The new range of Kindle devices is set to debut in New Zealand soon. Amazon isn’t committing to a firm timeline or specific dates just yet but said the new Kindle range should be available in the country by summer 2025. The range comprises of the new basic Kindle which includes the one done up in a Matcha shade, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe, and the Kindle Colorsoft, the first ever color Kindle.
Amazon launched the 2024 Kindle e-reader range on October 16, 2024. So far, it is available in select countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and France. New Zealand will join the list soon, which should be a welcome piece of news for book fans in the region.
Amazon launched the new Kindle range after a gap of more than three years. The launch is significant as it comprises of a color Kindle for the first time ever – the Kindle Colorsoft. That said, the Kindle Colorsoft hasn’t had a smooth run so far. Several users reported seeing a yellow band appearing along the bottom of the display.
What is significant is that the issue does not seem to be applicable to all Colorsoft users. Amazon however has stated they expect to sort out the issue with a software update. The company meanwhile has stopped the shipment of new Colorsoft devices and is offering full refunds to those who wish to return their devices.
The Kindle Paperwhite however has undergone a drastic change and is not just a mere upgrade over its predecessor. It now sports a 7-inch e-paper display offering a brilliant 300 PPI resolution. Also, thanks to the use of an oxide thin film transistor, the new 2024 Paperwhite has the highest contrast as well. It also is the fastest Paperwhite ever launched with 25 percent faster page turns.
It otherwise carries forward the usual Paperwhite traits, which include a super thin profile and a waterproof build. In fact, the new Paperwhite is also the thinnest yet. Battery life is impressive too, lasting several weeks on a single charge. The onboard storage is large enough to host thousands of e-books or several hundred audiobooks. It comes in shades of Metallic Jade and Metallic Black.
The 16 GB Kindle Paperwhite is priced NZ$329 while the 32 GB version comes for NZ$359.
The entry-level Kindle too now offers a more premium package than ever before. That includes a 300 PPI glare-free e-paper display having a higher contrast ratio and a front light that is 25 percent brighter at the highest setting. The new Kindle has also received a performance boost and offers faster page turns. All of it comes packed in a compact and slim form factor that weighs just 158 grams.
Lastly, there is the Kindle Scribe which however offers just design upgrades over the first-gen Kindle Scribe. It comes with the same 10.2-inch 300 PPI display upfront while the internals remain much the same. The bezels however have been done up in white which merges well with the white background of the e-paper display. The Premium Pen offers a writing feel that is almost similar to writing on real paper.
The new Scribe also offers some nice in-book writing features. Those include Active Canvas which allows you to jot down notes right on an e-book itself. Your note remains on the page at the very same place where you have written. This applies even if the font style or size is changed as the text adjusts to flow around your notes automatically. Apart from this the new Scribe also comes with AI summary features as well.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I’ll likely make a film sometime in the future.
