New Kindle Oasis e-reader has bigger screen and water-resistant casing

Amazon has announced a new version of its Kindle Oasis e-reader. The new model has a metal housing, a larger 7 “screen and is water resistant. Amazon Germany offers the e-reader from 230 euros.

The 7″ screen, like other recent Kindle models, has a pixel density of 300ppi. The manufacturer does not disclose the resolution of the panel used, but with a screen ratio of 4:3 that would work out at 1680×1260. The e-reader has a backlight consisting of twelve LEDs.This should ensure even lighting.The color temperature of the LEDs is not adjustable, whereas competitor Kobo offers this functionality in its high-end models.

In addition to a larger screen, the new Kindle Oasis has a modified metal housing. At its thinnest point, the e-reader is 3.4mm thick. The bottom part is 8.3mm thick and the e-reader weighs 194 grams. The housing is water resistant according to the IPX8 specification; according to Amazon, the e-reader can function for an hour at a depth of two meters.

There is no headphone jack, but the device does support audiobooks. A bluetooth headset is required to listen to it. Amazon offers users a choice of five fonts and more text setting options. From now on, the text can also be left aligned. The new text options are also coming to older Kindles with a software update, starting with the 2013 version of the Paperwhite.

The new Kindle Oasis is the successor to the first version that came out last year. The 2016 model has a 6″ screen and is not waterproof. The old version cost almost 300 euros when it came out. The new model is a lot cheaper at 230 euros for the 8GB version. Amazon is also releasing a 32GB variant for €260 and a version with 3G functionality for €320. The new Kindle Oasis will be available from October 31.