Amazon targets mass market with cheaper Kindle

Online retail giant Amazon.com released the latest version of its Kindle ereader device, touting a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than rival units, a 21 percent smaller body that retains the familiar six-inch reading area and a 20 percent increase in page-turning time. Priced at $189, the Kindle also doubles content storage to roughly 3,500 books, with battery life of up to one month, built-in Wi-Fi, Facebook and Twitter integration, and a graphite color option and more. Amazon additionally introduced the Kindle Wi-Fi, which retails for $139--optimized for readers who don't want or need the 3G download connectivity of the regular Kindle device, the unit enables consumers to obtain content via WiFi connection. Amazon said it will offer Kindle customers free access at AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide for shopping and downloading Kindle content, with no registration, sign-in or password required.

The new Kindle models will begin shipping on Aug. 27. Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos tells The Wall Street Journal the Kindle Wi-Fi is critical to the firm's "mass market" strategy to sell more digital books: "We developed this device for serious readers. At these price points, it may be much broader than that," he said. "People will buy them for their kids. People won't share Kindles any more." According to Bezos, the Kindle is not competing directly with Apple's hit iPad tablet, contending Amazon's goal is to offer a single-purpose unit--he adds features like color and touch-screen controls were deliberately left off the new Kindle due to concerns they could compromise the reading experience. "For the vast majority of books, adding video and animation is not going to be helpful," Bezos explained. "It is distracting rather than enhancing. You are not going to improve Hemingway by adding video snippets." Nor is Amazon interested in manufacturing its own tablet device: "There are going to be 100 companies making LCD [screen] tablets," Bezos said. "Why would we want to be 101? I like building a purpose-built reading device. I think that is where we can make a real contribution."

Amazon's Kindle Store now offers more than 630,000 books, including New Releases and 109 of 111 New York Times bestsellers--the storefront has added more than 235,000 new books over the last six months. In addition to over 510,000 titles priced at $9.99 or less, the store boasts more than 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 releases are also available to read on Kindle. Books purchased from the Kindle Store can be read across multiple devices, iPhone, BlackBerry and Android-based smartphones.

For more on the new Kindle units:
- read this release

Related articles:
Kindle ereader sales triple following Amazon price cut
Amazon's new Kindle DX touts higher contrast screen
Amazon slashes Kindle ereader price to $189
Target expands Kindle ereader sales nationwide