Amazon launches £269 Kindle Oasis

Amazon has announced its thinnest and lightest e-reader, the Kindle Oasis, "designed to feel weightless".

However Kindle Oasis is also the most expensive of its Kindle devices, priced at £269 - £90 more than the Kindle Voyage (£179.99).

The e-reader is said to be 30% thinner and over 20% lighter than any other Kindle, and to have an "entirely reimagined shape" which "shifts the centre of gravity to your palm, to rest in your hand like the spine of a book so that the device feels balanced for one-handed reading". A built-in mechanism detects whether you are reading with your left or right hand and automatically rotates the page-turn buttons to match.

Meanwhile the device also has a dual-battery charging system allowing for the longest battery life of any Kindle, with a leather charging cover that lets you read "for months" without plugging in. The charging cover - made of leather and available in three colours - is secured to the device with magnets.

Amazon founder and c.e.o. Jeff Bezos proclaimed his belief in the continuing validity of the e-reader as a device, saying: "To lean back and read for hours, you need a sanctuary from distraction. We want Kindle to disappear, and Kindle Oasis is the next big step in that mission. It’s the most advanced Kindle we’ve ever built—thin and ultra-lightweight, it gets out of the way so you can lose yourself in the author’s world.”

Arthur van Rest, Amazon’s director of product management for devices in the EU, told the Guardian: "Our Kindle sales are up, people are reading more ebooks than ever before and we’re investing more money in devices and the store. We are fully committed to the e-book market."

Pre-ordering begins today (13th April), with the device shipping in coming weeks.