Amazon introduced a new Kindle Paperwhite with a seven-inch display and a slimmer body. The new Kindle Paperwhite starts at $199.99. The Signature Edition raises the price to $249.99 and adds an aluminum housing.
Will Greenwald at Amazon New York
Will Greenwald spent time with the updated Kindle lineup at Amazon’s New York offices. That matters because the hardware change is easy to see before the software story is even relevant.
The new Paperwhite’s changes are otherwise minimal. The model is presented as redesigned, but the core pitch is still a midrange ereader with a lighter body rather than a full rebuild.
Paperwhite Signature Edition storage
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition doubles storage from 16GB to 32GB. That gives buyers more room for books and other files without moving up to a different Kindle class.
The Signature Edition also adds pogo pins for use with a new case accessory. In practical terms, those contacts let the case connect directly to the device instead of relying only on a loose fit.
Amazon says the new Paperwhite models will become available for preorder on a rolling basis. The one question buyers still do not have answered is how much thinner the new Kindle Paperwhite is than the version it replaces.
