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Yup, Amazon's Next Kindle Is the Kindle Oasis

A couple of leaks, as well as WHOIS data, suggest we may be looking at a Kindle Oasis this week.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said last week that information about a new Kindle would be released this week, but the goods may have already leaked out.

Heads up readers – all-new, top of the line Kindle almost ready. 8th generation. Details next week.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 4, 2016

The new Kindle looks like it's going to be called the Kindle Oasis, according to product listings (that have since been pulled) on Amazon's Japanese website. Additonally, searching the WHOIS data for kindleoasis.com points to Brilliance Publishing, Inc., an Amazon subbrand. The admin for the website is listed as hostmaster@amazon.com.

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Leaked images of the Kindle Oasis have also surfaced on Amazon's Tmall page, which the company established last year. Tmall is an e-commerce website owned by Alibaba, the large Chinese e-commerce company. The images first appeared on the Kindle subreddit.

According to the leaked images, the device will have a slightly wider orientation than previous Kindle models. Its display will maintain the 300 PPI pixel density of the Kindle Voyage (introduced in late 2014) and will weigh in at 131 grams, about 27 percent lighter than the Voyage's 180 grams. The name, Oasis, could refer to a waterproofing feature, already found on competing e-readers like the Kobo Aura H2O and the Nook Glowlight Plus.

Amazon did not immediately respond to Motherboard's request for comment.

Update, 1pm ET: Amazon told Motherboard that it does not comment on "rumors or speculation."

Update: April 13 9:30am ET:

Well then! Amazon just officially announced the Kindle Oasis, its next-generation, high-end e-reader. This thing is not cheap: It costs $289 (and that's including lock screen ads also known as "special offers"), and ships on April 27. Amazon is keen to highlight a new case that doubles as a battery charger, which the company says should give the Oasis a battery life of up to eight weeks. Early reaction among r/Kindle, which is pretty much the nerve center of e-reader discussion online, has been mixed, with many people taken aback by the high price, with one user in particular calling it "way too f—king much." Unfortunately, the Oasis does not appear to support waterproofing, which is kinda of a bummer.