It took 10 years and several models, but Amazon has finally unveiled a waterproof Kindle in the form of the updated version of the Kindle Oasis.
The new Kindle Oasis, which will be sold at prices starting $249, will offer much more than its waterproofing features though, as it could very well take the throne as the best e-reader in the market once it ships on Halloween.
Finally, A Kindle For The Bathtub
Many smartphones, e-readers, and other electronic devices have received waterproofing features, but not the Amazon Kindle. That is, until the new Kindle Oasis.
The new Kindle Oasis is IPX8 rated, which means that it will be able to survive being submerged in about 2 meters of water for up to an hour, for both fresh and salt water.
Now that the Kindle Oasis is waterproof, users will be able to take the e-reader for reading sessions in the bathtub, on the beach, or near the pool, which all sound like great places for getting yourself lost in your favorite books.
The waterproofing feature is still only limited with the high-end model of Amazon's Kindle devices though. Hopefully it will soon also be added to its cheaper models.
New Kindle Oasis: More Than A Waterproof E-Reader
The updated Kindle Oasis, however, offers much more than being an e-reader for the bathtub. The first thing that stands out with the device is its 7-inch e-ink display, which is an inch bigger over the well-reviewed 2016 Kindle Oasis.
The Kindle Oasis also features an aluminum back, which makes it feel more like a premium device compared to the other Kindle models with cases made of plastic. The new Kindle Oasis also features a built-in battery with a higher capacity compared to the previous model, without adding to the width of 3.4 millimeters for the tapered part of the device.
The new Kindle Oasis adds extra LED lights for a brighter display, and has ambient light sensors that automatically adjust the screen's brightness depending on the user's surroundings. Users will be able to turn pages through the device's physical buttons or through its touchscreen, which is protected by the strongest glass ever used by Amazon.
The device also features a built-in Audible app to play audiobooks, but because the new Kindle Oasis does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack or built-in speakers, users will need to listen to the audio through Bluetooth headphones.
The price of the new Kindle Oasis starts at $250 for the 8 GB model and goes up to $280 for the 32 GB model and $350 for the 32 GB model with data. At that price, the e-reader still looks like a steal, especially as its predecessor had a starting price of $290 for 4 GB of storage.
