/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25679466/kindle1.jpg "The new Kindle was briefly on sale and it hasn’t even been announced yet")
Amazon hasn’t officially announced the next generation of its Kindle e-readers yet, but following leaks of several models, the UK retailer John Lewis was already selling the 12th-gen entry-level Kindle and the new Kindle Kids Edition through its website earlier today, as spotted by Good e-Reader. Both listings have since been taken down.
The 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite recently popped up in an eBay listing that has also been taken down, and which included images of the new e-reader’s packaging revealing minor upgrades such as a slightly larger seven-inch E Ink screen.
John Lewis’ listing for the 12th-gen entry-level Kindle model appeared to confirm leaked details from September. According to those leaks, the upgraded e-reader will have a six-inch, 300ppi E Ink screen with a higher contrast ratio that’s illuminated by a front light that’s now 25 percent brighter at its max setting. However, the new entry-level Kindle’s front light will still lack the color temperature adjustments you get with the Kindle Paperwhite and other pricier E Ink devices from Amazon.
According to the listing, the 12th-gen Kindle also introduces a new dark mode that inverts its black and white E Ink screen for easier reading in the dark, offers faster page turns, and will come with 16GB of storage. John Lewis had listed the new e-reader for £94.99, which is around $124.
The store’s listing for the 12th-gen Amazon Kindle Kids Edition had the same specs as the 12th-gen entry-level Kindle, with brighter backlighting and an E Ink screen offering better contrast. As with past versions of the Kindle Kids Edition, the 12th-gen model comes with a case, an extended two year warranty, a subscription to Amazon Kids+ featuring ebooks and audiobooks targeted at kids, and a dashboard with parental controls. Pricing was £114.99, or around $150.
Previous versions of the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition came with a one year subscription to Amazon Kids+ (even in the UK), but John Lewis’ listing said the 12th-gen model only comes with a six-month subscription to the service. After that, monthly plans start at $5.99/month for Amazon Prime members, or $7.99 without.
