The update intervals for Amazon's Kindle series products seem to be getting longer and longer. Although e-readers are no longer the darling of consumer electronics, the retail giant is still investing heavily in this area. After all, it's estimated that Amazon controls more than 80% of the U.S. e-reader market.
In addition to the long-awaited color Kindle, Amazon also announced updates to its entire product line. This includes updates to the base Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and stylus-enabled KindleScribe.
Amazon's introduction of artificial intelligence into various hardware product lines has long been expected, and KindleScribe was the first to receive this treatment. Amazon has updated its Kindle note-taking features to add text summaries via a new Notebook tab. The device will also clean up messy text scrawled with the PremiumPen stylus, making it legible without losing the beauty of the font.
Scribe's design language has also undergone some changes, with the addition of white borders, and the resolution is still 300ppi. In addition, the device will also have a new side panel function, allowing users to write or hide notes as needed. The new Scribe will cost $399, which is $50 more than the already high price of the previous generation.
The display of the best-selling Kindle Paperwhite will increase from 6.8 inches to 7 inches. The device's processor has also been improved, and the electronic paper page turning speed will be increased by 25%. Despite the Paperwhite's thinner design, the company says its battery lasts an impressive three months between charges.
The Paperwhite reader uses the same new oxide backplane as the color Colorsoft devices we covered previously, resulting in faster page turns while extending overall battery life.
The standard Paperwhite includes 16GB of storage and costs $160. Add $30 more and you can get the Signature Edition, which includes 32GB of storage, wireless charging, and self-adjusting headlights.
The basic version of the Kindle has faster page turning speeds, higher contrast, and a 25% brighter front light. When set to maximum brightness, it is on par with the Paperwhite. Amazon has also added "matcha" green. Entry-level readers start at $110.
Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite are available now. The new KindleScribe starts shipping on December 4th.