The latest Kindle, the Kindle Oasis, has more features than it’s predecessors which is not unusual, but it also brings yet another dimension to reading – it’s waterproof.
Yes, it can tolerate water up to 2 meters deep, which unfortunately takes you deep sea divers out of it, and withstand being underwater for a whole hour. Why anyone wants to read underwater beats me, but I imagine it’s simply designed for the average klutz in this world. Reading in the shower is also a possibility I suppose, so if your significant other isn’t around to play with, you can take your Kindle with you – not quite the same, but to each their own.
What else is new?
The slimmest yet at only 3.4 mm (less than 1/4 of an inch), and the lightest at under 200 g (about 6 ounces).
The screen is 7 inches as opposed to 6 inches on previous models.
Memory capacity of 8GB or 32GB – enough space for thousands of books. Previous models 4GB – still ample room for most people.
Battery life up to six weeks.
Includes Audible which means you can listen to your favorite books as well as read them – just not at the same time. Basically, you can be reading your book on your Kindle Oasis, and let’s imagine you then have to get in the car and drive somewhere, you can carry on listening from where you left off.
A feature that is not new with this model but a reminder of just one of the amazing features:
X-Ray lets you explore the “Bones of the Book”
Ever carried on reading a book that you had not looked at for a few days or weeks, and couldn’t remember, for example, the details of one of the characters and what they had said or done? I have, many times. Well, the X-Ray timeline view lets you easily flip through passages to remind yourself of what’s happened in the book.
It also allows you to see all the passages across a book that mention relevant ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places, or topics of interest. If, for example, you are reading a book set in Dover, England, you can look up more information about that city directly on your device. The relevant information is stored on the device or the app – you do not need an internet connection. Not all books have this feature.
Here’s a quick demo of the first Kindle that was equipped with X-Ray”
Want To Upgrade?
Do you like the idea of this new Kindle? Then how about trading in your old Kindle?
Price
The price, set at $249, is not exactly cheap, but if you want the latest including the fact it’s waterproof, you pay for it. If you’re prone to dropping things in the water, or reading in the bath or shower, then this might be for you. The added feature of Audible is interesting and in my mind, useful, but for myself, I’m fine without upgrading.
I reviewed the Kindle Paperwhite before, and at $119. it does everything I need.
Either way, check out Kindle – it’s changing the way we read, which may or may not be a good thing.
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