Amazon quietly phased out the Kindle Voyage over the summer.
First it started disappearing from Amazon’s international websites, and then around the end of July they stopped selling it new in the US from Amazon.com.
Now it’s only available used and refurbished, and occasionally new when they find a few laying around.
So why did Amazon discontinue the Kindle Voyage without releasing a new version?
If you go by the reviews, it’s more popular than the new Kindle Oasis. Lots of people like the Voyage’s form factor better than the Oasis’.
It has a nicer, higher-quality design than the Kindle Paperwhite. It’s lighter and thinner, and it adds page button sensors and an auto-adjusting frontlight.
They could’ve taken the Kindle Voyage’s design and tweaked it a bit, added more storage and adjustable frontlight color, and they could’ve released a really nice Kindle Voyage 2, perhaps with a 7.8-inch screen like the Kobo Aura One, but instead Amazon has decided to stick with an oddly-shaped Oasis, an outdated entry-level Kindle, and the same Paperwhite design they’ve been pushing since 2012.
Of all the Kindles to discontinue, the Voyage line should have been the one to stick around. A 7.8-inch Kindle Voyage would have been really nice…
I Love my Voyage. My very favorite ereader. Why did they discontinue who knows. I would have eventually bought a Voyage 2 if this one ever dies. I love everything about it and can get the Internet when needed without wifi. Boo Amazon.
Thanks for all your great info. We really learn from you.
The Voyage is my favorite Kindle. It is the only one I use, and I also have 2 Paperwhites, and 3 Fires. I also have an iPad and 2 Samsung tablets. And, 3 Nooks. I use the Voyage and my phone as my only devices. The Oasis seems to be incredibly non-user friendly. I read in bed and that weird hand thing .. I also switch kindle-holding hands a lot. If the Voyage dies, I have plenty of backup.
Mary, I’m just curious, why do you have 2 Paperwhites, 3 Fires, an iPad, 2 Samsung tablets, and 3 Nooks that you never use?
I’m going to go against the grain here and say I prefer the Oasis with its hardware buttons and I find it fits better in one hand. I sold my Voyage, which I’d bought through a reshippervin the U. S. since it was only available in Canada six months later!
I’m with you – I loved my 1st gen Oasis, My husband gave me the 7” Oasis for our anniversary and while I miss the featherweight of the 6” Oasis a little bit, I LOVE the 7” screen. And while I never missed the page turn buttons on my Paperwhite, I almost always use them on the Oasis. To me it has the best ergonomics for hardcore readers.
The Kindle voyage was flawed from the very beginning. I agree form factor wise it’s the best Kindle ever released but the inconsistency of the flush bezel screen lighting is what ultimately ruined it. They never got it right which is why I believe they discontinued it.
And yes I know people that swear up-and-down that their Voyage is literally perfect, I don’t buy it. In the past four years I have tried at least 20 different voyages and all of them are very inconsistent with two tone lighting.
I would literally pay $500 for a perfect voyage or at least close to perfect that’s how much I like it. It’s a damn shame honestly. The paperwhite while not as nice, is consistent for the most par I would literally pay $500 for a perfect voyage or at least close to perfect that’s how much I like it. It’s a damn shame honestly. The paperwhite while not as nice, is much more consistent with its lighting. I think flush bezels are a double edge sword
Sorry for the repeat sentences.
I agree about the many voyages I have tried, the lighting is two toned. However I have tried a bunch of paperwhites as well and they are decent but never close to perfect.
I can’t comment on anyone else’s voyage but mine dosen’t seem to suffer any inconsistency in the light output or color across the screen so if your interested you can buy mine for $500.00 lol.
I know you won’t believe me Rick, but my Voyage is perfect I do understand your complaint though, because my 2nd gen Oasis has inconsistent back lightning. I still use it over the Voyage though because the extra inch of screen lets me use it for pdf manuals at work and it’s just better to read with the larger screen.
I will take your money!
My Voyage has perfectly even lighting and is a good unit with good fit,finish and form. It sits in a drawer, without charge since I purchased the latest Oasis. The extra inch of screen and page turn buttons are a huge improvement for me…for each their own.
I doubt that the Voyage will resurface as a 7″ model while the Oasis remains. To me it is more likely that Amazon will either come out with a larger unit than the Oasis as a high end unit or update the Oasis in some way. Hopefully they will also update the Paperwhite.
I had a paperwhite and was so unhappy with it that i gave it back. I now have a kobo which im very happy with. No more kindles for me !
Wow. I bought a Voyage a bit back, refurbished direct from Amazon and I haven’t noticed lighting issues. I’d expected some, actually, given some reviews I’d seen, but no problems. I really love the form factor, if they put Voyage out with a 7 or 7.8″ screen, I’d be all over that!
As it is, though I truly dislike the Oasis 2 form, I do love the larger screen. It’s horrible to hold, and I wish they’d ditch the buttons or make them like Voyage buttons, but having the larger screen is key for my eyes. So the Voyage is getting little use and will probably be sold at some point.
I’ve had all the Kindles except latest Oasis 2.
My Voyage is my favourite. It has the best screen contrast which I need for my old eyes. Side by side with all the others it has the best display IMO.
I had a Barnes and Noble Nook eight years ago and didn’t enjoy it so I sold it. I didn’t seriously consider purchasing an e-reader again until the Kindle Oasis came out. So I started researching. I debated between the Oasis and the Voyage. There were things about the Oasis design I just didn’t like so I chose the Voyage. Wow, do I LOVE it. I’ve had it for a year and can’t imagine being without it. If Amazon is discontinuing it, hopefully it’s only to make room for an even better version.
It’s a available on amazon right now, it was never discontinued.
The refurbished Voyage is available, but not new. The new product has been removed from the Amazon lineup for weeks on their website.
Sorry, but I’m looking at it right now on their website. $289.99, no special offers w WiFi connectivity, brand new.
I see it now too at $199 new from Amazon, but the Voyage is not listed in the Kindle comparison table anymore.
My first Kindle had the physical keyboard (I do miss that) and the physical side buttons. I gave that to my mom when I upgraded to a Paperwhite (I love reading in bed before going to sleep). I loved the backlighting but I really missed the side buttons. From there I went to a Fire 7 tablet. And then one day I saw a guy reading on a Voyager (I didn’t know that at the time though). I immediately bought a refurbished Voyager. I love have my side buttons, and the flush screen (my Paperwhite was not flush) turns. I bought a homemade form fitting felt case from Etsy, and with that I can put my Voyager in most back pockets or cargo pockets for ultimate portability. I truly love my Voyager and am glad I have one. The screen and size of the Oasis is nice, but you lose that portability with the handle grip thing. And now the new Paperwhite is waterproof. But size wise, slightly bigger than the Voyager, and no side buttons. You had a good run Voyager!
I just sent back a defective voyage (No 2) for replacement. Hope this one stays good and that I don’t sit on it (erm…yeah I did it to No 1). Hope a new version is released coz I don’t like the Oasis and like the Voyage screen better than ther Paperwhite. No longer for sale on the UK website.
It is still available in India. Even I was surprised that how come they are selling this device in India when Amazon has discontinued this product. You can check Amazon India website.
The new software was just installed on my voyage. It has ruined the high contrast to the point it is unusable. Black text was changed to gray and in its place there is a bold option. However, selecting any amount of bold font makes the letters blurry. Dont know what to do as i use my voyage daily. The larger oasis would mot work for me even if its text were crisp black like my kindle used to be.
I had 2 Voyages when they first launched, trading up from a Kindle Keyboard. Love the weight and clarity of the text, however the battery life was a real issue.
No1 went through a charge in 6 hours – Amazon CS blamed a stuck download (which didn’t exist) and the light was two-toned.
On No2, the charge lasted a whole 7 hours with two toned screen plus a shard of bright light at the bottom.
They both went back to Amazon and I bought a Paperwhite which I am happy with. That was a few years ago now so it looks like I’ll have to go for an Oasis as the Paperwhite is showing its age.
I have the original keyboard Kindle (my trusty backup as it still works) and have had a Paperwhite. For the past two years I have had a Voyage and of the three, the Voyage is the best. I thought about getting an Oasis, but the price puts me off. The only reason I am thinking of a new one is after constant daily use my Voyage is starting to develop glitches – probably a software issue. Would really like to buy another Voyage but cannot even find a certified refurbished one.
They have refurbished ones at Woot for $89.
I have loved the Voyage but it is locked with an exclamation mark in a kindle outline on the screen.
I can do nothing with it!!!
Plug it in and just keep holding the button down. I panicked one night when mine did that. It might actually be more than 1minute before it reloads. Hope this helps.
I love my Voyage. I have had every Kindle up until this one and find that it is easiest to operate. Also, it fits in small purses. While I am intrigued by the waterproof Oasis, the square and asymmetric design is not conducive to easy transportation. I wish I had bought a back-up. I did/do not like the Paperwhite. I have had absolutely No problems with the screen. I wish Amazon would bring this one back.
I just won one in a giveaway. Hope I like it.
Is there an answer?
I searched this exact question, as I wanted a new cover for my much-loved and perfectly functioning Voyage and found very little around. Suspecting it had been discontinued, I looked on Amazon, obviously no Voyages for sale 🙁
I hope that Amazon reads these sorts of forums and acts!!! When my 3-year old Amazon eventually dies, I will certainly NOT be buying a Paperwhite OR Oasis.
Please Amazon, bring back the Voyage!!
I own several Kindle Voyages and one of the newest Paperwhites (that was a gift). The only things I prefer on the Paperwhite over the Voyages is the ability to get much larger memory and, with the latest update, a “dark mode” for reading at night. I wish they would update the Voyages so I could have the dark mode on them. The Voyages are much easier to hold with either hand and lighter, which makes a difference with arthritis.
I, too, have arthritis and find the Voyage very comfortable to hold, especially with a case that has a soft interior. I often prop the case cover at an angle that holds it open on a pillow hands-free. Like you I’d LOVE to have a dark mode option and a playback function not for full books but as a sleep function (similar to Calm Bedtime Stories.) All that said the NUMBER ONE reason the Voyage is the best is the ability to read it at the beach in full sun. And I’m still resentful I bought the very first, massive Kindle for something like $479 only to discover the first iPad was released only a few months later at a similar price. That Kindle barely worked with a separate night light attachment and Amazon had the nerve to offer only a $40 trade-in value. I declined and now it sits in a drawer with a broken power button. Don’t get me started on the raised keyboard buttons.
Bought my Kindle Voyager when it first was available (several years ago) and it’s still my go to device for all books that I read. Gave my Kindle Keyboard to DH and he’s very satisfied. with it. So that earlier model has been in use for about 12 years! That one gets lit by the pop up light in the Amazon cover. I love my Voyager. The size fits perfectly in all of my pocketbooks and the weight is no challenge for portability. I think the Voyager is the best Kindle Amazon sold. Too bad Amazon didn’t tweak the model to make it a more perfect device so more people would be satisfied using it.
Overall I think ereaders are the greatest invention since sliced bread. My arthritic hands complain when I hold the paper copy too long.
Everything Glenda said, including the arthritis issue. I had the very first Kindle (large screen for magazines and newspapers and physical keyboard) but the need for an attached book light drove me insane. Beach reading? Cha; right. Had it until my power button snapped which was when Voyage was brand new. Best. Purchase. Ever. I treat it very well because Amazon was FOOLISH, nay STUPID to discontinue. The flush screen, the auto adjustable lighting, the magnetic case on/off, the tap page or hard press page turn on a flat surface, the SYMMETRY, and oh yeah, the effortless reading at the beach…bring it back Amazon. Bring it back!