I’m a long-time Kindle hoarder user, and when word broke that a new one was around the corner, I was excited to see how Amazon would improve the Voyage.
The answer? A new $290 high-end Kindle that doesn’t seem to earn the price tag.
It uses the same 6-inch 300 DPI display found on the Voyage, but it’s a lot brighter now. Battery life seems crazypants good, thanks to the mandatory leather-clad battery case. The case is removable, thankfully, and acts more or less like the iPhone battery case Apple put out a few months ago.
Nick Statt at The Verge has more:
The Oasis and its sleeve were constructed to work as a single unit. The purchase of the e-reader comes with the choice of one of three colors — brown, black, and red — for its external battery. Once locked in, the Oasis’ multi-week battery life extends to months of standby time, and the whole package ends up looking like a more square-shaped Moleskine. (A detailed and accurate leak earlier this week indicated 20 months of standby time, but Amazon says that is not true and is not disclosing the exact number of months.)
Lots of people — myself included — have hoped that a waterproof Kindle would show up at some point. From the beach to the bathtub, there are lots of ways for a Kindle to drown, but that feature isn’t present in the new Oasis.
Then there’s the design.
I can see what Amazon was going for here: that large bezel to the side is designed to feel like a coiled spine of a paperback book. While I don’t want to judge this until I hold one in hand, it sure looks … clunky.
At least there are dedicated page turn buttons.
I’m a little surprised at the cost of this Kindle. It’s more than the entry-level iPad mini 2 goes for these days. Is it worth it? Honestly, I’m hesitant to drop the cash even to review the thing. My Voyage is pretty great. If the Oasis was waterproof, I’d be much more willing to hit that Buy button.