oasesThe Kindle Oasis is probably not waterproof, but it seems it’s definitely not leakproof. The Digital Reader reports that, the day after a Chinese leak provided some new information of dubious provenance, Amazon’s Canadian site itself leaked verification that the device is real.

The new leak explains what the “60% more” LEDs means—the Oasis has 10 LEDs, whereas the Paperwhite has 4 and the Voyage has 6. Apart from that, the photo is of the same device the Chinese leak showed, and the rest of the information in the chart matches the details from the leak.

The only thing that doesn’t fit is that the Oasis is listed as starting at $999 Canadian—which is probably a placeholder for whatever the real price will turn out to be. Amazon regularly uses placeholders with ridiculously unrealistic values, such as for publication dates of books it doesn’t have yet. (For example, when I wrote about Look Who’s Back, its US publication was scheduled for the end of 2035—but the US edition has actually been published since then.) There’s no way the Oasis’s real price is $999, even in Canadian money. I can’t see Amazon trying to sell a thousand dollar e-reader that’s not platinum-plated and diamond-encrusted.

It’s also unclear when it’s scheduled for release, but Nate Hoffelder reports a guess of Wednesday—tomorrow. So, stay tuned—our questions about the device may soon be answered for sure.

kindle-oasis-canada-leak

1 COMMENT

  1. Those who, like me, are inclined to whine that each new Kindle fails to add features we feel are necessary, should keep in mind that Amazon is probably designing Kindles for what it thinks are its largest Kindle book audience. That audience is not men much less geeky men. They’re women from about 30 up, particularly those with lots of time on their hands to read and lots of money to buy.

    Note too that I said “Kindle book audience.” Kindles aren’t about selling Kindles. They’re about selling ebooks.

    In fact, as this ad from about 2010 indicates, Amazon is quite willing to treat men as stupid in its Kindle ads. It knows who is buying.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWLnilKg84

    Notice too that these women are fairly well-off. The woman in that ad is unashamed of paying over $139 for her sunglasses.

    If you want to understand Amazon—or for that matter Apple or Google—follow the money.

    –Mike

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