It did not take long for Amazon to reveal why the Kindle was out of stock since yesterday. It just announced its next Kindle generation consisting of two models.
The new Kindles have been redesigned and have a body 21 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter than the previous model but still offering a 6-inch display. They also come with a new electronic-ink screen that Amazon claims has 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, improved page turning performance, battery life lasting up to a month and twice as much storage (up to 4GB). One model comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi while the second comes with Wi-Fi only (exactly as rumours had suggested).
“Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon for two years running. We lowered the price to $189 and sales growth tripled. Now, we are excited to introduce a new generation Kindle that is smaller, lighter, and faster, with 50 percent better contrast. Readers are going to do a double take when they see Kindle’s bright new screen and feel how remarkably light the smaller 8.7 ounce design feels in one hand,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder & CEO. “If you don’t need the convenience of 3G wireless, we have an incredible new price point–$139 for Kindle Wi-Fi. Kindle Wi-Fi has all the same features, same bookstore, same high-contrast electronic paper display, and it’s even a tiny bit lighter at 8.5 ounces. At this price point, many people are going to buy multiple units for the home and family.”
The Kindle 3G (available in white or graphite) will sell for US$189 and the Kindle Wi-Fi (available in graphite only) for US$139. Both models will start shipping on August 27th.