Amazon announces new Kindle - offers doubled RAM, support for Bluetooth audio, and more

Amazon today announced a new Kindle, and a new color option for the existing Paperwhite.

The new Kindle doubles the RAM that was found in its predecessor, now coming in at 512MB. It"s also thinner and 16% lighter, now coming in at 9.1mm thick and 161g, making it the second lightest Kindle model, behind the Kindle Oasis.

The device also comes with its fair share of new features:

  • Export Notes—It’s now easy to export notes and highlights from a book to your e-mail, so you can always have them on-hand for reference. Receive your notes both as an easily printable PDF that’s ready to bring to your book club, and as a simple file you can open in your favorite spreadsheet app. This feature will be available as part of a free, over-the-air software update in the coming weeks.

  • Built-in Bluetooth audio for accessibility—The first Kindle with built-in Bluetooth audio support, Kindle makes it possible for visually impaired users to use the VoiceView screen reader on Kindle to read the content of the screen—including reading books and other Kindle content—without the need for an adaptor. This is enabled through a new out-of-box experience specifically for visually-impaired customers that allows them to pair their Kindle with Bluetooth headphones or a speaker. For other recent updates in accessibility, visit our Amazon blog.

  • Chinese Word Wise Hints—Choose between English and Simplified Chinese Word Wise hints by changing the language in Word Wise settings.

  • Personalized Home Screen—An updated interface and navigation makes it even easier to discover your next favorite book, manage Wish Lists, and see recommendations from friends via Goodreads. To learn more, visit www.amazon.com/kindleupdate.

The pixel density of the display is the same - coming in at 167ppi - and there"s still no frontlight. If you"re looking for Amazon"s fancy 300ppi display and the ability to read in the dark, you"re still going to have to shell out an additional $40 for a Paperwhite.

Speaking of the Paperwhite, if you were one of the apparently many that were considering buying it but passed it up because it only comes in black, today is your lucky day. The existing model is now available in white.

The new Kindle is available in black and white for $79 ($99 without Special Offers) and it will be made available on July 7. You can pre-order it right now. You can also pre-order the white Paperwhite, which will ship on June 30.

Source: Amazon

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