The Amazon Kindle just got cheaper — and available to a global customer base. On Wednesday, Amazon cut the price of its e-reader from $299 to $259 and offered the device to international markets.
Amazon also launched a new edition of the Kindle that boasts U.S. and international wireless services for $279 in a deal with AT&T. The new model aims to help readers access books more quickly and from more places.
Kindle wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines, blogs and personal documents to a high-resolution six-inch electronic ink display. Since the Kindle runs on the same 3G wireless technology as smartphones, readers don’t need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hot spot or synchronize with a PC.
“Kindle is the most wished for, the most gifted, and the number-one best-selling product across the millions of items we sell on Amazon, and we’re excited to be able to lower the price,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “We’re also excited to announce a new addition to the Kindle family — Kindle with global wireless. At home or abroad in over 100 countries, you can think of a book and download it wirelessly in less than 60 seconds.”
A Kindle for Globe-Trotters
Until Wednesday, the Kindle was only available to U.S. customers. That meant competitors had the upper hand in international markets. Amazon is looking to grab the world’s attention with its Kindle by launching it in countries around the world. The international version sells for $279.
“We have millions of customers in countries all over the world who read English-language books,” Bezos said.
More than 50 top U.S. and international newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Times (U.K.), Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Shanghai Daily are available in the Kindle Store…