14 DAY TRIAL // As you might know from one of our previous articles on the subject of Amazon's Kindle portable eBook reader, rumor has it that the company is preparing the launch of a successor to this device, designed to mend everything that was wrong about the first one and add a few extras on the side. And while Amazon itself has denied these rumors, claiming that no second Kindle is in the works, the truth seems to be quite different.
According to a post on BoyGenius Report, it seems that the first spy-shots of the Amazon Kindle 2 have just hit the Internet. Of course, since they come from an anonymous source, it's kinda difficult to determine whether they're real or fake, but, for the sake of argument, we'll go along and pretend that they're as genuine as they get.
As the article mentioned above says (and for that matter, the spy-shots themselves confirm it), the new Kindle is wider and longer than the previous version, thus providing more reading space and improved controls. Furthermore, the back of the unit is made completely out of metal, with the speakers located in the lower side.
Other interesting elements that can be spotted in the pictures are the lack of an SD card slot, as well as the new available memory indicator. Apparently, the engineers from Amazon have also kept the same communications module (EV-DO), used for downloading new content from Amazon's online store. Plus, apparently, there's no external charger, as the new Kindle 2 will be charged solely via the miniUSB connector.
The device also sports several buttons, namely "Home, Menu, Undo, Previous, Page, and Next Page." The scroll wheel from the initial Kindle has been replaced with a little joystick, while the buttons are also significantly smaller, probably in order to avoid the accidental page turning issues, one of the most important drawbacks of the first model.
Of course, until Amazon makes an official statement regarding these shots or actually introduces the new Kindle, we're seriously advising you to take the Kindle 2 with a big grain of salt. However, should it prove to be the real deal, then it will actually be an important step in the right direction for the company, one that might really boost sales and turn the Kindle into that "iPod of eBook readers" Amazon always touted it to be.
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