Something weird is going on with the product page of the entry-level Kindle at Amazon. Could Amazon be preparing to release a new version? Or is somebody just asleep at the wheel?
A few days ago Amazon changed the title on the description page for the entry-level Kindle to include this: 2019 release, 9th Gen.
That may not seem odd on the surface but for those paying close attention there’s a couple of things out of the ordinary about it.
First off, the 2019 Kindle is a 10th generation Kindle, not a 9th gen Kindle. It says so on Amazon’s own Kindle identification page.
So they got the generation wrong, big deal, right? Well, there’s more to it than that. The thing is Amazon doesn’t specify the generation in the title of current Kindles. They only do that when a Kindle has been replaced with a newer generation model.
All the older Kindle models specify the generation in the title on product pages, but none of the current models do, and that’s how they’ve been doing things for a long time.
There’s also the fact that most versions of the entry-level Kindle are sold out for the next 3-8 weeks, and the same goes for the Kids Kindle, which is the same device.
What was the purpose of suddenly adding the release date and (wrong) generation to the title after 20 months?
The entry-level Kindle was released in April 2019. Perhaps Amazon is planning an upgrade in early 2021. They did recently double the storage space on the Kindle but they aren’t promoting that fact at all, even though that’s one of their main bullet points when marketing the Kindle Paperwhite.
Maybe they’re finally going to upgrade the screen resolution. It’s hard to believe the entry-level Kindle still has the same screen resolution (167ppi) as the very first Kindle that was released way back in 2007. In fact Amazon is the only company that still uses those low resolution E Ink screens; everyone else moved up to 212ppi and 300ppi screens years ago.
I’m not an Amazon hater. I use them a lot. But for year now shopping for a Kindle has felt like a game of three card monte. You’ve commented on the confusing product pages for Kindles and I agree whole heartedly. As I look for a new e-reader, they aren’t even on my radar.
Exactly. Still to this day, when an update comes out for Kindles or Fire Tablets. I have a hard time figuring out which model/generation I own.
You either get a hamburger (basic kindle), a cheeseburger (Paperwhite), or a double double (Oasis). Take your pick.
I think that almost no one would give Kindle a hard pass just because there are three models. We live in an era where there are entire shelves for pasta sauce and there are thousands of titles to choose from on Netflix. We’re used to making decisions.
If someone was wanting a Kindle and didn’t know which to buy they would most likely read the descriptions and the top rated reviews of the Kindle basic and PW (very few buy an Oasis for a first kindle). Nearly every single top rated review of the basic says buy the PW.
Most people don’t agonize over purchasing decisions. Most will spend about 5 minutes on both pages and then order the Paperwhite. Those that wanted something but without alot to spend will either buy the basic model or will be heading over to Ebay. It is really that simple.
I thought we would get a PW5 next, but yeah this makes sense. I’m guessing 212 ppi and a more uniform front light to be more competitive with the Kobo Nia, or to be competitive with discounted PW4s.
And good(sic)ereader is now saying that there’s a new basic kindle about coming RealSoonNow(tm) for exactly this reason, I’m guessing they saw this post… Wouldn’t be the first time someone wondered about something and then good(sic)ereader said that something definitely was happening, and as far as I know, in every case whatever they said was going to happen never happened.