Amazon on Wednesday launched the new version of its Kindle e-book reader with a brighter screen, higher contrast, and Wi-Fi capability built-in.
The screen on the new Kindle is the same six-inch size as previous models, but overall the device is 21 percent smaller and weighs 15 percent less. The company also announced it is doubling the capacity of the device to 3,500 books and adding Wi-Fi.
The price remains $189, $10 less than the Barnes & Noble Nook. Now available in grey and white, the new Kindle looks like a smaller, more compact version of its predecessor. It weighs 8.7 ounces and easily fits into the inside pocked of a sport coat. It still features a full keyboard, but some of the navigation has been simplified. A new five-way direction toggle replaces the pointing stick that was on older models.
Amazon also increased the Kindle's performance. Page turns are 20 percent faster on the new device. The difference isn't huge but it is noticeable when you compare it side-by-side with the current Kindle.
The company also developed some proprietary text handling technologies. Waveform controls how the final grey level is set for images and text. Font hinting is designed to optimize font display when pixels are limited, as is the case with E Ink displays. We will need to get the device into PC Labs to conduct real testing, but the screen definitely looks sharper.
Battery life is also improved. A company representative said the device will last for one month with wireless turned off and as long as 10 days with the wireless turned on.
Just last week, Amazon announced it Kindle titles were outselling hardcovers in its online store. There are currently more than 630,000 books in the Kindle catalog, including 109 of the 111 books on The New York Times best seller list. Kindle books can currently be read on the Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, as well as Windows PCs, Mac, BlackBerries, and Android-based devices.
To compete against the rash of low-cost readers hitting the market, like the Kobo and Sony Reader Pocket Edition, Amazon is also releasing a Wi-Fi only version of the device. Otherwise functionally identical to the 3G version, the Kindle Wi-Fi will sell for $139.
The Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi ship on August 27.