The newest Amazon Kindle line is starting to reveal itself, slowly, but surely as pre-orders for the all new Kindle Paperwhite are now available on Amazon for $119.00 with an expected shipping date of September 30. While a terrific reading device, we certainly cannot call the Kindle Paperwhite a tablet as evidenced from Amazon’s own description:
Unlike tablets, Kindle Paperwhite is designed to deliver the best reading experience:
- No screen glare in bright sunlight
- Read with one hand—over 30% lighter than iPad mini
- Battery lasts weeks, not hours
- Next-gen built-in light—read without eyestrain
Thanks to the latest @evleaks tweet, we get to see a front view of the third generation Kindle Fire and a look into the heavy proprietary overlay on top of our precious Android OS. It appears that Amazon is keeping the wider bezels around the edges, but we have to remember that even though this is technically a tablet, it is not purchased primarily for that function. The Kindle Fire line, much like the Paperwhite, is used for reading and watching media.
We are not expecting to see the Google Play Store App, and therefore no access to the many applications such as Google Maps, YouTube, etc., an addition that would really make the Kindle series complete. Other than no Google Play access, the two model’s specs are excellent:
- 7-inch, 1920 x 1200 HD display
- 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core Processor
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB available Internal Storage
- Wi-Fi w/optional cellular data
- Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, heavily skinned
The 8.9-inch model adds a 2560 x 1600-resolution display and also has an 8-megapixel camera. Both models are said to be lighter and more comfortable to hold, thanks in part to that large bezel and from an exclusive BGR photo, we can see that they also have a beveled or angled edges, making gripping or holding them an easier task.
Launch times are still sketchy, but we think the 7-inch model will be available in the coming weeks, with the larger, 8.9-inch version, not shipping until November, much like last year’s models. If you are already into the Kindle ecosystem or looking to move into it, these products should really excite you. For me, if I was looking for a 7-inch tablet, I would go with the newest Nexus 7 so I could read, watch videos, or pick up an app from the Google play Store to do just about anything – I hate to be restricted to simply reading…what do you think.