Is the Kindle Voyage 2 Coming in 2017? Rumors and Speculations
After many rumors and expectations, the wait for the Kindle Voyage 2 in 2015 ultimately proved to be in vain (see below). Amazon has yet to release a successor to the sleek premium model. However, this might possibly change soon.
As noted by colleague Nate from The-eBook-Reader, the Kindle Voyage is currently unavailable on Amazon.com. Amazon USA is offering discounts of up to $50 on Kindle models for Prime members right now, with the biggest savings on the Voyage.
High Demand or Stock Clearance?
A simple explanation could be that Amazon was simply caught off guard by the demand for the now two-year-old device. After all, the Kindle Voyage is one of the most price-stable eReaders on the market. A $50 discount still makes it an attractive purchase for bargain hunters today.
However, the fact that there are so few devices in stock just as the pre-Christmas season is getting underway is unusual. Instead, the zero inventory could also be a sign that the Voyage is about to make way for a successor.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a Kindle eBook Reader became unavailable a few weeks before a new model was launched. The timing would indeed be appropriate.
Additionally, a technically updated high-end model would certainly be conceivable for Amazon for prestige reasons. The Kobo Aura One, with its large display, reduced blue light, and brightness sensor, has been able to captivate many interested buyers and owners for the past few weeks. This is evidenced not only by the activity in various eReading forums but also by the visitor numbers on the detailed page here with us.
With the Kindle Paperwhite, Voyage, and Oasis, the online shopping giant from Seattle has some truly great reading devices in its lineup, but the technical lead over some competitors is only slight or has even disappeared in part.
In particular, in the comfort class up to €130, the available models hardly differ from one another technically. This not only makes the customer’s choice harder, but the competition is also becoming more complicated for the vendors due to the lack of clear unique selling points.
In the premium segment starting at €150, differentiation is significantly easier. PocketBook focuses on comprehensive hardware features (TTS, MicroSD, page-turn buttons) with the Touch HD, Amazon focuses on unbeatable ergonomics with the Kindle Oasis, and Kobo with the Aura One on the best display in its size class (7.8 inches). Depending on what is more important to the individual customer, comparison becomes considerably easier for clarity reasons.
Moreover, the profit margin in the high-end segment is likely greater for the manufacturer than in the fiercely contested Paperwhite segment. This is also indicated by the recent sales stop of the Kobo Glo HD.
It will therefore be very interesting to see whether Amazon will finally release the long-awaited Kindle Voyage 2 in the coming weeks. The availability of the current model is stated to be from October 20, 2016.
No New Kindle Voyage 2 in 2015
Original Announcement from November 13, 2015: In June 2015, Amazon unexpectedly introduced a new Kindle Paperwhite model. What was unusual was not the replacement of the Paperwhite 2, but the timing in the middle of summer. The Kindle Keyboard was the last eBook reader from the retailer introduced in the same timeframe. However, that was five years ago. The subsequent models were all presented in late summer or fall.
It therefore seemed not unlikely that Amazon also wanted to bring at least one more new release to the market in this year’s fall. The Kindle Voyage would have been the logical choice here, as the model is – despite other devices in the same price range – ultimately quite alone in the premium segment. No other mainstream eReader offers a brightness sensor, (pressure-sensitive) page-turn buttons, a high-quality (magnesium) case, and 300 ppi.
Top Technical Specifications
There’s not much room for improvement technically speaking. The E-Ink Carta technology with 300 ppi it uses is currently the best on the market. Perhaps only the proprietary Liquavista technology could be better, although no meaningful demonstrations have been seen yet.
A hint that Liquavista displays might soon make it to the consumer market is the promotional video released by the Dutch development studio a few months ago. It can be assumed that the acquisition of the display specialists wasn’t just for marketing reasons, but that active work is being done on completing the new e-paper technology.
However, September and October have now come and gone without a new release of the Voyage, and November is almost halfway over. An introduction of a Kindle model this year seems very unlikely so close to Christmas. The only Kindle unveiled even later was the first one: On November 19, 2007, the very first Amazon eBook Reader saw the light of day.
Hints For and Against a November Release
There are at least a handful of indications that Amazon plans to release the Kindle Voyage 2 in November. Some screenshots from customer service in the English-language Mobileread forum confirm multiple times the new release of the premium model this year. Other people have also apparently received information on a device launch in November when directly contacting Amazon. However, these are not hard evidence since image manipulation is quick to execute, and customer services are naturally not always as well-informed as one might wish.
At the same time, there are also reports where Amazon customer service states that there will be no new device launch this month or year. Some responses are also rather cryptic.
In this context, it remains entirely unclear whether we can expect the Kindle Voyage 2 to be released this year or not.
Since a few days ago, there have been promotional offers for various Kindle models in the USA. The Kindle Voyage, in particular, was offered at a discounted price for the first time. This could at least be a hint that Amazon wants to clear inventory. On the other hand, sales promotions during the already-started Christmas season are by no means unusual.
As of November 1, Amazon in the USA has extended its return policy. Purchases made by December 31 can be returned until January 31, 2016. A clearance sale of the Kindle Voyage followed by the immediate introduction of a successor might result in a particularly high return rate.
Thus, it seems more likely that the online giant will wait until after the deadline to launch a new model. In the past, Amazon has introduced Kindle eReaders in January and February.
To Wait or Not?
In conclusion, it’s clear that there are no solid indications that the Kindle Voyage 2 will be unveiled this year. So close to Christmas, it seems unlikely that we will see the new edition of the premium model in 2015.
As a prospective buyer, you don’t necessarily need to wait for a potential product announcement. Moreover, there are now a number of high-quality alternatives, starting with the Kobo Aura H2O in the same price segment (but “only” 265 ppi), to the Tolino Vision 3 HD, and on to the cheaper “Retina” models Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Glo HD, and Tolino Shine 2 HD.
