Amazon’s New Kindle Could Be Called “Voyage,” Offer High-Res Screen And Bezel Page-Turning

Amazon is almost certainly getting ready to push the launch button on its next-generation Kindle dedicated e-reader hardware, and new leaks from the site’s German and Japanese stores (via The Verge) reveal it will likely be called the Kindle Voyage, and sport a new high-res display and bezels that can be pressed to turn pages. The Voyage is slated for a November 4 release date, according to the leaks, at least in Germany, which means it could launch stateside even sooner.

The Voyage will apparently have both 3G and Wi-Fi flavors, as is tradition in the Kindle line, and prices, at least in the German leak, suggest we’ll also see a price increase, as both models are up 80 euros vs. their current Paperwhite equivalents. The Voyage will apparently have a 6-inch display, which is the same as the current Paperwhite, but it will apparently offer 300 ppi pixel density, which should make for much sharper text.

Kobo’s Aura HD and Aura H2O have a similar 265 ppi pixel density. In reviewing the Aura H2O, I found that the text was much closer to what we’ve come to expect from smartphones and tablets since the introduction of the Retina display on Apple’s iPhone, and makes reading even more pleasant when combined with the legibility of e-ink.

As we reported on TechCrunch late last year, the 300 ppi screen isn’t the only reason to buy a new Voyage when it arrives. The leaks agree with our earlier scoop, claiming a thinner and lighter device form factor, with Amazon Japan citing a depth of just 8mm and a weight of only 186g, both of which undercut the Paperwhite. A leaked user manual also suggests we’ll see the addition of sensors that can detect presses on the right and left bezel of the device, allowing you to turn pages without touching the screen once again. Amazon dropped dedicated page turn buttons from its primary lineup when it introduced its touchscreen tech.

We’ll see just how long Amazon can keep the official announcement under wraps now that these details have leaked, but if a European launch date is as early as November 4, we shouldn’t have long to wait.