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Amazon launches New Kindle Fire HD 8 ‘Reader’s Edition’ w/ better night time reading, case bundle, Kindle Unlimited subscription

Amazon, today, launched a brand new version of its 8-inch Android-based Kindle Fire tablet. The Kindle Fire 8 Reader’s Edition comes with some software and service benefits bookworms will love, and ships with an attractive leather case. It’s available to pre-order for $249 from Amazon now

On the hardware front, the Kindle Fire 8 Reader’s Edition is exactly like the Kindle Fire HD 8 tablet. It has the same 1280 x 800 HD display, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 5MP rear camera and HD camera on the front. There’s also 8GB internal storage with the option to expand up to 128GB via MicroSD. From the outset, it’s already a decent small tablet. It’s the added products and services which Amazon hopes will appeal to book readers, including those who traditionally like the feel of real, physical books.

Amazon’s Reader’s Edition comes with 1 year of Kindle Unlimited (worth $120) allowing buyers to read as much as they want, and listen to as many audiobooks as they like for an entire year. What’s more, the Reader’s Edition also comes shipped with a rustic leather case which Amazon claims mimics the feel of a real book, for comfortable reading. Then there’s Blue Shade which alters the colors, brightness and contrast of the screen to make it easier to read at night.

Blue Shade is an exclusive Fire OS5 “Bellini” feature that works behind the scenes to automatically adjust and optimize the backlight for a more comfortable nighttime reading experience. Plus, it extends your battery life by up to 25% while reading at default Blue Shade brightness. Simply tap Blue Shade on the quick actions menu to turn on this feature and enjoy your favorite book, news article, app, or any other nighttime activity without straining your eyes.

As with every Kindle, the new Reader’s Edition also takes advantage of all the usual features expected from Amazon’s tablets. The company’s Bookerly Font, along with adjustable fonts, multi-colored highlights and access to Audible’s library of audiobooks, as well as Word Runner, help you read faster. What’s more, it features Immersion Reading, which syncs the Kindle text with a companion Audible audiobook to track the words and pages, allowing you to read and listen simultaneously. The tablet measures in at just 7.7mm thin, and if you pre-order now the device will ship from December 9th (just two days away).

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