Update: And now it's official.
Someone appears to have pushed the wrong button at Amazon and accidentally published a landing page for the still unannounced second generation Kindle Paperwhite. According to the listing – which has since been pulled – the device is set to start shipping September 30 with a higher contrast, better reflectivity display.
Amazon also mentions an improved built-in light and a 19% lighter touch grid, which translates to more accuracy and being able to respond to softer touch. In terms of performance an upgraded processor, said to be 25% faster, will result in faster page turns and an overall better reading experience. Other than that it looks almost identical to the current Kindle Paperwhite, with a similar screen/device size and bezel.
On the software front Amazon lists enhancements to its existing word lookup tool and new interactive features like a vocabulary builder. The company is also building upon its recent Goodreads acquisition by bringing social features to the Kindle line, with the option to see what your friends are reading and sharing highlights. Meanwhile, Kindle FreeTime is aimed at young readers, tracking their progress and awarding achievements as goals are met. From the looks of it, thought, the latter two features are not going to be available at launch.
Amazon is expected to maintain a similar pricing scheme compared to the old model, with the with the standard edition Kindle Paperwhite going for $119 and a 3G variant for $189. The company should to make an official announcement soon but we'd be surprised to see any differences given the source of the leak.