• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
TechAmazon

Amazon Has a New Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader That’s Waterproof

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 16, 2018, 9:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Amazon has unveiled a new version of its Kindle Paperwhite e-book reader that comes with a new feature: It’s waterproof.

The online retail giant said Tuesday that the new lower-end version of the Kindle Paperwhite, which comes with 8 GB of storage, will cost $129.99. A higher-end version with 32 GB of storage will cost $159.99. The previous version of the Paperwhite had 4 GB of storage and cost $119.99.

Both Kindle Paperwhites are available for pre-order and will start shipping on Nov. 7.

Kathryn Chinn, senior product manager for the Kindle, said the Paperwhite is Amazon’s “most popular and highest rated” Kindle device, although she declined to cite specific details. The company also sells the barebones $79 Kindle and the $249.99 Kindle Oasis, which has the biggest display screen and includes physical buttons used to turn digital pages.

The biggest change for the Paperwhite is that it’s now waterproof, like its more expensive sibling the Oasis. Amazon said that the Paperweight can be submerged in water for up to 60 minutes, which makes it safe for reading digital books in the bath tub or at the beach.

The Paperwhite is “ten percent thinner and lighter” than the older version, Chinn said. Additionally, the device has been updated so that its brightness setting contains a broader range, meaning that you can more accurately adjust the Paperwhite’s brightness when reading outdoors to offset the sun’s glare.

Like the more expensive Kindle Oasis, people can now “inverse” the colors of the new Paperwhite device so that black text on a white background gets flipped to white text on a black background, Chinn said.

Chinn also said that a new Paperwhite feature for “data nerds” will tell them of how many books they have read in the last month, and provide “tips and tricks” that show them how to highlight certain words or use the company’s Word Wise definition tool if they haven’t done so.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Chinn said there is no set timeline for when Amazon updates its Kindle devices. This is different from other tech companies like Apple, which typically updates its iPhone product line each year with newer features.

Although there have been a “couple of refreshes” of the Paperwhite (Amazon updated the Paperwhite in 2015, for instance), the new version marks “a redesign,” Chinn said, implying it’s a more significant update with its waterproof feature and extra storage.

 

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Northrop Grumman launches private robot mission to strap jetpacks on aging satellites
InnovationSpaceX
Northrop Grumman launches private robot mission to strap jetpacks on aging satellites
By Marcia DunnJuly 22, 2026
3 hours ago
FBI Director Kash Patel meets Cambodian prime minister to crackdown on cybercrime and romance scams
AsiaFBI
FBI Director Kash Patel meets Cambodian prime minister to crackdown on cybercrime and romance scams
By Sopheng Cheang and The Associated PressJuly 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
SuccessBillionaires
Google’s founders are snapping up Miami mansions, as billionaires flee California’s proposed tax—and the company is buying office space to accommodate
By Emma BurleighJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
orson
CommentaryOpenAI
We got California to intervene about OpenAI’s corporate switch from nonprofit status. It’s time for the SEC to come to the table
By Orson Aguilar and Catherine BracyJuly 22, 2026
7 hours ago
A woman observes stock trends on her smartphone while a computer screen displays financial graphs.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Beyond SpaceX: Why great IPOs depend on more than first-day demand
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 22, 2026
8 hours ago
Arrakis cofounder and CEO Rafael Quintanilla.
Startups & VentureVenture Capital
Exclusive: Arrakis, betting AI’s biggest payoff is in industrial sectors not office work, emerges from stealth with $38 million in venture funding
By Jeremy KahnJuly 22, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
'The audience is telling the industry something': even IMAX is stunned by Christopher Nolan's runaway 'Odyssey'
Arts & Entertainment
'The audience is telling the industry something': even IMAX is stunned by Christopher Nolan's runaway 'Odyssey'
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.