Amazon has a habit of launching new Kindle eReaders each fall… and autumn is just around the corner, so it’s not that surprising that Caschy’s Blog spotted listings for a new Kindle at Amazon’s German website.
What is a little surprising is that it looks like the new Kindle Voyage could be an update that brings a higher-resolution display to Amazon’s family of E Ink devices.
Update: It’s official. The Amazon Kindle Voyage is a premium eReader that sells for $199.
Amazon seems to have removed all mention of the Kindle Voyage from its websites, but thanks to some screengrabs and Google cached pages, it looks like here’s what we can expect from the next Kindle:
- 6 inch, 300 ppi front-lit display
- Several weeks of battery life
- Ability to turn pages by pressing lightly on the screen bezel
Amazon says the Kindle Voyage is the thinnest Kindle to date, measuring 8mm, or about 0.31 inches thick. It weighs about 6.6 ounces.
The front-lit display suggests the Kindle Voyage could replace the Kindle Paperwhite, or possibly offer a premium alternative to Amazon’s flagship Kindle.
But there could also be a replacement on the way for the entry-level Kindle, which currently sells for $69. The same Amazon page mentioned a 6 inch Kindle with a touchscreen (something the current model lacks) and a low price tag.
Update:Â Yep, the new Kindle has a touchscreen display and a starting price of $79.
While the exact display resolution for the Kindle Voyage isn’t mentioned, a 300 ppi screen would be much sharper than the displays on existing Kindle models. The basic Kindle has a 6 inch screen with 167 pixels per inch while the Kindle Paperwhite has a 6 inch, 212 PPI display.
The new page press sensor could also appeal to folks who miss the page turn buttons Amazon placed on the sides of the earliest Kindle models.
The new Kindle Voyage is expected to come in WiFi-only or 3G models.
Update: Alles eBook found the Kindle Voyage user manual which contains a drawing of the tablet, complete with the new page turn sensors on the sides.
1080×1440 if my math is correct, same resolution as a Kobo Aura HD.