Earlier this month, Amazon unveiled the brand new, surprisingly pricey Kindle Oasis. Although the eReader doesn’t release until the 27th, critics have already gotten their hands on the Oasis, and their reviews are beginning to trickle in.
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Every review we found was generally positive, but The Huffington Post did have some harsh words regarding the existence of the Oasis. Basically, despite its sleek design and top-of-the-line display, it’s just not enough of an upgrade:
“But somehow, our appetite for new gadgets means Amazon and companies like it will continue to iterate and release mildly upgraded new hardware to seize our money and eventually get tossed out. The innovations are slowing: Kindle Oasis is likely the best eReader you can buy, but it is mostly a new shell for existing technology. In all likelihood, you can make do without it.”
was a bit more enthusiastic, but was still unimpressed with the lack of new features available on a device that costs significantly more than its predecessors:
“And therein lies the biggest problem with the Kindle Oasis: it doesn’t do anything different. The Paperwhite is £109.99, a full £160 cheaper than the Oasis. Sure, the lighting isn’t quite as even, and it’s bulkier and heavier, but the feature set is the same. If you asked us which Kindle to buy, we’d point to thePaperwhite and tell you that that’s the hero, because the Kindle Paperwhite is just too damn good to ignore.”
But in spite of any issues regarding the cost or the lack of upgrades, The Guardian gave a beaming review to Amazon’s new tablet:
“The Amazon Kindle Oasis is the best e-reader available at the moment. Others may be waterproof, or have more advanced features, but the Oasis is just a nicer reading experience, from the way the software works to the way the device feels in your hand.”
We’ll update this post as additional reviews are published, and you can preorder the Kindle Oasis now at Amazon for $289.99.
