New Kindle Paperwhite hits SA stores

Amazon announced today that the Kindle Paperwhite is now available at retailers stores across South Africa.

The all-new Kindle Paperwhite features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers.

‚”Kindle is the best-selling e-reader family in the world for six years running,‚” said Dave Limp, Vice President, Kindle. ‚”The new Kindle Paperwhite has brand-new display technology, the next generation of our built-in light, a faster processor, plus new features like Kindle Page Flip and Vocabulary Builder. We are excited to make Kindle Paperwhite available to customers in South Africa.‚”

Kindle Paperwhite combines enhanced hardware, massive selection, low book prices, new reading features, customer service, personalised recommendations, and customer reviews, into one seamlessly integrated service. It is estimated Kindle owners read four times as many books—print and eBooks—as they did prior to owning a Kindle.

In Amazon’s words, features of the new Paperwhite include:

– New display technology with higher contrast‚ÄîKindle Paperwhite’s display is the most advanced e-reader display ever constructed. Higher contrast and better reflectivity means whites are whiter and blacks are blacker, so the pages are virtually indistinguishable from a physical book.You won’t find this level of contrast with any other e-reader display.

РNext generation built-in light—Guides light toward the surface of the display so you can read comfortably without eyestrain.

РNew, 25% faster processor—Books open and pages turn faster for a seamless reading experience.

РNew touch technology—19% tighter touch grid makes Kindle Paperwhite respond even more accurately to the smallest touches, while still avoiding accidental page turns.

– New Kindle Page Flip‚ÄîSkim page-by-page, scan by chapter, or skip to the end of your book, all without losing your place. For example, it’s now easy to quickly flip back and forth to that map of Beyond the Wall in A Dance With Dragons. See screenshots: www.amazon.com/kindle-page-flip.

РNew Vocabulary Builder—Compiles words you look up in the dictionary into an easy-to-access list. Use these lists to quiz yourself with flashcards and instantly see words in context. See screenshots: www.amazon.com/kindle-vocabulary.

РNew Smart Lookup—Integrates a full dictionary, with X-Ray and Wikipedia so you can access definitions, characters, settings and more without leaving your page or losing your place. See screenshots: www.amazon.com/kindle-lookup.

Kindle Paperwhite still includes the following traditional features:

РReads like real paper—No-glare display for perfect reading, even in bright sunlight.

Р8 weeks of battery life—Read for weeks, not hours, on a single charge.

РWeighs just 206 grams—Hold comfortably in one hand for long reading sessions.

РBuilt-in Wi-Fi and free 3G—Think of a book and be reading it in under 60 seconds.

РMassive selection—Millions of books, newspapers and magazines, including the latest best sellers, Kindle Singles, and more.

РKindle exclusives—Over 400,000 books are exclusive to the U.S. Kindle Store.

РCarry over a thousand books—Never leave a favorite book behind.

РWhispersync—Saves and synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations across all of your devices, so you can always pick up where you left off.

РWorry-Free Archive—Automatically backs up your Kindle books in the cloud, so you never need to worry about losing your books—re-download your books wirelessly anytime for free.

– X-Ray‚ÄîExplore the ‚”bones of a book‚”‚Äîsee all of the passages across a book that mention relevant ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics of interest.

РTime to Read—Tells you how much time it will take to finish a chapter or a book based on your personalized reading speed. See screenshots: www.amazon.com/time-to-read.

РFacebook and Twitter—Share book recommendations, highlighted sections and meaningful quotes with friends.

Paperwhite reads like real paper even in bright sunlight, won’t tire your eyes in the dark, weighs just 206 grams so you can read comfortably with one hand, and has a battery that lasts for weeks, not hours. That’s why many people buy both a tablet and a Paperwhite.

The new Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G has a suggested retail price of R3,299, with the Wi-Fi only version at R2,499. It is available starting today at retail stores across South Africa, including Incredible Connection, Game and Dion Wired.

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