Well it cannot be long before the Kindle 4 is released. To date we cannot be sure what Amazon have in store for gadget fans. One thing that we can definitely be sure of though, is that if you buy one you will also need to buy a new Kindle 4 cover for it, as there is no chance that the current crop of cases and sleeves will fit a new generation Amazon reader!
Kindle 4 Ideas
There are countless possibilities, and so far Amazon are letting nothing slip. But could the next generation reader be significantly different to the current version? We thinks so for sure:
Touch Screen Reader
Since Amazon bought out TouchCo in 2010 the rumour mill has been waiting for a touch-screen Kindle. If that were to be in the cards then no cases currently produced are likely to fit. After all the entire size of the device would probably be reduced, getting rid of the keypad used currently could knock inches off the overall size of the reader.
A Colour Kindle
It is perfectly possible for Amazon to use a colour e-ink display for their ebook reader. It would have the same low energy, and easy to read display, but could show full colour. The drawback is that currently e-ink screens just do not show the vibrant colours we are used too. You can see colour e-ink in action here. The picture shows it used by Chinese ebook reader builder Hanvon.
Although it is impressive it just doesn’t wow like colourful LCD back-lit displays do. Great for a newspaper but not so interesting for children’s stories, and frankly we really don’t see Amazon going down this route at the moment since we don’t think consumers will want to pay a premium for muted colours.
Kindle Tablet
It seems more likely that Amazon will simply produce a tablet or two. We’re hearing at the moment that two such products are imminent. A Kindle for Movies with a large 10″ display and super fast processor, and an entry level 7″ tablet that might just be the long awaited colour Kindle.
Expect these tablets to change significantly over the next few years. Hybrid displays using both LCD and e-ink are in the works and would mean a tablet could finally function as a dedicated ebook reader, properly, without tiring your eyes and keeping you up at night!
Kindle 4 Covers
Whatever shape the new Kindle comes in, we’ll be investigating all the very best cases and covers on offer to protect it! There should be heaps of them since the Kindle is proving so exceptionally popular in the UK.