Everybody expected the unveiling of the Kindle Fire at the Amazon event but apparently no one was aware that other Kindle devices will be revealed. Amazon pulled a surprise when it unveiled the Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G ebook readers.
The Kindle Touch and Touch 3G will be using an IR touch system that’s being used in the latest Nook and Kobo e-readers. The Touch and Touch 3G will have no physical keyboard. The lack of keyboard is not the only thing new with this Kindle. It is also slimmer and lighter than the current Kindle and sports a silver finish. Being a keyboard-less device, the Touch is now navigated by tapping specific areas. The Touch and Touch 3G sports Amazon’s “most advanced” E Ink display yet, and battery life has reportedly been improved.
The Kindle Touch is priced at $99 while the Touch 3G costs $149 with free global roaming. These devices are already up for pre-order and will ship on November 21.
Amazon Kindle Touch Specifications
Display |
Amazon’s 6″ diagonal most advanced E Ink multi-touch display, optimized with proprietary waveform and font technology, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level grayscale. |
Size (in inches) |
6.8″ x 4.7″ x 0.40″ (172 mm x 120 mm x 10.1 mm) |
Weight |
7.5 ounces (213 grams) |
System Requirements |
None, because it’s wireless and doesn’t require a computer to download content. |
On-device Storage |
Up to 3,000 books or 4 GB internal (approximately 3 GB available for user content). |
Cloud Storage |
Free cloud storage for all Amazon content |
BatteryLife |
A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time. Keep wireless always on and it lasts for up to 6 weeks.Batterylife will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store, web browsing, and downloading content. |
Charge Time |
Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via the included USB 2.0 cable connected to a computer.U.S.power adapter sold separately. |
Wi-Fi Connectivity |
Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n (in b or g compatibility mode) standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not connect to WPA and WPA2 secured networks using 802.1X authentication methods; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. |
USBPort |
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) |
Audio |
3.5 mm stereo audio jack, rear mounted speakers |
Content Formats Supported |
Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Audible (Audible Enhanced(AA,AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion. |
Documentation |
Quick Start Guide (included in box); Kindle User’s Guide(pre-installed on device). |
Warranty and Service |
1-year limited warranty and service included. |
Included in the Box |
Kindle wireless e-reader, USB 2.0 cable Quick Start Guide. |
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