New eink Kindles coming?

[tomsem]

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2012...new-e-ink.html

Perhaps it is just to add the side-lighting feature, but I hope there's more to it than that, including perhaps a higher resolution screen.

The 40% off on Kindle "4" and accessories only runs to August 15. Presumably around that time we'll know some more details concerning any new Kindles.

Save 40% on select Kindle devices and accessories with your Amazon.com Rewards Visa.

There is a huge difference between very limited Rewards Visa offers and offers open to everyone.

I think it would be a bit early to introduce new models as the K4 was made available on 28 September 2011, only 10 months ago. The Fire and Touch didn't ship until mid-November, only 8.5 months ago. But stranger things have happened.

[geekmaster]

I have an amazon rewards visa card, but I already have two K4s so their offer is not useful to me. I wish they had a 40% discount on a touch 3g.

[beautifulsoup]

Interestingly (maybe), I was just about to break down and by a Kindle Touch not two minutes ago, and the item description for the the WiFi and 3G read: Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

I guess I could go for the Special Offers WiFi and then buy out of the special offers later?

Whoops...wait. I think there isn't a buy out option for the WiFI/3G Touch version, anyway.

Sorry for wasting space in this thread.

[ixtab]

It is very likely that a new Kindle Touch will be released soon, with an integrated light and a higher resolution (212 dpi, instead of the current 167 dpi). The current firmware for the Kindle Touch already includes these features (though they're obviously not activated, because the hardware doesn't support them).

[NiLuJe]

Will it be celeste or icewine to replace our trusty tequila (k4) & whitney (k5)? Or something new? There's a crapload of devboards codenames laying around ;/

Originally Posted by ixtab

It is very likely that a new Kindle Touch will be released soon, with an integrated light and a higher resolution (212 dpi, instead of the current 167 dpi). The current firmware for the Kindle Touch already includes these features (though they're obviously not activated, because the hardware doesn't support them).

Kindle Previewer now has multiple font families for the previewing of books similating the Touch, but it could be a LONG fricking time before the Touch actually has multiple font families, if indeed it ever does. Hell they still haven't fully implemented KF8 across all current devices and apps, but they announced it way back in the Fall of 2011. Just because they build something into the firmware really doesn't mean squat.

[TongueTied]

I took a look on Amazon today, I found that the Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are the only models that are out of stock. Even then, the Touch is "Expected to ship in 4 to 7 days". It is only the Touch 3G that is listed as "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock". This raises the question, a) is there a new model arriving shortly, b) did the Touch 3G not sell well and is being killed off, or c) simply a hiccup in manufacturing and logistics? The Fire is still in stock and that one is also expecting to be refreshed soon. So if a) is correct, that would indicate that they aren't going to release more than 1 model at a time. I can understand the logic there since the Touch was severely overshadowed by the Fire when they were released. I have no comment on b) since I have idea how well it sold but thinking about it, it is unlikely that I would personally choose the 3G model over the wifi only model. Sure, there are some advantages but I can live with wifi only. In fact, with my current readers, I turn off the wifi to save power and download purchases over wire. However, I would hazard a guess that with the reduction in 3G costs around the world it is going to be a standard feature of devices soon.

I was wondering, with the Kindle line-up at the moment, they have 6 different devices vying for the same target audience (or almost the same audience). If they were to bring out a Kindle Touch Glow, would that make a 7th device and what about the standard, keyboard or DX Kindles, would they also get a Glow version making the line-up 10 different Kindles? That seems like an unwieldy number of similar products and I would imagine that the introduction of a front lit display would result in an extra feature on the existing range. So, Amazon would end up with again, 6 devices and gradually, they would replace a device with the front lit display version of the device. You agree?

[TongueTied]

Just took a look at Amazon UK and see that the Touch 3G is in stock there. They would be different warehouses and different logistics channels but it could also point to what I identified as possibility c) above; ie just a logistics hiccup. However, I'm eagerly waiting for a front lit Kindle.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by beautifulsoup

I guess I could go for the Special Offers WiFi and then buy out of the special offers later?

Whoops...wait. I think there isn't a buy out option for the WiFI/3G Touch version, anyway.

Sorry for wasting space in this thread.

There is for all Kindles 3, 4 and KT. It will be under your MYK page once you activate it. It's the cost difference of the device.

[ixtab]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Just because they build something into the firmware really doesn't mean squat.

Huh?

The firmware is the *software* running on the Kindle. If there are features in the software, they can be executed and its functionality used.

Why on earth would they include programmatic support for a backlight and high-res displays if they didn't have any? Your statement makes no sense, sorry.

[ersott]

Originally Posted by ixtab

It is very likely that a new Kindle Touch will be released soon, with an integrated light and a higher resolution (212 dpi, instead of the current 167 dpi). The current firmware for the Kindle Touch already includes these features (though they're obviously not activated, because the hardware doesn't support them).

Wow, I dont know the new model includes hd, its a great news for me.

Are you sure that new firm includes hd resolution.

[ixtab]

Originally Posted by ersott

Wow, I dont know the new model includes hd, its a great news for me.

Are you sure that new firm includes hd resolution.

I am sure that the (current!) software (5.1.2) already contains support for glowlight and 212 dpi screens... (how else could I have come up with the number "212"? ).

I'm only saying that it is very likely that the new model will feature both of these hardware improvements, because otherwise it would make no sense to include the support in the software. However, I cannot guarantee anything - I'm not an Amazon insider, I'm only making educated guesses. I also can't tell you when it will be released.

[ersott]

Thanks.

I dont ask if are you sure ir hd is included in hardware, I ask if it included in software, sorry if I dont explain well ;-)

[eureka]

Originally Posted by ixtab

I am sure that the (current!) software (5.1.2) already contains support for glowlight and 212 dpi screens... (how else could I have come up with the number "212"? ).

I'm only saying that it is very likely that the new model will feature both of these hardware improvements, because otherwise it would make no sense to include the support in the software. However, I cannot guarantee anything - I'm not an Amazon insider, I'm only making educated guesses. I also can't tell you when it will be released.

There is also implemented support for capacitive multi-touch screen in KT firmwares.