October 7th, 2009
Amazon cuts Kindle price, goes global as competition ramps
Amazon cut the price of its Kindle from $299 to $259 and launched and international version.
First, the price cut (Techmeme). The move comes as e-reader competition ramps up. Sony has e-readers with broad retail distribution. In addition, Barnes & Noble plans to sell a handful of e-readers. And Best Buy is planning an e-reader section. Simply put, Amazon will have its hands full when it comes to staying the top dog. Pricing will matter.
But there is a bit of a hedge with the international Kindle. Consumers can buy a Kindle with U.S. and international wireless access for $279. For an extra $20 why wouldn’t you get the international version—even if you’re abroad just once a year?
The international Kindle is available in 100 countries via AT&T’s global network. In the U.S., Kindle uses Sprint.
Amazon’s international Kindle adds newspapers like The Times in the UK, Le Monde and Shanghai Daily, but otherwise the specifications are the same as the current Kindle.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Smart Planet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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