Amazon's gold Kindle Oasis reminds everyone how rich you are (updated)

The Kindle Oasis is a conspicuous display of wealth by its very nature (you have money to burn if you can spend $250 on an e-reader in 2018), but apparently Amazon didn't think it was ostentatious enough. The internet giant is taking US pre-orders for a Champagne Gold version of the Oasis that includes the same 7-inch screen, water resistance and Audible support of the regular black model, just in a slightly garish I-have-money color. Amazon pitches it as a stylish option ideal for "Mom or the fashionable traveler." Let's be real, though -- you're buying it because you want to be seen using it.

Here's the kicker: it's more expensive, too. While the regular Oasis comes in an 8GB model, you have to spend $280 on a 32GB model to get the gold Oasis when it ships to the US on March 22nd (it's been available in China for a while). And that's with ads reducing the price -- Amazon is asking $300 if you want to go ad-free. You're going to be paying a lot just to stand out while you read the latest suspense novel.

Update: We initially wrote that Amazon was charging extra simply for the color, but that's not strictly true -- it's just that the Champagne Gold color is only available with the 32GB model, which already cost $280. We've updated the piece accordingly.