Kindle 3rd Generation in Graphite & White

The Kindle 3rd Generation (or Kindle 3 as it is commonly called) will start shipping on the 27th of August. Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for the new eReader.

The Kindle 3 comes in two flavors; the Kindle with 3G+WifI ($189), and the Kindle with Wifi ($139), which come in graphite or white.

What are the main features that can be found with the Kindle 3? Amazon has focused on improving on the main features of the Kindle 2, by providing an enhanced reading experience, while improving on the physical characteristics of the eReader. They have also taken the wireless connectivity a step further by adding wi-fi to the existing 3g.

Let’s look into a little detail of the main features of the Kindle 3.

High-Contrast E-Ink Screen

Readability

Amazon has used the latest technology eInk that is used in the Kindle DX, which provides greater contrast compared to other eReaders. Amazon claims that their display provides contrast 50% better than any other eReader on the market, which allows the clearest text and the sharpest images. EInk also offer the ability to read in direct sunlight, like you would with a paper book. Two new fonts have been added, condensed Caecilla and San Serif, which have increased on the crispness and sharpness of existing fonts.

Character sets have also been added to the Kindle 3, so you can now read your eBooks in Russian, Greek, Korean, Japanese, and traditional and simplified Chinese

Size & Weight

The Kindle 3 is 7.5” by 4.8”. While this is 21% small than its predecessor, it has keep the same readable display of 6”. The Kindle Wi-Fi weighs 8.5 ounces, which is much appreciated feature after long periods of reading.

The Kindle holds up to 3500 books

Storage & Battery

The Kindle 3 stores up to 3500 books, which is more books than the average person will read in a life-time.  Even if you do read more books than this, you can always remove them from your Kindle and reload them later using the whispersync connectivity.

The R&D teams at Amazon have also extended the battery life of the Kindle 3. If the 3g is not connected, the device does not need to be recharged for a month.

Connectivity

Wi-fi connectivity has been added to 3g as a way of connecting wirelessly.  The Kindle 3rd generation wi-fi  versions offers an eReader with a price tag of $139 which becomes instantly more enticing to price sensitive consumers. While the Kindle Wi-Fi model is targeted as a probably second Kindle in the household, there is no doubt that this will be a popular purchase.  The Kindle 3g + wi-fi, selling at $189 has keep the same price as the Kindle 2, while adding a lot of improvements.

Take your Kindle to the beach - the text can be read in direct sunlight.

Browser

A new web browser has been included with the Kindle 3. It’s based on Webkit, which is open source browse that uses Safari as its engine. There appears to be a lot of extensibility with this browser, so there may be a lot room for developing Kindle applications  further down the road.

Kindle 3 File Formats

The Kindle has keep the same file formats as beforehand, so we find all our natively supported friends; AZW, TXT, PDF, PRC, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP.

One welcome feature with the Kindle 3 is that pdf viewing has been improved. Pdf files can be panned, zoomed, and annotations can be added to them.

Kindle last comments

There is no doubt that the Kindle 3 provides an excellent reading experience, and shapes up very well to its competitors in the eReader market.  It has managed to improve on an already mature product while offering a model affordable to a greater number of consumers

Related Links

If you are not sure whether a Kindle is what you are after, then read our article to help you decide whether a kindle is right for you. If you would like to compare the Kindle to other eReaders on the market, then refer to our article on eReader comparisons.

Ready to take the plunge? Click on the following link to start your purchase for a Kindle 3 with wifi ($139), or Kindle 3 with 3g+wifi