Amazon has expanded its Kindle eReader range by unveiling its 7th generation Kindle. Supplanting the second-gen Paperwhite as Amazon’s premium eReader, the Kindle Voyage is billed as the company’s most advanced eReader yet, coming in lighter and thinner than any previous model and sporting a more advanced display and user interface.
Like previous models, the Voyage will be offered in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Free 3G variants, both with or without “special offers” – or ads as they’re more commonly known. There’s 4 GB of onboard storage, with free cloud storage of all Amazon content included as per usual. The device fully charges via USB from a computer in around three hours, with the charge lasting up to six weeks, depending on usage. Both variants measure 6.4 x 4.5 x 0.3 in (162 x 115 x 7.6 mm), with the Wi-Fi model weighing in at 6.3 oz (180 g) and the 3G model weighing 6.6 oz (188 g).
The weight savings over previous models are in part due to a new magnesium back that is paired with a flush front made up of a specially strengthened scratch-resistant glass with microetching to reduce glare and provide a paperlike feel. Behind this is a new 6-in Paperwhite display built on Carta e-paper technology that boasts 16 levels of gray scale and packs 300 pixels per inch (ppi) – the highest resolution of any Kindle eReader to date.
Amazon says it also has higher contrast and boasts a 39 percent brighter front light that automatically adjusts to the surrounding light and can be adjusted by the user. This “smart” light is also designed to change brightness over a period of 30 minutes when the user reads in the dark to keep pace with the reader’s improving night vision.