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At a time when companies make a habit of releasing updated versions of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets on an annual basis, it's kind of refreshing to see that Amazon hasn't introduced a new Kindle eReader since 2022, when the company launched the Kindle Scribe and an updated model of the entry-level Kindle.

But it looks like a new Kindle is on the way. Two new models showed up on the FCC website this week. While the listings don't provide a lot of details about the upcoming devices, it seems like they're basically two versions of the same model. If I had to guess, I'd say that means we're looking at a new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (or something like that).

Amazon "Electronic Display Device" label (via FCC.gov)

There are two pieces of evidence for that. Both the 2A4DH-5688 and 2A4DH-5698 FCC listings describe upcoming Amazon products described as Electronic Display Devices with support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth LE, but one has a feature described as WPT, while the other does not. If that stands for Wireless Power Transfer, then that would be one of the features that sets the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition apart from the standard model of the same eReader.

The other evidence? The fact that the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite is the oldest Kindle that Amazon still sells. While Kindles aren't on an annual refresh schedule, three years still seems like a pretty long time to go between updates.

Unfortunately the product listings don't offer any clues about new or updated features. At a minimum, I'd expect a processor upgrade, and possibly some updates to the display.

Another possibility? We could see Amazon release a Kindle Paperwhite with a color E Ink display. But rumor has it that we won't see those until next year, if we see them at all.

I'm also moderately skeptical that Amazon plans to use E Ink color at all, unless the company is starting to feel pressure from competitors that have adopted the technology like Kobo, Onyx BOOX, and PocketBook.

There are some obvious advantages to using E Ink color displays featuring Kaleido or Gallery technology. These screens give readers the ability to view color content when reading magazines, picture books, text books, or comics, among other things.

But there are also some down sides: color content is displayed at a lower resolution than black and white content, colors tend to be a lot less vivid than on LCD or OLED displays, and E Ink color screens tend to be a little darker than their black and white counterparts.

Since Amazon already offers a popular line of Fire Tablets that can be used for viewing color content, I'm not sure how much heat the company is feeling to add color to its Kindle devices. But it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see Amazon dip its toe into the color E Ink space by offering an optional color display on at least one Kindle device that launches in the next year or two.

It's just not clear if either of the models that passed through the FCC this week will be that device.

via /r/kindle and the eBook Reader

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