Mobile Technology

Amazon updates the Kindle Paperwhite with sharper text

Amazon updates the Kindle Paperwhite with sharper text
The new version of Amazon's mid-tier e-reader offers the same pixel density as its pricier Voyage cousin
The new version of Amazon's mid-tier e-reader offers the same pixel density as its pricier Voyage cousin
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The new version of Amazon's mid-tier e-reader offers the same pixel density as its pricier Voyage cousin
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The new version of Amazon's mid-tier e-reader offers the same pixel density as its pricier Voyage cousin

Have a hankering for a higher resolution e-reader but aren't willing to stretch to the lofty asking price for the Amazon's luxurious Voyage? Well, the company's updated Kindle Paperwhite might just be for you. The new version of the mid-tier product offers a new 6-inch display that packs 300 pixels into every inch, a significant step up from its predecessor's 212 PPI.

Given that the pricier Voyage offers the same size and resolution display as this, we suspect that we're looking at the same panel on both devices. Amazon likely managed to push down the costs of manufacturing the pixel-dense e-Ink panels it uses in the Voyage, allowing it to shoehorn them into its more affordable backlight-packing e-reader.

Aside from the improved display, Amazon has made one or two other small tweaks, adding a new, exclusive font called Bookerly that's inspired by the best modern print book fonts. There's also a new typesetting engine on board, bringing improved word and character spacing, and better page layouts that more accurately reflect their print counterparts.

The good news here is that there's no price bump in light of the improvements. The new Kindle Paperwhite will arrive on June 30 for US$119.

Source: Amazon

2 comments
2 comments
DonGateley
Still waiting for a DX sized Paperwhite. Unfortunately I think that's going to be a perpetual wait.
Rocky Stefano
E-INK is killing themselves.