This Kindle won't drown

Amazon has finally answered the prayers of the untold numbers who have dropped their Kindle in the bathtub or swimming pool, making the newest version of its e-reader waterproof.

The new Kindle Oasis, which comes 10 years after the release of the original Kindle, has a bigger screen, six weeks of battery life and the ability to switch between Kindle books and audiobooks.

The £230 (R4000) device gets a price cut from the £270 of last year's Kindle Oasis, but is still significantly more expensive than the company's other Kindles.

The new version has a string of changes designed to improve on last year's model including a more detailed screen, a night mode that switches text to white on a black background, and an aluminium design instead of plastic. The backlit screen has light sensors to adjust brightness depending on the conditions.

But a key feature is IPX8 waterproofing, which means it can be submerged safely in 2m of water for up to an hour. Existing generations have been susceptible to water damage.

Despite claims that demand for e-books has been shrinking, the company says it has sold more Kindles each year since it was first launched in 2007.