Those of us who devour Kindle books know that it has been 2 years since Amazon last upgraded its Kindle Paperwhite eReader. May of us are excited to see what kind of changes may be in store for the newest model. According to Good e-Reader, the Kindle Paperwhite 5 (also known as the Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation) was originally going to be released this October during Prime Day, but due to a loss of productivity in the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, it may not come out until 2021.
Kindle Paperwhite 10th gen features
Before we dig into at what the Paperwhite 5 speculation, looks look at the features included in the Kindle Paperwhite 10th Generation had so many groundbreaking features that it’s difficult to think of ways Amazon could improve upon this model. Released in 2018, the last Paperwhite device featured:
- The lightest and thinnest design of all the Paperwhite tablets.
- A glare-free screen that mimicked real paper, along with a flush-front design.
- A waterproof design to allow users to enjoy their books in the pool or bath worry-free.
- Up to 32 GB of storage.
- Integration with Audible.
- A long-lasting battery that could power the device for weeks.
- A built-in adjustable light to make it easy to read indoors, outdoors, and at night.
Priced at $149.99 for the 8 GB model and $179.99 for the 32 GB model, the Kindle Paperwhite 10th Generation is roughly half the cost of the Kindle Oasis.
Kindle Paperwhite 11th gen features
What can we realistically expect from the 11th generation paperwhite?
The one thing that Amazon has confirmed is that the company has been experimenting with amber LED lights to give the screen a warmer tone and cut down on harsh blue light. The new paperwhite is likely to use the same warm light array as Kindle Oasis 3. Blue light can make it difficult for users to fall asleep and it can lead to eye strain, so opting for a light system that can adjust the color temperature is a great feature to include in the next model.
We also expect to see these features in the new Paperwhite:
- Night mode with amber reading light
- Longer battery life
- More durable body
- Better ergonomics that leads to less hand fatigue
- Improved features for people with vision disabilities
- Internal magnets to allow for new case and cover styles
- New, subtle ways for Amazon to advertise products while you use the device
- Faster charging and maybe even wireless charging
- No increase in price
We expect that Amazon will do everything in its power to release the new Paperwhite by Black Friday. If it’s not released by that date, then you might see it in late Jan. 2021.