Amazon Kindle 2 gets official
We can’t exactly call it a surprise, seeing as the long awaited and highly anticipated Amazon Kindle 2 was first BGRized over five months ago, but e-bookers around the globe breathed a sigh of relief this morning as Amazon finally made its updated Kindle official. While your good pals here at BGR weren’t on hand at Amazon’s launch event – we suppose the reasoning behind snubbing us and denying us press passes is fairly obvious – news travels fast on the interwebs so here’s what you need to know:
- The design is identical to the early model we showed you back in October – no surprises there
- The unit is 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″ and weighs about 10 ounces – 25 percent thinner than iPhone (wow, even Amazon is jumping on the iPhone-killer bandwagon)
- 6″ diagonal E-Ink electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level gray scale (original Kindle was only four shades)
- Battery life has been improved by 25 percent – Amazon claims two weeks on a single charge
- 2GB of internal storage – 700 percent more than the original Kindle, holds over 1,500 books
- Page turning is now 20 percent faster
- Pricing is exactly in line with last week’s leak: $359, same as the first Kindle model
- The release date was no surprise either: Ships February 24th
Bezos & Co did have a few tricks up their sleeves – there had to be something unexpected to announce we imagine. In a very savvy move, Amazon had Stephen King write a story (involving a Kindle, err) and will release the story as a Kindle-only exclusive. King’s publisher stated the story may become available in physical form down the road a bit but for the time being, die hard King fans will need to snag a Kindle in order to keep claiming they’ve read every one of his six trillion published works. King was on hand at the launch event to explain that he typically does write stories on demand but the money was so good Kindle 2 is so cool he made an exception. He even read an excerpt from the story, titled Ur, off of his one-of-a-kind pink Kindle 2 at the event. Hooray for celebrity cameos!
Beyond that, the new Kindle will be able to automatically download magazines and newspapers, it will sync your content between devices and with a new feature called Read-to-Me it’ll even read content to you in a synth voice (great feature for the blind). The Kindle 2 is currently available for pre-order on the site and original Kindle owners get priority if they order before midnight tonight. Hit the read link for the Kindle 2 product page on Amazon.com, complete with a video.
Don’t forget:
I ordered Kindle 1 before the Kindle 2 release, but have not received it yet—which Kindle will I get?
Because you already ordered the original Kindle and are awaiting its arrival, we’re pleased to inform you that we are upgrading your order so that you will receive the new Kindle 2. You will be in the first group to receive Kindle 2, and you will receive yours as soon as Kindle 2 becomes available later this month. You need not do anything.
Should you wish to view, cancel or change your order you may do so any time prior to shipment by visiting http://www.amazon.com/wheres-my-stuff. Post shipment, you can always return Kindle in it’s original packaging with all accessories within the first 30 days of getting it.
Found this on the FAQs. Yay!!! The only thing I don’t like is that I have to buy the leather case for 30 bucks!!! I’ve been waiting since November. They better give it to me for free.
More info about that pink one please…
this thing looks awesome, i need to get my hands on one. you guys got a contest or something going – heck – id even take a pink one
“we suppose the reasoning behind snubbing us and denying us press passes is fairly obvious – news travels fast on the interwebs”
Or maybe it has to do with BGR’s “love you today and clown on you tomorrow” philosophy.
This is totally an iPhone killer!
“This is totally an iPhone killer!” Bwwhahahahahahahaha!
Try phoning for help with it when you’re stuck on a deserted road in Transylvania.
Still no love for Canada?
Having bullet issues?
I will stick to stanza
I agree. Canada gets no love. What options do we have for an ebook reader?
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
It has 2 GB internal memory, but no mention of any external memory.
Have they lost the external memory card slot? Might a USB key memory work in the micro USB slot? Or is 2 GB the whole story?
Gee, it looks nice and all, but what I could really use is a side-by-side with a Kindle1, showing the bigger, sharper, brighter screen, etc. As it stands now, Amazon offers us Kindle1’s a “prioritized” status, so we get ours first. Strikes me kinda odd, since that would mean delaying the overall expansion of the universe of Kindle users, at least in theory. And Its surprising that Amazon would do this, back-listing new users in favor of old users, since Kindle 1 took for-freaking-ever to arrive because of the demand. For some reason the e-reader market is slow, slow, slow, like the turning of the virtual page. And another thing, us Kindle 1 users can wait, because we’re already enjoying the benefits. I can wait for a back-order because my Kindle 1 will hold me in good staid, and I assume all my books, etc, can be moved over once I upgrade. I have this sense of brand loyalty and wish to see e-readers as a whole take hold, so I wouldn’t mind waiting if it meant our ranks are rising!!!!
Mine ordered. If you are an avid reader, this is a must have if you can afford it. I sold my Kindle 1 last Christmas on Craigslist for more than I paid for it the Xmas before. These things are hot.
Can you really download college books on it? How would you go about doing that? Does Amazon offer that or do you download on “other” sites. Thanks for answering.
Kindle 2 is 25% thinner than iPhone, but paper is 99% thinner than Kindle 2. So, I guess paper wins.
I’m out of range of Whispernet (no Sprint service here) – will Kindle roam on Verizon? This is the only thing holding me from blowing $360 on one.
right perspeective, we all love reading those single sheet of paper novels.
can it handle a 16gb external card?
I actually like the looks of the kindle 1 better. So I have gone ahead and order a used kindle for $272. I do travel a lot and I think the kindle is something i would use.