Why You Can Trust CNET New Kindle Oasis e-reader with color-adjustable light coming July 24 for $250
Amazon's high-end e-reader is getting a slight refresh ahead of the summer with a light that goes from cool to warm.
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If you were hoping for a major upgrade to the Kindle Oasis, Amazon's top-of-the-line E Ink e-reader, you might be disappointed by the "="" kindle="" oasis"="">"all-new" Kindle Oasis. Due to ship July 24, it appears to be nearly identical to the previous Kindle Oasis except for one key difference: It features a new color-adjustable integrated light that allows you to customize the color tone from cool to warm, depending on whether you're reading during the day or at night. You can also schedule the screen warmth to update automatically with sunrise and sunset, Amazon says.
To be clear, although Amazon calls it a "color-adjustable" light, the fully waterproof Oasis has a 7-inch monochrome display. And aside from the new lighting feature, the specs and price of the new Kindle Oasis don't appear to have changed. Available in Graphite or Champagne Gold colors, the new Kindle Oasis costs $250 (£230, AU$399) for the 8GB version and $280 for 32GB. Six months of Kindle Unlimited Service, Amazon's version of Netflix for e-books and audiobooks, is included for free (it costs $10 a month after the six months is up). You can preorder the New Kindle Oasis now.
Read: Kindle Paperwhite vs. Kindle Oasis
An Amazon rep confirmed that the processor in the new Oasis is unchanged, but the company is pledging that the new model offers somewhat faster performance. "The new Kindle Oasis introduces the next and improved generation of e-ink, which is faster in common customer scenarios such as getting back into your favorite book from Home or Library, looking up a word, and launching Settings, among others."
Like the previous version, no case is included and you'll probably want to get one, considering the cost of the device. On that front, Amazon is offering new cases ranging in price from $40 for the water-safe fabric covers to $65 for the leather option.
We'll have a full review of the new Oasis once it starts shipping. Note that CNET may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Originally published at 6 a.m. PT. Updated to include more specific comment from Amazon on screen and specs.
The new cover options.
