Amazon Launches New Kindle Paperwhite
by Jarred Walton on September 5, 2013 1:35 PM EST
With all the advances in tablet technology, the experience of reading a physical book is still preferred by many people – or if not a book, then an e-book with electronic ink instead of an LCD or OLED display. Amazon has had a lot of success with their Kindle e-book readers over the years, and today they’ve announced the latest model, the Kindle Paperwhite. Scheduled to start shipping at the end of the month (September 30, 2013), the Paperwhite boasts an upgraded display, an enhanced backlight for reading in the dark, and faster processing to speed up page turns. All of the new features are certainly welcome updates, but the price is also substantially higher than the standard Kindle: $119 (with the current special offers) will get you the Kindle Paperwhite, while the previous Kindle is available for $69. There’s also a 3G Paperwhite available for $189, which adds free 3G connectivity with no contracts or monthly fees.
There are plenty of reasons for book lovers to prefer the Paperwhite over reading on a tablet. There’s no glare in bright sunlight, for one, and I personally find the reading experience to be more comfortable on the eyes. The Kindle is also lighter than similar size tablets, and battery life (with WiFi off) is listed as up to eight weeks between charges (depending on your usage, naturally). Battery life incidentally is also rated at twice that of the previous Kindle, though whether that’s thanks to improved technology or simply a larger battery I’m not sure (probably a little of both). Here’s the full set of specifications:
| Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Specifications | |
| Display |
6" Paperwhite Exclusive Carta e-paper technology Next-generation built-in light 212 ppi, 16-level gray scale |
| Size |
6.7" x 4.6" x 0.36" (169 mm x 117 mm x 9.1 mm) |
| Weight | 7.3 ounces (206 grams) |
| System Requirements | None; fully wireless and no computer required |
| On-Device Storage |
2 GB internal (~1.25 GB available) Holds up to 1,100 books |
| Cloud Storage | Free cloud storage for all Amazon content |
| Battery Life |
A single charge lasts up to eight weeks (30 minutes of reading per day, wireless off and light setting at 10) Battery life will vary based on light and wireless usage |
| Charge Time | Approximately 4 hours from a computer via USB cable |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity |
802.11n (WEP, WPA, WPA2 security) Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) Optional 3G Wireless on Paperwhite 3G |
| Content Formats Supported |
Kindle Format 8 (AZW3) Kindle (AZW) TXT Unprotected MOBI PRC natively HTML Word (DOC, DOCX) JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP (through conversion) |
| Warranty and Service |
1-year limited warranty included Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers |
| Included in the Box | Kindle Paperwhite, USB 2.0 charging cable and Quick Start Guide |
| Price |
Kindle Paperwhite: $119 promotion, $139 normally Kindle Paperwhite 3G: $189 promotion, $209 normally |
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p1esk - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
I wish they updated Kindle DX.Granseth - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
I think Kindle has been a great product, and Paperwhite is even better. Don't think I need this update though but my Kindle Paperwhite (last gen.) is probably my second most used electronic device after my jobb computer.cygnus1 - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
Why the heck will amazon never add epub support?EnzoFX - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
Because they have their own format they're pushing?Reflex - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
I'm not certain what people expect to get from ePub support exactly. Most stores sell Mobi versions of their files, and ePub from major stores is all DRM'd and won't work on a hypothetical ePub supporting Kindle anyways. Both ePub and Mobi are just variants of HTML5 and extremely similar to each other and easy to convert to each other.What is the gain for supporting it besides a checkbox feature? Its been a long time since I wasn't able to get a Mobi version of a file from independent stores, from Amazon's store its not relevant, and other major stores DRM their ePub.
et20 - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
Because they are a business, not a charity.dinosaurvador - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
Buy a Kobo Aura!!!speconomist - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
Does it support 5Ghz wifi?Previous one does not.
errorr - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
Is this the same freescale A8 based chip with a die shrink to 45nm and a bump to 1Ghz ? Or is it just higher clocks and bigger battery? I don't think they have put the e-ink gpu on the newer A9 based chip yet.The paperwhite is the perfect reading device for those who read a lot. The eye strain from tablets gets too hard for me to deal with eventually.
superdigua - Thursday, September 5, 2013 - link
I wish they would build an 8 inch "paperwhite", which allow people to read normal A4 size PDF files.Kindle DX is too heavy.