Kindle 4
Click for Details of the Kindle 4
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Kindle 4 Details
So what's so great about the Kindle 4? Let me explain...
First off, the price has come down hugely. You can pay as little as $79 for the latest generation reader (so long as you don't mind some ads being displayed as screensavers).
Secondly, its tiny! Only 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.34" and it weighs just under 6 ounces.
Thirdly, it does everything you need an ebook reader to do. True it has less memory than other models, but will still store 1600 books (and don't forget you have unlimited back-up storage on Amazon's own servers). And yes there is no audio, but come on most of us don't use that anyway (have you heard the robotic text to speech?).
To keep it light the battery has been downgraded a little. But you still get around a month between charges.
Everything you want from a Kindle, but at a fraction of the price we expect, and in a sleeker, lighter, more comfortable form.
Now, if you like the keypad, this one isn't for you. But not to worry the Kindle 3 with its keyboard is stilll on sale (or you could choose the updated Kindle Touch instead!
 | Amazon Price: $79.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $99.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $199.00 |
Back to our earlier article which was written before we new just what the Kindle would turn into - see how wrong we were, and where we actually got it right!
Update: The Kindle 4 release date is 28th Sept 2011. You can buy now; the latest, smallest, fastest, prettiest Kindle Reader!
The lighter version is only $79 with sponsored ads or $109 without. There is no keypad and so it has a much cleaner look. If you don't do much typing on your ebook reader this is a much improved version!
The 4th Generation Kindle release date was expected to be in early summer 2011. It now seems more likely we'll be playing with our new Kindle 4's in the autumn. But what is pretty exciting is that we'll probably have the option of not just 2 ebook readers, but also 2 tablet Kindle devices too.
So if you are toying with the idea of an ebook reader for now you are best buying the Kindle 3 unless you really don't mind waiting and perhaps being disappointed by a far later introduction of Amazon's next ebook reader than we anticipate.
Amazon are a secretive bunch so the truth is we are unlikely to know until it is truly imminent. But with most sales of the ebook reading devices being made in the run up to Christmas it is unlikely we would get a new option until the current Kindle has been with us for at least a year, and possibly even longer than that. The last Kindle's release date was August 2010, so expect to wait at least a year from then. Well August came and went and still no news...
So an optimistic expectation would be for a Kindle 4 release date sometime in September 2011.
Kindle Tablet 2011?
Well, it looks very much like the next 4th generation Kindle will actually be a new Kindle tablet instead. According to this Tech Crunch report. It seems the author has actually seen, touched and used the new color tablet.
The key features to note are:
- 7" display
- Only 6GB of storage is expected since this will be a true "cloud" device, tapped into Amazon's huge cloud storage system, apps and media.
- It will come with free Amazon prime membership.
- Tooled up with kindle reading app, amazon's cloud player for music and amazon's instant video player for moves.
- The bet bit? An anticipated $250 price-tag.
Although based on Google's Android operating system, it has been bespoke developed for Amazon so won't allow users to use Google Android Marketplace Apps. But with Amazon's own apps store who cares?
The Kindle Tablet release date looks set for October-November time, and if sales do well (which forecasts from industry experts suggest will be the case), we look likely to see a beefed up 10" version early in 2012. And since Amazon are currently updating their own web-site to look more attractive, and easier to use from tablet devices, maybe the release will be even sooner!
Kindle 4 or Amazon Tablet?
Primarily we have thought about the next generation Kindle being a jazzed up version of the current ebook reader. But the tech rumor mill is working over-time, and it says we're wrong. In fact an Amazon tablet pc might be on the cards instead.
It makes sense in a way. After all most researchers agree that no-one else is really in the position to take a significant share of Apple's huge chunk of the tablet market. Amazon have the right infrastructure, can deliver content, and we already trust them with our credit card details. Also Jeff Bezos seems relatively happy to sell hardware at a loss if it keeps us loyal, and coming back for oodles of paid content.
On May 3rd Digitimes, a Korean tech news site released a story that says suppliers are already confirming that Amazon have placed an OEM order with Quanta Computers for up to 800,000 tablet devices a month. Of course both Quanta and Amazon are remaining quiet on the issue. The sources of the story are believed to be parts manufacturers gearing up to supply Quanta with components for the proposed tablet computer.
E-ink holdings will still be involved however, so perhaps this is really just going to be an upgraded touch-screen Kindle reader after all.
Ebook reader or tablet, we won't have to wait long to find out; if the sources are correct the tablet Kindle will be released in the 2nd half of this year.
Kindle 4 Dreams
Do you want to find out all about the Kindle 4? Yeah me too, sadly though it isn't actually here just yet. But you know at some point Amazon will be updating their popular ebook reader. And, since other readers are breaking new boundaries with flexible screens, touch-screens, color displays and more, just maybe the next generation Kindle will be very different.
Yes of course I know that we've only just got used to the Kindle 3. But I'm a girl that likes here gadgets to be updated, improved and bettered. Though I don't buy the latest new thing, I like the buzz of new stuff and the inner debate over whether the new really is that much better than the old I have at home. I'm dreaming of a new future with a new Kindle!
So even though I love my current Kindle Reader I still wonder how this cool little gadget could be improved. What would I like (apart from $100 off of course!)? What new features could I make use of? What would I leave off - if anything? In truth I just love a little Kindle 4 day-dreaming and so today I thought I would share my hopes and dreams for this sleek little ebook reader (yes over-sized, over-priced DX I am ignoring you - my heart belongs to smaller, lighter models I'm afraid!).
What the Kindle 4 Should Be
Right then since Amazon is unlikely to let us in on what their next offering will actually be like, I thought I would create my own perfect Kindle 4. If you're reading Amazon bosses, I have no idea whether anyone else would agree, so I wouldn't change your plans on account of little old me just yet!
- Is bigger better? I don't want anything too big (no DX for me thank you very much!). But sometimes, just sometimes I wonder whether 7" would be better than 6" Now I am totally torn on this one as the 6" version fits my life, my pockets and my purse just dandy. But perhaps a 7" option could be fun!
- Something more touchy-feely? Again I can't make up my mind. I think maybe I need to have a play with the newest Nook, but maybe a touch screen could be useful, especially if a color display turned up, as then being online would be a little more comfortable, useful and fun with a touch screen display. However I love that the Kindle isn't a tablet so I really can't make up my mind whether employing a touchscreen might make it lose its focus a little. If it did go touch-screen it would mean the QWERTY keypad could be done away with giving more room on the display. I think this is likely though, since the Kindle Touch simply sounds like it would be a really popular idea.
- Color!!!!!! The Kindle in color should most definitely be an option. It would be great for non-fiction especially text books, I know kids would love it, but personally I would just like to read magazines in the color format they were designed for. If Hanvon and Nook can do I'm sure Amazon will do too.
So those are my top 3 perhaps, maybe wishes for the next generation Kindle reader. I have to say I am still totally unsure if I really want those changes (apart from color that is a must!). What do you think? Have your say in the poll below or leave us a message in the comments section.
I know quite a few folks have suggested that the foreign language display is a little dodgy, particularly the Chinese characters so perhaps and improvement to that should be on the list too. Though having no ability to discern any other scripts I cannot really comment! Another thing that would attract some is to have a larger memory and one that is expandable with SD cards. I don't mind having my Kindle books backed up in the secure online library, and any other books I download sat on my hard drive. But then I have plenty of room left as am way below the 3500 book limit so far!
Next Generation Kindle - Don't Change Everything!
A bit of a negative title I guess. But, in a world where Apple seem to be trying to take over the world and there are gadgets galore for the masses there is plenty I love about the Kindle as it is, and I wouldn't want those features lost to a newer, smarter reader:
- It still has to be first, and last, an ebook reader. It's fine having a few games and the ability to access the web, but the primary focus must remain on this being a tool for reading. I love that this hasn't been forgotten so far, and that the device hasn't gotten too "multi-function". Let's hope it stays that way.
- I want it to remain light, small and above all an easy device to carry around. This is how I cope with the daily commute, if I want a netbook I'll buy one so 7" has to be the absolute limit in terms of size.
- Keep that awesome battery life as fantastic as it is please.
- Stay away from back-lit displays. I know the latest color Nook has one but you don't have to copy them. E-ink or the next version is where its at.
- Basically I want Amazon to KISS the Kindle. Keep It Simple Stupid! Tweak it a little here and there but don't lose what makes this a truly great reader.
What Do You Want from the Next Kindle 4?
Have your say in our poll - or drop us a line in the comments section:
You Told Us What You Wanted...
What do you want most from the 4th Generation Kindle Reader?
- 38% Color Display
- 22% Touch-screen
- 12% Bigger display
- 6% More memory
- 7% Better foreign language support
- 8% Easier eBook lending
- 7% Nothing - I love the Kindle just the way it is!
This poll is now closed to voting.
Jiri, I think the better contrast for the DX has got to be the next tweek since all it needs is to have the latest Pearl e-ink display like that used on the latest generation 6" displays.
Forgive me for being technologically illiterate, but for the Kindle to utilize a color display would it not need to be back-lit? And, wouldn't that in turn consume more of the battery life?
Hi Alyssa. No the exciting thing is that the people that make the current e-ink Kindle displays have created a full color version that is similar with low energy consumption and no back lighting.
I wish they would make the battery like the Nook, where you can change it yourself if needed.
It will be really great if Kindle 4 would have more language support, directories, some bigger screen, some standard book rest, colour display and less weight
Anne, there are online supplies of the batteries available, with instructions for fitting them, but doing so does void the warranty. But if your warranty is up anyway it is an option if you don't want to send the Kindle in to be fitted with a new battery.
Alisher - wow you want it all!
I have Kindle 2 and I am strugling with myself : to buy a new one or not to buy...?" I do love the old one, but I realy realy want to see the newer version as well. What I realy want to have on a new Kindle is a bit more advanced collection system. So that you could asign more collections to one author...
I have an ORIGINAL (1st generation) Kindle. It has a user removeable/replaceable battery and expandable (SD) memory! I don't know why they removed these features when they came out with the Kindle 2 and 3; however, for that reason, I never upgraded (even though the display is much better on the newer models). I am holding out for a 7" color Kindle with user removeable/replaceable memory and battery. Those features would make it perfect, in my opinion.
These are my wish list for the next version of the Kindle DX graphite:
1. SD slot or more internal memory for books
2. Touch screen
3. Redesign of the OS and with more features
4. Faster page turning (faster CPU)
5. More memory for the CPU
6. No external keyboard. It looks like a giant blackberry
7. Color screen (would be nice but don't care much for)
8. Web browser that renders a bit better
9. Replaceable battery
10. Do the above but stay true to the ebook reading concept. Don't become the ipad/tablet.
Albert - I think that says it all!
I've spoken to many of my friends and we all agree that 7" is better than 6. You can do so must more with 7"
Marc - Couldn't agree more ;)
Better file organization. If you have 3500 books, there needs to be a quick way to organize the books. (ie folders you can drop and drag and view by folder)
Automatic orientation. There should be a sensor to detect when portrait or landscape is the view setting.
7" screen.
Multiple SD card support.
$99 price.
Add numbers on keyboard. If it must be a physical keypad, include the numbers.
Frank, Better file organisation is a must in my book too! The price drop for the Kindle would really boost sales - not that they're exactly slow anyway.
It should be more like a book---opening up into two thin panes, one on the right and one on the left. This gives one a greater sense of continuity to a book. Until an ebook is able to do this I can't see getting one.
I would buy one today if it had epub support.
Still cannot understand why so many people want color on the Kindle. It's for reading books!! Really are you all reading illustrated books all the time? :D
.
cheers
Edgar, in theory you can get ePub books onto a Kindle but it takes some technical know-how and I don't think it is something many of us would bother with since the whole point of the current Kindle is that it is really simple to use.
Maybe library lending will prompt Amazon to allow ePub but I can't really see that either since money isn't made on the sales of the device, its made on ebook sales.
David, I agree that it should be strictly for book reading, but as an example of why color would be nice, my college books have a lot of color in them and it helps me organize the ideas faster. Seeing a splash of color here or there also makes "necessary reading" less boring.
One thing you have to understand is that the collections feature is probably inconsistent with an SD-card slot. The way the collections feature works is that you're creating shortcuts to the actual eBook file that's got a fixed hard-drive location. I don't see how the software could permit a user to include files on the SD-card in a collection, because when the SD-card is removed the shortcut is going to lead to a broken link.
Anyway, as far as K4 is concerned, I'm still using my K2 and hoping the battery holds out long enough that I can bypass the K3 generation. (I've still got my K1 as backup if I need it.)
I don't see why you need more memory for books. Archive should hold millions!
Keep external keyboard!! It's awesome for writing note!
I like the keyboard, but not because I actually use it. The reason I like it is because it sets the screen up a couple inches, so when I lay on my back in bed reading and rest the device on my chest, the screen is elevated a bit. Also, when I hold the K3, my thumb rests horizontally between the keypad and the screen. if I hold it using only the edge bezel, it feels unnatural, and I sometimes accidentally hit the page buttons.
I'm fine with B&W. Color would be neat, but not if it means increasing cost, or turning the Kindle into another iPad wannabe. The Kindle is a more convenient way to read novels. If I want to check the weather, play Angry Birds, or read email, I have my Android phone.
6" is the perfect size! Please don't make it any bigger.
A better file organization and OS is the only thing I can see improving the Kindle. Oh, and maybe the option to add our own screen-saver pictures without jailbreaking it.
Good point about the keyboard moving up the display to make it easier to hold and still see - hadn't thought about that one!
epub epub epub
It's the only thing that has kept me from buying it, even though i don't think they 'd be supporting it anytime soon thanks to mobi ;~
commentator - I can't imagine epub being used on Kindles since the profit is in book sales - would make a lot of people very happy though!
ePub support. Better formatted notes and highlights. The ability to easily share notes and highlights with study groups. Support for online storage/sharing of notes and highlights beyond books bought through Amazon (though this may have copyright implications for highlights). Agree that better file organisation would be useful.
I am satisfied with kindle 3. It is so good, making it difficult to imagine any big improvements. However, I do hope it can support more languages as other electric devices would routinely do. Also, it would be great the looking of foreign language fonts be improved. Backing to reading, :P
not until it's like a book---with two thin, flat panes on either side---will readers of books really take to it.
Pchh - I would like to see everything that costs $100 or more coming with an automatic 5 year warranty. Sadly the world is disposable it seems so my wish is unlikely to be granted.
I think though with the sheer volume of Kindles being sold at the moment we would hear about any problems pretty swiftly, and so far the Kindle 3 at least has been going strong for most buyers.
I think touchscreen is a not a good option since it needs another layer in the screen that made it a bit reflective( ala iriver cover story) it ruins the awesomeness of e-ink display.color? not until they have awesome color e-ink.now they only have washout color e-ink display.
Having free internet access is a massive plus, but it is very disappointing that the browser cannot use the webpage scrollbars.
Don't know why everyone wants color.
Who needs touch screens?
PEOPLE,
ALL BOOKS (except picture books)ARE BLACK AND WHITE.
It's not like you're going to spend hours in the Kindle Store or staring at the cover ( although I've been known to do that occasionally.)
Personally, my biggest concern is an SD card slot. Heaven only knows how many books I can read (I also have PDFs and MP3s on my Kindle, so I don't think 4GB is enough for that).
Its really interesting to see just how diverse opinions are regarding what the next generation Kindle should be like. Keep them coming guys!
I don't want a Kindle with a color LCD. I want to read books for prolonged periods without straining my eyes like LCDs do. E-Ink is perfect because it doesn't emit light. If the Kindle were to have a color screen, at least use Pixel-qi technology so it will at elast be close to e-ink in the grayscale mode but still be able to switch to color.
My suggestions: lose the (not-very-useful) speakers and headphone socket, and make it thinner, lighter, and cheaper. Improve the compatibility and usability of the web browser and add "send to Kindle" feature for web pages to make them readable as offline documents.
John the "send to Kindle" idea is a great one. And of course a cheaper Kindle reader would always be welcome!
Any advices for someone who just about to buy a kindle 3? Wait or buy?
Anyway, staying on topic, even though I never owned ebook reader, I would like to see the keyboard gone and a good resilient web browser fast enough to use Google Maps and IMDB with a bookmark function. (With several folders and sub folders)
love my kindle, just wish it had a light,so i read in dark places without a after market light.
Anon, If you just want to read comfortably I would just buy the current Kindle 3 - it's awesome. But if you "need" other features and can spare the time, wait till the summer however there is no guarantee that you will get what you want then!
No need for color... but they do need to lower the level of battery usage with text to speech and internet activity. Hopefully the 3g free internet will stick around forever in future versions. The keyboard is WAY better then a touch screen. I got a touchscreen mp3 player and hate it since it always gets fingerprints on it, could be easier to scratch, etc. An sd card slot would be nice. Epub file format would be nice. Improving text to speech to be better and not drain battery would be the biggest things I'd want in a future version of the kindle. Also, some better way to organize collections would help. Calibre does have a collections plugin but it seems fairly fluky part of the time.
Also, future versions should allow more apps and stuff -- maybe even a full android system... Read somewhere on a blog the other day that someone has figured out how to actually install the real zork games on kindle since they hacked it. Allowing that sort of stuff without hacks would be great... Allowing open source software on it might be nice too... so maybe even make it use a variation of linux?
I would like to see it change to 7" but lose the keyboard so it would end up the same size or smaller overall. Touchscreen for the keyboard and lots of emphasis in software of using the touchscreen for annotations to documents and light web browsing. That way it could be useful to me in my job as well as reading which it already has near perfect.
I understand that the Kindle was initially targeted the U.S. market, but is now widespread in the world and provide the possibility to upgrade your firmware to other languages??, especially the most spoken: Spanish, Chinese, etc.
Jenna, if you're interested in a bigger display, I would like to share my thoughts on the Irex DR800SG.
I have previously used the Sony Reader PRS-300 and the BeBook Neo. The former was five inches and the latter was six inches, so receiving the eight inch iRex was an exciting prospect indeed.
I was not disappointed! The iRex has got it right in three key areas: size, design, buttons.
It was such an amazing relief to have eight inches worth of space - not because I want to cram more text in, but that I can use a large comfortable font size and still have a good chunk of time before I need to flip.
I adore the design: white, minimalist, with a thin margin running around the eReader. There are no buttons, no keyboards; all space is devoted to the screen. When you compare the iRex with a six-inch eReader like the BeBook Neo, you find that the total surface is almost the same. The screens are not. That's what I call a good use of space.
So how do you flip? There is one flipbar running down the left side. It's fantastic, quiet to flip, and lightning fast to navigate the interface.
9.7 inches for the DX might be too big. Who knows? But 8 inches is a perfect fit for me.
Btw, the Nook Color doesn't use actual color e-ink like the Hanvon does. I don't think it's fair that you mention that, as if Amazon is falling behind many an eReader. Hanvon is the only eReader so far to have this, it isn't released yet, and it's also been reported that the colors are very muted. I believe that when Amazon is ready to deliver color, it will deliver it well.
Dimitri. Glad you have found your perfect electronic reading partner. I agree with the color points and do go into more detail in my Color Kindle article. The nook is basically a tablet and color e-ink is very muted it is true. I am not sure if customers will want to compromise with a display like the e-ink Triton used by Hanvon or if a move to a more tablet style Kindle will be in order.
It will be exciting to wait and see though!
IMO, one of the biggest things Kindle lacks is Adobe EPUB support...
Being able to read a book for free for 2 full weeks (then having it automatically deleted afterwards), would be so awesome. I'm not a huge fan of still having to pay 80% of the cost of a book I might only read once or twice in my life
A Kindle with the same responsive touchscreen as the Sony readers would be cool. And yes I would also love a bigger screen and the option to buy a color screen.
But none if this will make me buy a Kindle without the international epub format support!! What good is a fancy e-reader if it does not support the e-book format most of the world uses. I do not want to have to convert everything. I want ease of use.
For the next Kindle I would like a little better screen reading capabilities. I am blind, and I love my 3rd generation Kindle, but access to the Kindle store directly from the device would be nice, and better highlighting access in books would also be nice. I wouldn't like a touch screen until they make it as accessible as the iPod Touch.
I would love to see a new Kindle as a superb PDF-reader! A mixture between Kindle DX and Kindle 3.
Cheap, elegant and very usefull! :-)
For the next kindle, my wish list.
1. Get rid of the keyboard, make it touch but keep the "turn page" buttons.
This in turn would lighten it, so win win. You could either shrink the kindle down to be not much bigger than the screen, or make the screen bigger to use up the space that they keyboard took up.
2. Color, but still e-ink style, iirc mirasol is potentially the next step?
3. Built in light but _not_ backlit, think lights just below the surface on the edges of the screen that shine across the screen instead of out from it, that can be turned on/off depending on your needs.
These 3 changes for me would equal the pinnacle of e-readers, I couldn't ask for any more, it already does so many things right.
p.s. - let me customize my screensaver :p!
I hope for a noting function (write on the screen).
More open formats, ePub support.
Let us borrow e-books at our local library.
Better resolution and even better contrast.
Even faster page turns.
Even better pdf support.
No need for touch or color for me.
I doubt a new color display will be as great as a next-gen greyscale e-ink.
I don't own a Kindle (yet) but I'm really hooked on kindle 3.
The improved features I'd like to see in a Kindle 4 are some of the reasons why I still haven't gotten a Kindle 3.
The question is if it is worth waiting to get it in hope of an improved kindle or a nice discount on the 3 when it is being phased out.
Jasper, if you don't mind ads as screen savers you can buy a reduced Kindle 3 with special offers already. $25 off for a short time at least!
I just returned my Kindle after 5 days of ownership. I read often in the evening and in bed, and was constantly having to move it under a lamp like I would with a book! It's crazy that with moder tech they couldn't have a built in light that works with e-ink (which I did like by the way).
@ Dan - they do sell clip on reading lights. But it sounds like you would prefer a display that can switch from being back-lit LCD style to e-ink, which looks like being available in 2012 or 2013.
Better navigation within books--particularly the option to flip through several pages at once, or jump automatically to the next chapter, or chapter break. This can drive me mad at times. Regardless of whether there is colour (and this is an advantage for many types of books--art, craft, gardening, cooking) there has to be a better way of presenting illustrations. They currently look dreadful. A decent choice of fonts would also be welcome.
I don't care about the keyboard, but I really want it to stay the same size and weight. Too many of these things seem to be designed by men with briefcases and backpacks rather than women with handbags. I love my iPad and use it everyday, but it stays at home because it is too big and valuable to cart around, whereas the Kindle gets carried everywhere.
For battery sake, I believe that keeping the eink display is the move that amazon will take. But I believe that amazon will give bigger battery or memory.
What I truly miss in a kindle is seeing the book cover of the book i am reading. I remember an recognize books by their cover, and the fact that I don't see it every time i pick up the book (ie my kindle) I feel, I guess, disoriented. I would love to see the screensaver to dynamically reflect the cover of the book i am currently reading, in color.
1. Higher resolution for small print in PDF's
2. Easier web surfing
Screw ePub, what moron thinks that is ever gonna happen?
I just would like to have it in Augusto, tired of waiting...
The are only a couple of things that I would like to see improved from the current kindle are
1. Larger Memory (or support form SD Cards)
2. Performance (After about 3-400 books I have found adding books to collections etc very slow)
3. ePub support
The option to have the book list to show the Covers and title like I believe the Sony Readers do would also be nice
I think color in a e-ink screen is a must because I can only see myself using an e-book if it allows me to study books that have great importance in images and schemes for example, or to read comics.
I just want replacable battery and an SD card slot (back).
I need color screen, cause im studing at university and i have notes in color, so it would be easier to learn if i could bound the theme to colors.
I am surrounded by Kindle Users In work and on the Train, I am holding out for a Color Display and the Ability to use true Audio Books
To me it's just disappointing that we didn't see a new generation of e-ink!
And we didn't even get a discount on the Kindle 3..
Plus the reviews claim that contrast and glare on the new Kindle is worse than on Kindle 3.
So all in all I'm just disappointed..
I was hoping to get a Kindle this fall but now I think I'll skip it.
- Jiri Pospichal 17 months ago
I do not care much for any of above improvements.
I have DX, size is ok, but I would like the next generation to be lighter, with higher contrast (more white than gray backround), ideally unbreakable, better handling of pdf, and support for subdirectories. Faster connecting to cellular wikipedia would be also nice, but that is not critical.