Ahead of any official announcement, Amazon briefly listed an updated, second-generation Kindle Paperwhite on its website this morning. As spotted by users at this Croatian forum, the product listing suggests that Amazon won’t be reinventing the wheel with its next traditional e-reader. Instead, the new Kindle Paperwhite — scheduled to begin shipping September 30th — features more iterative improvements like a “new display technology” with better contrast, an improved lighting setup, and more accurate touch response. The device has also seen performance improvements that result in faster page turns, according to the now-pulled listing.
Amazon accidentally reveals new Kindle Paperwhite and September 30th release date
And after acquiring Goodreads back in March, Amazon is bringing that social functionality to the Kindle line, letting you “see what your friends are reading, share highlights, and rate books you read” directly from the device. Another new feature, Kindle FreeTime, is aimed at young readers, tracking their progress and rewarding them with achievements as they complete books. As for cost, it looks as though the new Kindle Paperwhite will be sold for the same MSRP as the old model, starting at $119.
Update: Amazon has officially announced the new Kindle Paperwhite.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
