Amazon has launched a new version of its popular Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, which is thinner, lighter and now finally water resistant.
The new 2018 Kindle Paperwhite is the second Amazon e-ink device to be given the water resistance treatment following the launch of the Rolls Royce of e-readers, the £230 Oasis, in 2017.
The new Paperwhite costs just over half as much as the Oasis, at £120, offering the same protection for up to 2m depth for up to 30 minutes.
Eric Saarnio, head of Amazon Devices for Europe, said: “Customers love the Kindle Paperwhite, and we’re excited to bring premium features — like a thinner and lighter flush-front design, additional storage, waterproofing and Audible — to our most popular Kindle.”
The new Paperwhite is 8.18mm thick and weighs 182g, making it just under 1mm thinner and 23g lighter than the older model, which was released in 2015. The 6in e-ink screen is now flush with the front of the device, similar to the Kindle Oasis, with the same 300ppi resolution and front-lighting for reading in the dark.
The new Paperwhite also now has Bluetooth for connecting wireless headphones or speakers, and built-in Audible support for Amazon’s audiobook store, including the company’s syncing service that matches pages in an ebook to time points in an audiobook.
The new Paperwhite also starts with twice the storage of the old model, available with 8GB costing £129 or 32GB costing £150. The latter is also available with 3G for £219. All models are available for pre-order today, with the cheapest 8GB model shipping on 7 November along with a collection of cases and accessories. The 32GB models will ship at a later date.
