What New Gadgets Are Amazon Working On?
The newly upgraded Amazon third generation Kindle reader is selling like hot cakes just at the moment. An upgrade - which includes a higher contrast screen, smaller and lighter casing, faster page turns and twice as much memory - accompanied by a price drop and the introduction of a new Wi-Fi only entry level model, has seen demand for the Kindle reader rocket.
At the moment, the third generation Kindles are sold out and potential customers face a wait of three to four weeks before any new ones start shipping. Kindle books are also outselling traditional hardback editions on a regular basis. It seems to be just a matter of time before e-book sales will higher than even paperback sales.
Amazon has also opened a dedicated UK Kindle store so that UK customers don't require to have their Kindles shipped across the Atlantic and can pay for their Kindle purchases in sterling rather than dollars. It seems reasonable to assume that similar "local" Kindle stores will be opened for other Amazon international websites such as Germany, France etc. in the near future.
In short, everything in the garden is pretty rosy for Amazon right now. Whilst many industry watchers suggested that the launch of Apple's iPad would sound the death knell for the Kindle, there is little evidence to suggest that this is, in fact, the case. The Amazon policy of releasing free "apps" which allow Kindle books to be read on a wide variety of different devices seems to be paying dividends. So, considering what a massive success they have enjoyed with their first manufactured product, it's hardly surprising that Amazon is rumored to be considering developing prototypes for personal tech gadgets other than the Kindle in their Lab 126 research facility.
Whilst Amazon has remained silent on the subject, speculation that they may be thinking about music/movie players and possibly some kind of mobile phone is rife. However, industry watchers suggest that, if Amazon wanted to enter the market with another gadget, then they would need to ensure that they add value rather than simply releasing another piece of personal electronic tech onto the market.
A great deal of the success of the Kindle reader must be attributed to Amazon's strong association with books and reading in general. The massive choice of Kindle books on offer - more than 630,000 and increasing every day - and the fact that these can be read on so many other devices has been a real feather in Amazon's cap. Any new gadget that Amazon decided to launch would probably need some similar type of support in order to achieve anything approaching the level of success enjoyed by the Kindle.
Find out more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.