New Kindle Oasis Offers Variable Display Warmth

Finally acknowledging the problems with using intense blue light in dim environments, Amazon is releasing a new Kindle Oasis that offers variable display warmth.

“The all-new Kindle Oasis features our best Paperwhite display ever,” Amazon announced in a new post to its Day One blog. “The new Kindle Oasis features a 300ppi display with a new color adjustable front light. Now, you can customize the color tone from cool to warm to easily transition from daytime to a comfortable nighttime reading experience. You can even schedule the screen warmth to update automatically with sunrise and sunset.”

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Externally, it doesn’t appear that the Oasis has changed much, if at all. It still features a 7-inch Paperwhite display and it still uses that strange off-center look with a built-in handle on one side.

But there are other changes besides the display warmth configuration. The new Kindle Oasis also supports IPX8 waterproofing, good for submersion in up to 6 feet of water for up to two hours. And you can listen to Audible audiobooks using Bluetooth now as well.

The top-of-the-line Kindle Oasis is still expensive, of course. The base model with 8 GB of storage, still starts at $250, and a 32 GB model starts at $280, both with “special offers,” which are lock screen ads.

The new Kindle Oasis is available for pre-order now from Amazon.com and will ship on July 24.

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Conversation 18 comments

  • SeattleMike

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 11:50 am

    <p>I love my Paperwhite and have considered buying this one. This may make the difference in my decision.</p>

  • werneral

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 11:58 am

    <p>USB-C? </p>

    • mattbg

      Premium Member
      19 June, 2019 - 3:31 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436243">In reply to werneral:</a></em></blockquote><p>USB 2.0 :)</p>

  • jchampeau

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 12:06 pm

    <p>Interestingly just a few minutes ago I was reading that Harvard is now <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/will-blue-light-from-electronic-devices-increase-my-risk-of-macular-degeneration-and-blindness-2019040816365&quot; target="_blank">walking back</a> their 2018 assertion that blue light is harmful. From the linked article: "<span style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">It all comes down to this: consumer electronics are not harmful to the retina because of the amount of light emitted." The end of the article does say light from devices can mess with your circadian rhythm, but that's </span><em style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">any</em><span style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"> light, not blue or any other color of light specifically. There's a good </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_blue_light_technology&quot; target="_blank" style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Wikipedia page</a><span style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"> on this topic, too, which points out that much of the concern around blue light comes from companies marketing devices that help you avoid it, like smartphone makers.</span></p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      20 June, 2019 - 3:25 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436246">In reply to jchampeau:</a></em></blockquote><p>Have they just got new funding from someone who doesn't offer non-blue panels?</p><p>/cynic</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 12:06 pm

    <p>Still waiting on a Kindle with color e-ink that lets me read magazines and comics.</p>

  • bassoprofundo

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 12:29 pm

    <p>I wish they'd had this when I picked up my 2018. Whatever the scientific findings on light exposure &amp; sleep, I'd still like the option and find it to be a little less obnoxious in terms of the light I send blasting into my wife's eyelids when I want to read and she wants to sleep. It's one of those things, though, like most year-over-year Kindle upgrades, that I'm hardly going to be able to justify scrapping my current one simply for this feature. (I only justified the Oasis upgrade with being able to hand down my Paperwhite to my youngest who asked for one.)</p><p><br></p><p>BTW, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Amazon-Kindle-Oasis-8GB-Grey/dp/B06XD5YCKX&quot; target="_blank">2018</a> model has IPX8 waterproofing and bluetooth for Audible listening as well. Looks like the upgrade for this one is strictly the backlight color.</p>

    • will

      Premium Member
      19 June, 2019 - 2:26 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436254">In reply to bassoprofundo:</a></em></blockquote><p>Is the 2018 model the same DPI of 300?</p>

      • wright_is

        Premium Member
        20 June, 2019 - 3:24 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#436282">In reply to will:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes. The even older Voyager, which I still use daily, was also 300dpi.</p>

  • Elindalyne

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 12:43 pm

    <p>I really wish they'd bring back text to speech…</p><p><br></p><p>When they removed that with the first Kindle Paperwhite they removed a huge accessibility and convenience feature. I know it's never coming back, but I realllllllly miss it.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      20 June, 2019 - 3:21 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436259">In reply to Elindalyne:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's called Audible. ;-)</p>

  • m_p_w_84

    19 June, 2019 - 1:45 pm

    <p>that price tag is extraordinary</p>

    • drprw

      Premium Member
      19 June, 2019 - 4:38 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436275">In reply to m_p_w_84:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree. I want one but not for that price. Will stick with my regular Ole Paperwhite until it breaks. </p>

    • skane2600

      19 June, 2019 - 8:23 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436275">In reply to m_p_w_84:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, it would be like paying over $1000 for a smartphone.</p>

  • simont

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 4:51 pm

    <p><span style="background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The 32GB model with cellular is $369. Now that's painful. I would love to have one but I can't justify the price to myself.</span></p>

  • mmcpher

    Premium Member
    19 June, 2019 - 5:15 pm

    <p>I was an early Kindle adopter and had the first 3 or 4 models, even the big, page-sized one. But I do most of my "reading" on audible these days, to go easier on the aging eyes. But I happened to pick up a 2018 version of the Oasis in a Best Buy and was sorely tempted right there. It might look strange and off-center but what a pleasure to hold and to read from! I don't expect to be tempted to upgrade my Note 9 (unless the foldables get their acts together) so I'm thinking maybe I will take a peak. </p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      20 June, 2019 - 3:21 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#436358">In reply to mmcpher:</a></em></blockquote><p>I had 2nd generation, then a Paperwhite for my wife and a Voyager for myself (staggered purchased, the Voyager wan't available when gave her the PW as a present). The Voyager is great, but was too expensive… Then the Oasis came along and made it look like a bargain!</p><p>I prefer the design of the Voyager and the price is just too high for an eBook reader, for me at least.</p><p>But I probably listen to 2 – 4 hours of Audible a day and read for about an hour.</p>

  • MacLiam

    Premium Member
    20 June, 2019 - 11:37 am

    <p>I think there is room for evolution in the Kindle world, and I always look at the new-device announcements to see what Jeff and Co. may offer now. On this one my opinion is: Nice, but not special enough to make me want to replace the Oasis I bought a year and a half ago. </p><p>I wish the basic screen shape was about an inch taller, but the width and thickness are OK; it's an almost ideal configuration for reading in bed . I prefer to read on an iPad or Surface Go when I'm sitting up.</p>

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