Amazon has ended the Voyage.
We’re talking about the Kindle ebook reader that it launched in 2014. Multiple reports in recent days have noted how the online shopping giant has quietly removed the device from its online store, as well as from the comparison table that showed it alongside the other Kindles.
That means consumers looking for an Amazon-made ebook reader now have a slightly narrower choice, with the offerings including the basic Kindle starting at $80, the Kindle Paperwhite starting at $120, and the top-of-the-range Kindle Oasis starting at $250. The Kindle Voyage retailed for $200.
When it launched four years ago, the Voyage offered several extras over the basic Kindle and Paperwhite, including a slimmer, lighter build, and improved screen resolution.
In its 2014 review, Digital Trends described the Voyage as Amazon’s “finest ebook reader yet,” if not “the best devoted e-reader you can buy.”
Anyone looking for a high-end reader among Amazon’s range of devices will now look to the Oasis, launched by the Seattle-based company in 2016. Last year Amazon revamped the Oasis, making it the first waterproof Kindle in the lineup.
The new Oasis is also slimmer than its predecessor and comes with an improved battery life of up to six weeks. If it’s too pricey, the original Kindle is still out there and offers a solid setup for ebook fans. You might also be able to pick up a refurbished Voyage from Amazon’s online store — at the time of writing, there was one listed for $140.
And, of course, there are a number of decent alternative designs from Amazon’s competitors.
These include the Kobo Aura One. The $230 device features an impressive 7.8-inch E Ink high-definition touchscreen with a night setting to eliminate blue light for bedtime readers. It also supports a wider range of ebook formats than its rivals.
At the other end of the price scale is the Kobo Clara HD, which comes with a $130 price tag. This comes with a front-lit display, a clear 300 PPI display, and, like the Aura One, support for multiple formats. And its 8GB of storage means you’ll have enough space for more than 5,000 books, which, let’s be honest, is more than enough for your next vacation. Or indeed, all of your vacations put together.
