Amazon appears to be preparing a new entry-level Kindle, and leaked images suggest the company is planning a more noticeable visual refresh than the usual minor update. The new model, believed to be the 12th-generation basic Kindle, has appeared in a series of leaked marketing images showing a redesigned body, rounded display corners, a relocated power button, and several new color options.
Amazon has not officially announced the device yet, so details such as the price, specifications and release date remain unknown. Still, the leaked images give us a pretty good idea of what the next Kindle could look like.
A More Modern Kindle Design
The biggest change is immediately visible on the front of the device. The next Kindle appears to have a display with rounded corners, replacing the more traditional square-cornered screen found on the current entry-level model.
The body itself also looks slightly different, with flatter edges and a design that feels closer to Amazon’s more recent Kindle models. The overall shape remains familiar, but these small changes could make the new Kindle look considerably more modern.
Another interesting change is the power button. On the current basic Kindle, the button is positioned along the bottom edge. In the leaked images, the button appears to have moved to the right-hand side of the device, closer to the upper portion.
That may sound like a small adjustment, but it could make the Kindle easier to use depending on how you hold it. It is also one of the more noticeable changes in the leaked design.
Interestingly, the leaked images do not appear to show Amazon’s familiar smile logo on the front or rear of the device. Instead, the Kindle branding is much more prominent.
New Kindle Colors
Perhaps the most exciting change for some buyers will be the introduction of additional colors.
The current basic Kindle has traditionally been fairly conservative in terms of color choices, but the leaked images show the new model in several different finishes. These include black, light blue, green and purple or lavender-style colors.
The pastel shades in particular give the new Kindle a very different look from previous entry-level models. Amazon has already experimented more with colors on other Kindle devices, and it looks like some of that approach could now be making its way to the cheaper model.
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There also appear to be slightly different versions of the device in the leaked images. Some show a screen that appears almost flush with the front housing, while others have a more recessed-looking display. The differences could indicate different variants or sizes, although there is currently no confirmation that Amazon plans to sell multiple versions.
The images alone are not enough to determine exactly what these differences mean.
What About the Specifications?
This is where things get much less certain.
The leaks focus almost entirely on the appearance of the new Kindle, with little reliable information about its internal hardware. There are currently no confirmed details about storage, display resolution, processor, battery life or other major specifications.
The device is expected to remain an entry-level Kindle, so a dramatic hardware overhaul would be somewhat surprising. The leaked design could instead represent a more modest generational refresh focused primarily on appearance and usability.
There is also no confirmed information about whether Amazon will introduce features such as a warmer front light or make significant improvements to the display. Those details cannot be determined from the leaked images.
A new Kindle Kids version also appears to be part of the leak, with images showing cases designed for the updated device. As with the standard model, however, the exact differences and specifications remain unclear.
When Will the New Kindle Arrive?
For now, Amazon has not officially announced the new Kindle, meaning there is no confirmed launch date or price.
The leaked marketing material does suggest that an announcement could be getting closer, but exactly when Amazon plans to reveal the device is still unknown. Until the company makes it official, the specifications and other details should be treated as unconfirmed.
Still, if the leaked images are accurate, Amazon’s next basic Kindle could be one of the more visually interesting updates to the lineup in recent years. The combination of rounded display corners, flatter edges, a new power-button position and multiple color options would give the familiar e-reader a noticeably fresher look without completely changing what makes the Kindle recognizable.
For anyone considering an entry-level Kindle, it may therefore be worth waiting for Amazon’s official announcement before buying the current model.
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