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This top of the line Kindle e-reader was announced on Twitter by Amazon’s founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos.
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The new model is called Kindle Oasis.
Priced $289.99, it’s already available for sale and starts shipping on April 27, 2016.
In short, it’s the top-shelf e-reader that is the thinnest and lightest Kindle ever made. It offers two unique features:
- asymmetric design – the tapered design is shifted to one side, where both page-turn buttons are positioned. Combined with the ergonomic grip it makes it easy to use one-handed,
- battery cover – the e-reader comes with a premium leather cover that has a battery inside. Thanks to that, you will be able to use Kindle Oasis for several months, not weeks, without the need to recharge.
Kindle Oasis is available on Amazon.com, and other localized Amazon stores.
While in the US the cheapest version (Wi-Fi with ads) costs $289.99, in the UK you’ll pay for it £269.99 ($383). In other European countries (such as Germany, Italy, France, or Spain) the price is set to 289.99 euros what equals $327.
What’s interesting, the international version of Kindle Oasis is also available. There is no delay, like in the case of Kindle Voyage, which went on sale internationally just a couple of weeks ago.
Foreign users can order Kindle Oasis International directly from Amazon.com. It ships to over 100 countries and destinations, and the price for the Wi-Fi version is $309.99.
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Kindle Oasis – major features
Many Kindle users were expecting the next generation Kindle Voyage to be released in late 2015 or early 2016.
Amazon has finally revealed the next Kindle, but it’s definitely not the Kindle Voyage 2. It’s the top-end e-reader, but it’s designed in an entirely different way.
Kindle Voyage and Oasis share the same display. It’s the 6-inch E-Ink Carta HD, with a resolution of 1440 × 1080 px and pixel density of 300 ppi.
Both models have a front light, but Kindle Oasis features 10 LED lights compared to 6 in the Voyage.
The major difference between Oasis and Voyage (and in fact any other e-reader) is the design principle.
The principle of the development of Kindle Oasis was to give priority to one-handed usage.
Comfortable one-handed reading
That’s why the device is asymmetric. It’s extremely thin on one side (only 0.13 in / 3.3 mm) and transforms into an ergonomic grip on the other. It’s where page turn buttons are positioned. Therefore, by holding the device in one hand, you can both turn the page back and forward.
What’s more, you are not forced to keep the device only in the right hand. Kindle Oasis has a built-in accelerometer. Thanks to that, if you switch the device to the other hand, it will automatically rotate to adjust the orientation.
Shifting the weight to one side made it possible to reduce the bezel around the display. Kindle Oasis, while having the regular 6-inch screen, is only 143 mm tall, compared to 162 mm of Kindle Voyage.
Having the asymmetric design allowed using another distinctive feature: the specially designed battery cover.
Dual battery-charging system
This is pretty smart. Kindle Oasis comes with a special leather cover that hides the second battery.
The cover can be easily attached to the e-reader by twelve magnets that are hidden in the back of the e-reader, on the thinner side. As you’ll see in the pictures below, the cover fills the space of the tapered back.
When the cover is being attached and the device connected to the charger, both batteries will be recharged simultaneously. When using the e-reader with the cover attached, it’s the cover battery to be used first.
Thanks to this unique solution, you can not only travel to distant places with no electricity (such as an oasis) but stay there for much longer.
With the battery cover, you will be able to use Kindle Oasis not for weeks but several months without the need to recharge.
You can choose from three colors of the leather cover: walnut, black, and merlot. Having a highly unique shape makes Kindle Oasis exclusive in one more sense – you can’t expect a lot of cases and accessories coming from third-party producers. There are only three official removable Kindle Oasis covers and you’ll have to live with that.
Kindle Oasis – comparisons
Amazon’s 2016 e-reader is the top-end e-reader. It costs $100 more than Kindle Voyage and 3.6 times more than the basic Kindle.
Let’s see how Kindle Oasis, Kindle Voyage, Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Glo HD compare to each other.
Kindle Oasis compared to other e-readers
| Feature | Kindle Paperwhite 2015 | Kobo Glo HD | Kindle Voyage | Kindle Oasis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6 inches | 6 inches | 6 inches | 6 inches |
| Pixel density | 300 ppi | 300 ppi | 300 ppi | 300 ppi |
| Screen resolution | 1440 × 1080 | 1448 × 1072 | 1440 × 1080 | 1440 × 1080 |
| Grayscale | 16-level | 16-level | 16-level | 16-level |
| Front light | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Force touch | No | No | PagePress | No |
| Page turn buttons | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 205 g | 180 g | 180 g | 131 g (without cover) |
| Storage | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Battery life | Weeks | Weeks | Weeks | Weeks (without cover) Months (with cover) |
| Cover | No | No | No | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $120 | $130 | $200 | $290 |
Kindle Oasis – pictures
Kindle Oasis – reviews
Here are the excerpts from first reviews we’ve collected on tech blogs.
The device’s funky new aesthetic is a surprise move for the relatively no-frills Kindle category, and yet it packs the longest battery of any e-reader ever made.
– Nick Statt, The Verge
The ebook market is slowing down, and the Oasis can be seen as an attempt to renew some of the interest that has faded over time.
– Timothy Torres, PC Magazine
The new Kindle is lightweight, but it’s heavy on the wallet.
– James Peckham, Tech Radar
One downside of that lighter, thinner design is that the Oasis by itself won’t last as long as the other Kindles—Amazon says it will last about two weeks on a charge rather than a month.
– Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica
Kindle Oasis – video
Here is a video from CNET presenting all the major features of Kindle Oasis.
Kindle Oasis – full specs
Below, you’ll find the most important tech specifications of the new top of the line e-reader from Amazon.
| Screen | 6” E-Ink Carta HD |
|---|---|
| Screen resolution | 1440 × 1080 px |
| Pixel density | 300 ppi |
| Grayscale levels | 16 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Front light | Yes |
| Number of LED lights | 10 |
| Waterproof | No |
| Page turns | Touch screen + page turn buttons |
| Time to recharge | Without cover: up to 2 weeks With cover: several months |
| Charge time | Up to 3 hours |
| Weight | 4.6 oz / 131 g (without cover) 8.4 oz / 238 g (with cover) |
| Dimensions without cover | 5.6 × 4.8 × 0.13-0.33″ / 143 × 122 × 3.4-8.5 mm |
| Cover dimensions | 5.7 × 4.9 × 0.07-0.18” / 144 × 125 × 1.9-4.6 mm |
| Charging cover | Included |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Free 3G |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n (WEP, WPA, WPA2) |
| Ports | Micro-USB for connectivity and charging |
| Storage | 4 GB, will hold thousands of books |
| Supported text formats | azw, azw3 (Kindle Format 8), doc, docx, html, mobi, pdf, prc (Mobipocket), txt |
| Supported image formats | bmp, gif, jpeg, png |
| International availability | Yes, through localized Kindle Stores and directly from Amazon.com |
| In the box | Kindle Oasis Premium cover for Kindle Oasis USB 2.0 charging cable |
| Prices | Wi-Fi with ads – $289.99 Wi-Fi without ads – $309.99 Wi-Fi + 3G with ads – $359.99 Wi-Fi + 3G without ads – $379.99 |
Kindle Oasis – infographic
We summarized all the most important features of the Kindle Oasis in this handy infographic. Click or tap it to see it in full resolution
Feel free to share the infographic in social media or on your site (Creative Commons license).
Kindle Oasis – product chart
Amazon Kindle Oasis with Leather Charging Cover
The thinnest Kindle ever
Designed to feel as light as paper, Kindle Oasis is over 20% lighter and 30% thinner on average than any other Kindle. The handgrip tapers to an ultrathin 0.13” display so you can read comfortably for hours.
Perfectly balanced ergonomic design
A tapered ergonomic handgrip shifts the center of gravity to your palm, to rest in your hand like the spine of a book. Perfectly balanced for one-handed reading, Kindle Oasis enables you to get lost in your story.
Page turn options
Comfortably turn the page with either the touch display or dedicated page turn buttons located on the front of the handgrip. Whether you choose to read with your left or right hand, Kindle Oasis automatically rotates the page orientation to match.
Dual-battery charging system
Charge the device and cover simultaneously while snapped together and plugged in. When on the go, the cover will automatically recharge the device, giving you months of combined battery life.
Premium leather cover included
The removable charging cover is made of high-quality leather and comes in your choice of black, merlot, or walnut. Twelve magnets form a secure attachment between device and cover, while still easy to detach when the lightest possible weight is desired.
Images via Amazon.
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