Amazon launches new e-book reader

folarin okunola

April 14, 2016 5:08 PM

The new design reduces the thickness to just 3.4mm on one end, while the other end is much thicker (making it look like a folded magazine).

Amazon Kindle Oasis

Amazon has launched a new kindle device called the Oasis, an even more premium e-book reader than the last kindle, the Voyage.

The new design reduces the thickness to just 3.4mm on one end, while the other end is much thicker (making it look like a folded magazine). There are also physical buttons for page turning, I'm sure Kindle users missed that.

That thin design comes at a price however - the battery life has been reduced to two weeks, where the preceding device would last a month on a single charge.

For that reason, Amazon will be including premium covers which can be magnetically attached (12 magnets make that work) with the kindle Oasis.

READ: Amazon removes Google Chromecast and Apple TV from its store

The covers are bound in high-quality leather and have an in-built battery that can extend that battery life to a full month as well as charge when you plug in the Oasis with the cover on.

The covers will come in three colors - Black, Walnut, Merlot. The Oasis will also have backlighting with 10 LEDs that illuminate the page more evenly, compared to the 6 LEDs in the Voyage and 4 in the regular Paperwhite kindle.

The screen is still 6-inches with 330ppi pixel density just like the other devices, although the Oasis is much lighter. It is not waterproof. It also has an accelerometer in case one of your hands get weary and you need to switch. Or if you are left-handed.

The Amazon Kindle Oasis will cost $290. There is no word yet on availablility but I presume you should be able to order one on Amazon.

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