Amazon Kindle Oasis: Pictures of new e-reader leaked online

The images were posted on a Chinese website

Images of the Kindle Oasis were posted on Amazon's Chinese site (Amazon)

Details of Amazon's new Kindle may have been accidentally leaked online.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced on Twitter last week that an "all-new, top of the line Kindle" was "almost ready," and said more details would become available soon.

Now, images apparently showing the new device - named the Kindle Oasis - have been posted all over the web, including on Amazon's Canadian site and Chinese online marketplace Tmall.

The Oasis' design is slightly different from previous Kindles - it has a large wedge on one side, which looks like it might make the device a little easier to hold with one hand. On the front of the device, on the same side as the wedge, there's two vertical buttons which can be used to turn pages. A 'weight sensor' built into the device will automatically rotate the screen, depending on which way you're holding it.

According to translations of the Chinese promotional images which were posted on Reddit, the Oasis only weighs 131 grams, apparently 20 per cent lighter than previous versions. It's also only 3.4mm thin at its thinnest point, and 8.5mm on the wedge side.

The new Kindle's wedge-shaped design makes room for a bigger battery and makes it easier to hold (Amazon)

It also boasts a high-definition 300ppi display (the same as the Kindle Voyage), and a beefy battery in the wedge, which will provide plenty of reading time.

Battery life can be extended even further with the leather charging case, which can apparently give the Oasis months of power. The case also brings a new sleep mode, which can be turned on and off simply by flicking the cover open, like a real book.

Like Apple's iPhone charging case, the two batteries work together, by charging simultaneously when plugged in, and only using the case's power when out and about.

The charging case promises to extend battery life to 'months' (Amazon)

There's no details on the price yet, unfortunately. Amazon's Canadian site listed it at $999.99, but this seems like a placeholder.

It's obviously not possible to be certain whether these images are the real deal or not, especially since Amazon doesn't comment on rumours.

However, the fact they were listed on (and hastily removed from) official Amazon sites lends them a lot of credibility. And as Motherboard reports, the KindleOasis.com domain is owned by Brilliance Publishing, an Amazon-owned company.

Bezos' big reveal might have been spoiled, but the Oasis looks pretty impressive anyway. We'll get some definite answers on these leaks later this week, when Amazon is set to formally announce the new device.