Despite Amazon’s track record of leaving Canada out when it comes to newly released products – such as Alexa and past Kindle editions – the brand new Kindle Oasis will be available to Canada immediately at launch at the price of $399.99 for the wifi-only version and $499.99 for the 3G version.
The Oasis is Kindle’s eighth version of Amazon’s popular e-reading device, and features an ergonomic grip and dual-battery charging system with a removable charging cover.
In a release sent to MobileSyrup today, Jeff Bezos said, “We want Kindle to disappear, and Kindle Oasis is the next big step in that mission. It’s the most advanced Kindle we’ve ever built – thin and ultra-lightweight, it gets out of the way so you can lose yourself in the author’s world.”
Amazon promises longer battery life than any other previous version of the Kindle with the Oasis due to an innovative new dual-battery charging system. In addition to the Kindle’s built-in battery, the included cover has a battery as well, and will begin recharging the device as soon as it is connected. This has the potential to up the usage time from weeks to months. Though this would seem likely to add weight to the device, Amazon assures potential buyers that a “custom cell architecture” keeps it light.
In fact, Amazon is stating that even with two batteries, the Oasis will be the thinnest and lightest Kindle the company has ever created. It weighs in at 131 grams (just a little over a quarter pound), and is 3.4mm at its thinnest point. This is due to new technology including a 200 micron display that is described as “thin as a single sheet of aluminum foil,” and a polymer frame that is plated with metal by structural electroplating.
Amazon has also made the Oasis ergonomic by weighting the device at the spine, which mimics the feel of a physical book, and notes that the device will have the brightest display yet with 60 percent more LEDs.
With all of these new features, one thing the Oasis does not bring is more open accessibility in terms of the file formats it accepts. But that constraint may not stop Kobo and Nook users from jumping sides if all the features of the Oasis prove to be as good as they are on paper(white).
Related reading: Amazon Kindle Voyage e-reader now available in Canada
[source]Amazon[/source]
