There seem to be some clear indications that Amazon may be getting ready to bring their much anticipated Kindle 4 ebook reader to market. The price of refurbished Kindle 3 readers has been cut, and many industry watchers feel that this may be a move to reduce inventory prior to the release of the Kindle 4.
Certainly, it’s possible that there could be alternative explanations. Generally speaking, any well run business will make every effort to keep inventory levels down. However, it’s probably worth pointing out that the last time Amazon did this was just before the launch of the Kindle 3 – so it could well be a sign that the Kindle 4 is on its way.
In comparison with some of the most recently released readers, the Kindle 3 might, at twelve months old, just be starting to show its age. In the world of personal electronic gadgets, a year is rather a long time, and annual updates are pretty much the norm.
Over and above normal product lifespan considerations, Amazon will certainly be cognisant of the fact that the recent release of two new readers onto the market, within the space two weeks, have resulted in the Kindle 3 starting to look just a little tired. The all new Nook reader, complete with touch screen controls, from Barnes and Noble, looks capable of offering the Kindle some much sterner competition in future. The Story HD reader, the result of a partnership between Google and iRiver, was also released onto the market, just a fortnight after the new Nook launched. It’s the first reader to be fully integrated with Google’s eBookstore and looks like it could compete on equal terms with both the Kindle and the Nook.