Amazon is undergoing one of the most important redesigns of its appearance in many years for Kindle, launching a series of newly crafted e-readers. The core idea seems simple: to remove the borders.
This redesigned version, Kindle, released on Thursday, replaces the traditional raised border with a front design that is flush with the display screen, resulting in a more minimalist and integrated appearance. However, the border also provides a place for readers to place their fingers, preventing accidental touches to the screen that could trigger page turns or other touch operations. Amazon stated that the company has made design optimizations to address this issue.
At a media briefing, Kevin Keith, Vice President of Amazon's Devices Business, stated that the company uses “Cap” (capacitive) touch technology and haptic feedback to create what he referred to as a “dead zone.” When a user holds the Kindle, the device detects the position where the finger is placed and adjusts the touch area accordingly.
Keith said, "When you hold Kindle, no matter where you place your thumb, it will automatically detect a dead zone in the Cap touch control. It will readjust itself and recognize that there is a finger there."
In addition to the redesign that eliminates the border, the standard 6-inch Kindle is now 6.8 millimeters thick and weighs 140 grams, making it thinner and lighter than its predecessor. Amazon positions it as the most pocket-friendly Kindle in their product line.
Amazon states that the new screen's page-turning speed is 30% faster than that of the previous generation. This product line also features new color options, including Ube, Alpine Sky, Seaglass Green, Graphite, and Fig.
The new Kindle starts at $149.99 and is available in two colors: Ube and Graphite. Amazon has also introduced an aluminum-back version for the first time, which comes with 32GB of storage and is available in colors such as Alpine Sky and Seaglass Green.
This redesign has also been extended to Kindle Paperwhite, which is also thinner and lighter than the previous generation.
Amazon claims that Paperwhite features the largest display screen and the highest contrast among the Kindle product line. The company states that this combination is designed to deliver “deeper blacks, clearer text, and images that come alive on the screen whether in bright sunlight or when reading under a blanket at night.”
The standard version Paperwhite comes with 16GB of storage, while the Graphite is available in various color options for $199.99. The 32GB version Signature Edition is priced at $249.99 and is available in two colors: Graphite and Seaglass Green.
Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon's first color screen product launched in 2024. It also adopts the thinner, lighter design that is now used across the entire product line after this refresh. The standard version Colorsoft comes with 16GB of storage, and the Graphite starts at a price of $289.99. The 32GB version Signature Edition is available in two colors: Graphite and Fig, and is priced at $319.99.
The new Kindle and its aluminum-back version are now available for purchase in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Australia, starting today.
New models Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft are now available for reservation in the same regions mentioned above.
Amazon also continues to offer a children's product line. Kids Kindle is currently available for direct purchase, while Kids Kindle Colorsoft can be reserved in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
