Last year, Amazon added a premium eBook Reader to its Kindle lineup with the Oasis. It had an intuitively designed ergonomic build that wasn’t waterproof, high-resolution screen and a price tag most people found exorbitant. Today, the e-commerce juggernaut is announcing the second-generation of the same. The new Kindle Oasis promises to mend almost every major drawback the original suffered from and more importantly, starts at $249 which is $40 cheaper than the first-generation Oasis.
The new Kindle Oasis also comes with a larger screen that measures 7-inch diagonally. The resolution has been bumped to achieve a sharpness of 300 ppi (pixel-per-inch). Amazon says the size bump allows 30 percent more words on a single page. The other substantial upgrade for the display is a better refresh rate that will allow quicker page turns.
However, the main reason why anyone would be interested in the new Oasis is the fact that it’s the first waterproof Kindle. After all, who doesn’t like reading a good book on the poolside? It’s IPX8 rating certified which essentially means it can withstand submerging “in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes,” and can survive being splashed at.
There are a few other software improvements Amazon has bundled with the second-gen Oasis. This includes more font sizes, five levels of boldness, the ability to invert black and white, and an option for ragged text alignment. In addition to these, it comes with the WhisperSync feature from Kindle’s mobile apps that will let you pair your ebook with Audible so you can switch from reading to listening on the fly. There’s no headphone jack, however. Hence, you’ll need Bluetooth headphones for it.
The new Kindle Oasis is priced at $250 for the 8GB model, $280 for 32GB, and a cellular model will retail for $350. The optional cover costs $45 (water safe-fabric) or $60 (leather). Pre-orders begin today and shipping kicks off on October 31.
In India, the new Kindle Oasis will be available for INR 21,999 for the 8 GB model and INR 28,999 for the 32 GB model (WiFi + free 3G). You can pre-order it today from here, shipping for which begins from the week of November 13. Moreover, the kickstand-equipped cover is priced at INR 2,999 and INR 3,999 for the water-safe fabric and leather materials respectively. There are three color options available for the former — Indigo, Charcoal, and Sandstone. The latter is available in only two — Black, or Merlot.