New "top of the line Kindle" details coming next week

[tomsem]

The newest Kindle, 3rd gen Paperwhite, came out in June 2015. It makes some sense to release Kindles when they don't have to compete with Fires.

It will be interesting to see if there is any sort of app store or developer SDK along with this (to extend sharing options, etc.). It's one reason I prefer tablets, as I have option to save notes to Evernote, OneNote etc. and not just 'social' sharing.

[Jack Torrance]

I'm still using my DXG that just turned 2. Im not sure what it would take to get me to upgrade. I like the touch screen on my phone but I like the physical turn buttons and the speakers on my reader.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Well, Nate's page says it'll include a leather cover that recharges from the tablet itself. That plus the "8th generation" comment tells me this is another regular (non-front-lit) Kindle? I'd read that cover comment to mean it has a light in the cover, but that it won't require separate batteries.

The rechargeable cover could just as easily mean that it goes longer between charges. The tweet said top-of-the-line Kindle and surely that would include a front light.

If you do a search on Amazon for Paperwhite 2016 you'll find a page that seems to exactly describe the current Paperwhite but for $20 more and that gives an available date as April 12. I wonder if that page is a placeholder for the new Kindle, whatever it might be. They might have just copied the Paperwhite page and changed the date and turned off the order button till they're ready to update it.

I haven't found a way to find this page among the Kindle pages without searching for it in this way.

If my guess is right that this is the page the new one will be announced on I wonder if April 12 is the ship date or the pre-order date. It does say "In Stock April 12" but that might just be the normal wording when something isn't available. Maybe it'll actually be in stock then.

Fun stuff, huh.

Barry

[tomsem]

Yes, it is fun. It's more fun when we know it is not just an ill-founded rumor, and can look forward to some answers soon.

Weird about the 'Paperwhite 2016': it is $20 more for the other two Kindles in the comparison table, as well.

Do we actually need two threads for one subject (the other being in Kindle forum)?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by barryem

If you do a search on Amazon for Paperwhite 2016 you'll find a page that seems to exactly describe the current Paperwhite but for $20 more and that gives an available date as April 12. I wonder if that page is a placeholder for the new Kindle, whatever it might be.

I suspect it's just a link to the Kindle Paperwhite without special offers. At least, that's what this link looks like to me: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QJDU3KY/

[darryl]

I'm not going to upgrade for basically the same device with some improvements such as bluetooth. But it it has a liquavista display Amazon may as well spend my money already.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I'm only interested if they *finally* match Kobo in font types, sizes, and other layout customization. Fonts and layout is the only thing I care about when reading a book. (Strange, huh? ) All other functionality on my current KPW1 is unused. If it can be off, it's off.

Oh, and it better have a normal housing instead of some weird asymmetrical back and stuff that necessitates to have holes in a cover.

I would be happy if Amazon would just finally put out a waterproof offering.
I'm an outdoorsman.

[Josieb1]

I'm not going to believe the hype this time. I can't afford to order one and have to send it back. This time you can all test drive it for me and if it's any good I can get it at Christmas.

It doesn't stop me reading Nate's post and wanting though.

[murg]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Most have been released in the autumn, but by no means all.

Well, it is autumn now.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by murg

Well, it is autumn now.

Apache

[shanghaichica]

I hope it's waterproof and larger like the kobo aura HD. I'd buy it.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tomsem

And yes, one might as well throw in BT and audio with that, and extra storage to handle audiobooks and multiple TTS languages. We're going to be paying for it!

My opening bid is $250 for the above wifi only model, add $80 for free 3G for life of device (not to be used for audiobook download).

$250 was my initial thought as well.
($299 is not out of the question, though.)

As for Bluetooth, Amazon seems to be vesting a lot on Bluetooth; it is even baked into the new Dash button. Now that could be merely because BT comes essentially free on WiFi chips or it could be because BT is a key aspect of the Dot and Echoes and Amazon is putting Alexa everywhere. A Liquavista Kindle--a Color Kindle, to be clear here--would be a huge thing and worthy of a Bezos push. But the same is true of an Alexa-capable, voice actuated eink reader. A Voyage you can talk to...and answers back.

Or maybe it's both.
We'll know more by next week.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

$250 was my initial thought as well.
($299 is not out of the question, though.)

If it's sold as a "premium" model, they can basically charge whatever they think the market will bear, particularly if it offers features not available on other devices.

In the UK, the Voyage seems to have sold well at £170 ($240).

[Shane R]

A new Kindle and a new Tesla within a week of each other.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If it's sold as a "premium" model, they can basically charge whatever they think the market will bear, particularly if it offers features not available on other devices.

In the UK, the Voyage seems to have sold well at £170 ($240).

The key question is "what will the market bear?"

Also important is volume. Higher price, lower volume.
For products built around new technology, which is often low yield and unavoidably low volune, high prices are a good point to start with. If you can't build many anyway, you might as well use price to balance demand to your supply.

Looking at the two possibilities--Liquavista color Kindle vs Alexa Kindle--I would expect the Liquavista model to be more expensive, possibly a full hundred dollars more. And if the display is really good *and* supplies are really limited they might come in at Kindle 1 prices. Wouldn't *expect* it but they could.

From the reports of the tech to date, though, I wouldn't expect premium tablet pricing so I doubt they'll go higher than $300 on a Liquavista Kindle or $250 on an Alexa Voyage. They might even come in at $199 if the new model is an Alexa Paperwhite.

The market sets limits on what it will bear, mostly based on the value-add.