Amazon’s New Kindle: Thinner with a Charging Case?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the new Kindle that Jeff Bezos announced on Twitter Monday will come with:

a rechargeable protective case for extended battery life, according to a person familiar with the matter. This removable cover will allow the Kindle to be thinner than earlier devices.

And that:

Also under development is a separate Kindle case with a battery that can be charged using solar power. It is unlikely this case will be released in the immediate future, another person familiar with the matter said.

This is odd. The Kindle already has excellent battery life. If it is thinner, the battery won’t last as long, but it should still last for days, even using the backlight. It sounds a bit clunky to have to charge a case, then charge the Kindle (or, presumably, charge the Kindle if you don’t buy the case), especially if you need to do so more often. I’m not sure the Kindle needs to be much thinner; it’s already thin and light.

We’ll find out next week…