Amazon quietly pulled the Kindle Voyage off its store in July, and now it appears it's no longer making them anymore. According to several reports, Amazon has discontinued the premium e-reader, which leaves customers with the basic Kindle, Paperwhite, and Oasis.
The Voyage originally came out in 2014 with a launch price of $200, which at the time — and, frankly, even now — was a tad bit too much for an e-reader. It featured some additional parks over the basic Kindle and Paperwhite such as a glass screen and haptic buttons for turning pages. Plus, it was thinner and lighter compared with those two.
Amazon Cancels Kindle Voyage
The Voyage also featured a more responsive capacitive touchscreen, which meant more pinpoint precision and less "ghost touches." It also had a built-in ambient light sensor to automatically brighten or dim the screen depending on the environment.
Amazon eventually slashed $50 off the Wi-Fi-only variant with Special Offers, but clearly that still didn't cut it.
Both TheEbookReader and GoodEReader report that Amazon has removed the model from its Kindle comparisons table. Future e-reader customers will have to choose between the standard Kindle, the midrange Paperwhite, or the high-end Oasis, or they can skip Amazon altogether and go for a less popular but still respectable e-reader, such as ones from Kobo or Sony.
Amazon likely won't say why it cut out the Voyage from the lineup, but its price probably had something to do with it. The Oasis, which was released in 2016 for $250, is a newer and much more appealing choice for those who have extra money to burn for a flashy new e-reader. They don't want to go for something that's already four years old.
New Kindle Models On The Way
Amazon is said to be releasing a new entry-level Kindle and a fourth-generation Paperwhite within the next month or so, as GoodEReader notes. As for the Voyage, well, it's likely Oasis has replaced it as the sole premium option, and there's good reason to believe Amazon won't come out with a new model.
Even with the Voyage out, however, the current lineup is still able to target all types of consumers — the basic Kindle is for those who just want a decent, no-frills e-reader; the Paperwhite is for those willing to eke out a couple more bucks for a higher-resolution screen; and the Oasis is for those who want the best, price be damned.
Thoughts on the Voyage disappearing from Amazon's e-reader lineup? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
