Amazon is updating its Kindle line of e-readers, including its new flagship offering, the Kindle Voyage.
The company also upgraded its most basic Kindle device, adding a touch screen and improved specifications.
While the new low-end Kindle does not have Amazon's Paperlight technology, it does have a processor that is 20 percent faster and onboard storage of 4 GB. The price of the device is what will really sell it, coming in at only $79 with Special Offers or $99 without. The device will ship on Oct. 2.
The new flagship in the Kindle range, the Kindle Voyage, is a little pricier, but it is also more feature-rich. The device costs $199 for the Wi-Fi only model with Special Offers, or $219 without. If users want Internet on the go, they can purchase the Wi-Fi + 3G model for $269 with Special Offers or $289 without.
Special Offers is Amazon's way of putting ads on tablets, and will display sponsored screensavers. In return, however, it can lower the price.
The Kindle Voyage is Amazon's seventh generation of Kindle devices, and has a thinner, more attractive design as well as an E Ink Carta display, which allows for crisper text and images. Amazon calls the crisp display technology "laser-quality text." While the display is made from Gorilla Glass, it has been etched to stop glare. The result of this process, according to Amazon, is that the display feels like paper. It should also be able to hold up even in the brightest sunlight, which is very handy for those who enjoy a read at the beach.
Users are also now able to turn pages simply by pressing on one of the two sensors built into the devices bezel. This technology is something that Amazon calls "PagePress."
Apart from the fancy new display, Amazon claims that the device battery can last up to six weeks, which is certainly very nice, especially considering the fact that the Kindle Voyage is the thinnest Kindle device ever.
The Kindle Voyage will be very appealing to existing Kindle users with the new display and thinness. It will ship on Oct. 21, but can be preordered now.
Amazon is adopting a new strategy that involves selling devices at cost while making money instead from the services that it offers. The $79 Kindle device will be vital for the company to be able to enter markets such as China, Japan and Germany, where e-readers are starting to become much more popular.
