Someone over at MobileRead posted a mysterious picture of what could be the next new Kindle for 2017. The image is posted above (click to enlarge).
The leaked photo was posted in a Chinese forum supposedly from a retailer in China.
As far as leaked photos go, this is about as uninteresting as it gets, which kind of makes it seem more probable.
If true, the new Kindle looks like a mix between the Paperwhite and Kindle Voyage.
It appears to have a flush glass screen in the image like the Kindle Voyage and Oasis, but it looks more like a Paperwhite design because it lacks buttons. It might be a Paperwhite 4.
The post at MobileRead says that the new model still has the same CPU and storage space as current models, along with the same 300 ppi screen, but apparently it’s waterproof. That doesn’t sound very interesting but the post also states two new higher-end models are coming in 2018 with 6 and 7-inch screens.
Quite frankly it’s hard to put much stock in what one person says on a Chinese forum with iffy translations but this is the only new Kindle rumor that has surfaced so far this year. The picture lends some credibility to it but then again it’s not a very telling picture and could’ve easily been faked.
What do you think? Could this really be the next new Kindle?
As much as i hope a new paperwhite comes out….even though I’d have to buy a new case….what makes this suspect to me is how the “K” and “e” were left visible.
I am not even excited about this. And in 2018 – 7 inch screen will still be behind Kobo’s Aura One. Not enough to intice me to buy.
I sure hope not that would be extremely disappointing. It practically looks the same and those giant bezels scare me. There’s no room for bezels in 2017. I agree with suz, 7 inch is a yawner now.
There’s something to be said about having a 12″ device with only a 6″ display. I agree, those bezels are too big. I keep looking at the bezels and not the screen. Hopefully this isn’t the next Kindle.
I have a paperwhites 1 and 3.
But I still prefer my kindle 4. It’s got buttons. I need buttons.
Agree. I have a paperwhite. Worst thing i have ever purchased.
It also could be a “kobee” instead of kindle, btw, where’s the original post, I can translate it for u.
See referenced thread at MobileRead.
Waterproof will be awesome, if it is IPX68 it will mean reading at the pool, on the pool, at the beach… Current size is nice easily pocketable and with been able to change text size….PPI is good enough as is but a bigger battery would be good though and smaller bezels would make it look more modern and they could go Samsung and have a bigger screen with same size device. BTW I’ve had several kindles and currently have a Paperwhite.
While this bezel is rather big, to make them too small or lose them altogether would be ba: I need them so I can hold the Kindle. An area which is not screen.
Having a Voyage I really like the flush screen and would rather see a Voyage 2.
Also again the same slow processor? Waterproof, more memory and faster hardware (Display is ok for me with speed etc.).
When free RAM is below about 200 MB the Voyage (and also I think the Paperwhite) gets rather slow ‘n sluggish.
Nowhere mentioned, but would be nice to have: wireless charging, and for sound output and keyboard input – Bluetooth. Wireless charging should be a no-brainer, just drop the Kindle on you charging pad no mater how and it gets charged while you do not read.
At first glance disappointing.
– Same overall design minus the flush screen which looks nice but suffers from color variation (At least on the Voyages I’ve seen)
– THOSE BEZELS THOUGH
– 300ppi is good enough although Kindles suffer greatly from poor contrast and bad uneven lighting. I’ve heard horror stories about the poor quality control on these units. Hopefully they can get this issue fixed which is the most important aspect of a reader IMO.
– Kindles have great but very limiting software, hopefully Amazon addresses the needs of customers by allowing a little more control. They’ve become even more limiting than Apple which is hard to do.
– Please no more 6 inch Kindles. The current Paperwhite and Voyage and Oasis and Basic and the other thousand 6 inch Kindles are good enough as is. Amazon has that base covered. I don’t think it makes any sense to continue down that path. If they release another 6 inch Kindle then offer more size options. Hopefully the report on their being a larger Kindle released soon is true.
– More importantly I believe Amazon needs to work on improving their software by allowing more control and fixing their quality control on the quality of lighting on their displays. Everything else is a bonus IMO.
The physical design with those bezels seems like a step backward, not only for Kindle but from every other brand as well.
Supposedly, it was leaked by a Chinese vendor whose contract for the device got cancelled.
As for the features, the PW is ‘Zon’s entry front-light device. Why would they cannibalize their higher-end devices by giving it a flush display with waterproofing? Would buttons with more storage be enough to separate the models? Why would they produce a next-generation with less storage than the upgraded (Japanese only) PW3?
Those bezels plus the origin plus the added features makes me call BS on this. Presumably, there *will* be a PW4 but as described and pictured?
Nope.
This talk of large bezels doesn’t make sense to me. If you open the image in one tab and go and compare it to the current Kindle pictures at Amazon, the side bezels on the leaked image look smaller than the ones currently on the Kindle Voyage and Paperwhite 3. They look like they’re closer in size to the small side bezel on the Oasis. And the lower edge looks smaller than the current Paperwhite too, and the top looks about the same.
Not sure about that, from this end they look about the same and if they are actually a bit smaller than not by much.
Maybe they just look gigantic onsidering the world is going “bezel-less”. There is no excuse to include that fat forehead and chin on any device in 2017. Why can’t Amazon take cue’s from Kobo? I mean the Glo HD is a perfect example that it can be done. Smaller than Paperwhite, lighter, much less bezel, a nice evenly lit display with better contrast.
The diagonal of this reader is 10 inches, right?
Not likely.
I mean you can actually measure it in some program like Photoshop. Then the diagonal of the screen is about 10 inches.
Glass screen is no good for me – too easily damaged. I had a Voyage for a couple of months before it got cracked. I read until I sleep, frequently falling asleep with the Kindle in my hand or with it falling out of my hand. If it lands on my bedside table corner, it takes a whack, and if it lands in the bed, it can get rolled on.
Waterproof would be good, though – reading in the bath is a very luxurious activity and I’ve yet to find a good waterproof case which isn’t either flimsy and rubbish or too thick/heavy.
I’d also like it a little bigger – my eyesight isn’t great when I’m tired, so at the font side I need I’m turning the page every few seconds.
I don’t mind the bezel. You need somewhere to rest your thumb! I didn’t like my Oasis as thought it was awkward to hold. I just hope for whiter whites and higher res screen.