Edition has.
Knowing Amazon, they’ll probably just add a USB-C port and make the frontlight 10% brighter or some nonsense and then call it the “All-New Kindle”. Maybe it’ll finally get Dark Mode like the other models, but I wouldn’t expect much else.
The Kindle Oasis is also due for an upgrade, especially now that the new Kindle Paperwhite has some upgrades that it lacks. In fact it’s kind of surprising Amazon hasn’t at least dropped the price of the Oasis now that the much cheaper Paperwhite has some better features than it. I like the page buttons on the Oasis but even I would be hard-pressed to buy it over the new Paperwhite now if I had to chose just one.
The current Kindle Oasis was released in July of 2019 so it’s getting close to 3 years old as well. But all Amazon did was add a warm frontlight to it so the overall design actually goes back to October 2017. After 5 years you would think a complete redesign would be in order.
The biggest complaint against the Kindle Oasis has always been its sub-par battery life. The new Paperwhite’s battery lasts at least twice as long so I would definitely expect some improvements in that area.
Now that the Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch E Ink screen, it makes you wonder if the next Oasis will have something larger than a 7-inch screen. Resolution is unlikely to go past 300 ppi since that’s the highest E Ink offers, but they could improve contrast and the refresh rate of the screen.
At this point I’m not sure Amazon is even going to release an upgraded Kindle Oasis model. It’s clearly the least popular model in terms of overall sales. The Paperwhite is the most popular by far, and they sell a lot more entry-level Kindles simply because they are so cheap. Amazon clearly doesn’t have as much interest in developing Kindle ereaders as they used to, so I could see the Oasis eventually getting phased out like they did with the much-loved Kindle Voyage. In fact the Voyage was so well-liked that I think Amazon would do better releasing a newer version of it than a new Oasis.
I do think at least one new Kindle will get released in 2022, but at the end of the day nobody outside of Amazon really knows when new Kindles are going to get released or what changes are going to be made so we just have to sit back and hope for the best.
I would love to have a 7.8 inch kindle with page turn buttons!
Ditto to what Paola said! I’d drop some cash on an updated Voyage. I want buttons on both sides of a device. I’d even “deal” with the haptic buttons (if I had to). 🙂
It seems like more people prefer the classic Kindle design than the lopsided design of the Oasis. I like both but with buttons on both sides of the screen it’s more universal because people can use the buttons if they want to, if not they can easily use the touchscreen instead. That was one of the nice things about the Voyage.
I don’t know about new ones but I just bought a 2015 paperweight from that Woot sale
I love the big grippable bezels and recessed screen, which minimizes accidental touches.
I’m signing up for an 8″ Voyage design with warm color front light…. The haptic page turn buttons were great, turn them on for occasions you want them, turn them off if you didn’t.
But I hated the cold, cold blue light from the Voyage. And the screen was just too small.
That said, a redesign of the Oasis might tempt. Having the 2017 Oasis 2, and given it is a secondary reader, I had no desire to shell out for the Oasis 3 just for the warm light. I do more reading during the day, so it didn’t make sense for me.
But I would like to get hubby a model with a warm front light eventually. He reads before bed. Still, his Oasis 2 is in fine shape, so “just” a warm light seems extravagant to upgrade for.
You may well be right that the Oasis will just die out though. I could see Amazon upgrading the basic and the Paperwhite & Paperwhite Signature becoming the premium models. However, abandoning the Oasis with buttons might send some of their customers elsewhere, like straight to Kobo. Some folks really do want buttons.
I would be interested in a 8” Oasis with improved contrast. In a 8” Voyage, not so much, as I prefer the lopsided shape and real physical buttons. Still, I’d probably buy it, if the screen was as good as the old Voyage, plus warm light.
As to the Paperwhites, new or old… meh. Couldn’t care less and never have.
If Amazon isn’t going to release a 8” reader with buttons, I’ll just stick to my Kobos (Sage and Libra 2). I prefer Kobo software anyway. My Oasis 3 is gathering dust on the shelf.
I also prefer the lopsided form. Something like the Sage(My favorite e-reader) that is NOT metallic and smooth. 8″ or 9″ in size.
While portability seems to have been Amazon’s first priority, it seems that the focus on readability should be paramount for at least one device in a lineup.
Yeah, the metal back of the Oasis is awful. The Sage and the Libra 2 are perfect to hold material-wise. Kobo has hit the bull’s-eye there.
I’m almost practically certain that Amazon will release a new Oasis this year, with a USBC port and better batterly life. Nothing ese, vintage Amazon move.
I’m so wanting the Oasis to get an upgrade. I have been with Amazon (as my go-to e-reader) since 1st get fire. Once I bought the 2017 Paperwhite I was really impressed. Then I found the newest Oasis for under a hundred dollars and fell in love with it. Now that the new Paperwhite is out I feel a little outdated with my oasis, but I can’t give up my buttons. It still works great. I hope for an oasis update for the fact it’s supposed to be the best high end experience….not so much now, of course.
I would like to go the kobo route and have a test drive, but I’m so deeply submerged in the Kindle ecosystem I’m afraid I’ll not enjoy it as much.
I was Kindle-only for 8 years and bought my first Kobo as recently as 2019. I actually prefer my Kobos now, although they certainly are buggier than any Kindle I’ve owned. But I’ve never been particularly submerged in the Kindle ecosystem, as I’ve backed my books up in Calibre since my first ebook purchase and always preferred sideloading to direct downloads.
Kobo software has tons of more options and possibilities than the Kindle one, but unfortunately it also has more bugs. The Kindle experience is smoother. So it’s entirely possible you wouldn’t enjoy a Kobo as much, especially if you’re not a hardcore sideloader and Calibre user.
Throw some haptic buttons on the side of the Paperwhite signature and call it a Voyage. That might move me to buy a new Kindle product, but it’s unlikely. Between my Nova Air C and Oasis 3 I have all my e-reader needs covered. I don’t think adding a usbc connector to something is going to be enough. It’s a nice feeling really. I tend to maximize my gadgets and I feel maximized. I don’t even have a wishlist anymore.
I would love to see the paper white signature with buttons! I still use my Oasis 1, because it’s so portable and has buttons!
My unicorn would be a new Oasis, no wider at all but an inch taller so more screen room and a little more “normal” looking shape.
My Kobo Aura One is a better reader but no buttons. Don’t want the stupid shape of the Forma/Sage. Kobo needs to be able to export highlights/notes like Kindle.
I read a LOT on my Kindle Oasis 9th generation, usually for hours at a time. Any weight reduction would be preferable even over extended battery life or USB-C port. Also a faster device is preferable over extended battery life or USB-C port.. Scrolling through lists of books is way too slow, as is the whole connect and download process, although admittedly, I keep it in airplane mode all the time unless I need to download or update.
I also read in bed when my partner is zonked out, and the lowest setting I can come up that is barely readable (making font size larger helps) due to poor contrast at low light still spills a lot of light into the room,
The next Kindle I buy will be whatever I can determine has the lowest light projection and best readability ability at it’s lowest setting, despite already having several fully functional older models. I’ve never seen a review that tests this out (to my knowledge)..
The 3G has been handy a few times a year while traveling, but I can live with WiFi-only if it means a lighter device.
I will always pay more for no ads, but admittedly, 32GB only makes sense if multi-content is used. Thousands of downloaded ebooks take up almost no space. Audio does take a lot, but I have never tried it on the Oasis. I do love being able to toggle between reading progress and audiobook on my Kindle app on phone while driving. This is so easy that it alone will keep me true to the Kindle environment.
The latest inability to easily buy a Kindle book is ridiculous. It also does not seem to be consistent. We should not have to bounce around from Amazon app to Kindle app to website to buy a book, and sometimes the only way I have been able to buy is to fire up Oasis, take it out of airplane mode, slooowwwly search for book online and buy on Oasis.
I don’t use the buttons often but come in handy to turn pages when reading while bushing my teeth, lol.