Amazon customers recently noticed a huge gap in the Kindle line-up on the Amazon storefront.
Toward the end of last month, Amazon swiftly and silently removed the Kindle Voyage from its Kindle product line. According to TheEbookReader and GoodEReader the e-commerce site appears to have discontinued this model of eBook reader.
While refurbished versions of the model remain available on the storefront, the Voyage has been removed from the product line-up as well as the comparison table used to help buyers decide which Amazon Kindle is right for their needs. This removal leaves behind the basic Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite, and the premium Kindle Oasis.
TheEbookReader notes the removal of this model leaves a massive financial gap in the pricing of Kindles as the Kindle Paperwhite runs at $119 and the Kindle Oasis 2 is $249. So, a person could purchase two Paperwhites and still spend $10 less than they would on the Oasis. Previously, the Voyage offered a happy medium for someone who didn’t want the cheapest or the most expensive model. This has left some customers wondering whether Amazon plans to release a new model to fill the gap in prices.
TheEbookReader criticizes the decision to remove the Voyage from the storefront and encourages customers with an interest in owning a Kindle to consider purchasing a refurbished model before they are gone for good.
“Considering the Kindle Paperwhite’s design is six years old now, you’d think Amazon would offer more variety than that. It made a lot more sense with the Kindle Voyage sandwiched in between those two devices and price points.”
As The Verge reminds us, the Voyage was originally introduced to Amazon customers back in 2014. It served as a much needed upgrade from the basic Kindle for anyone who was willing to pay a higher price tag for the upgrade.
“It was thinner and lighter, a glass screen, haptic buttons to turn pages, and a ‘simple and utilitarian’ design,” The Verge explained in their original review of the product.
One thing customers really enjoyed about the Voyage when it was first released was how much easier the screen was to interact with than previous models. GoodEReader notes the Pagepress technology was also a huge selling point for the device at the time of its release.
According to GoodEReader, Amazon does have plans to announce the Kindle Paperwhite 4 and a new Kindle Basic sometime in the next few months. However, it appears as if the Oasis will be taking the place of the Voyage. Considering the e-commerce giant had previously removed the Voyage from its international storefronts, it is unlikely a second generation of Voyage is in the works.
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