Amazon Kindle Gets Updated Smaller, Cheaper and More Options
By Chris Weiss
Amazon debuted a new pair of Kindles today, and instead of taking shot directly at the iPad, it chose to focus on improving its market-leading design–at least for now.
The new Kindle moves into one-handed territory, shrinking down by nearly a quarter while maintaining the same six-inch reading area. Amazon dropped the weight down to just 8.7 ounces. The new Kindles keep the same e-ink display that true readers tend to prefer over LCDs, and Amazon claims that the new generation offers 50 percent better contrast than Kindles of old.
The new Kindle will be offered in a 3G/Wi-Fi version for $189 and a Wi-Fi-only version for $139. They won’t be available until August 27, but you can pre-order now.
So far the growth of the tablet market, fueled mostly by the Apple iPad, isn’t swallowing up the e-reader, but creating a more distinct marketplace. E-reader prices have continued to drop, creating a clear distinction between a sub-$200 device designed solely for reading and a $500+ device for a fuller breadth of computer functions. E-readers are still the best choice for reading thanks to their E-ink displays, so for the time being at least, it would appear that tablets and e-readers will co-exist peaceably on the market. [via Amazon]
