The Amazon Kindle 4 ebook reader may be hitting the market at some point during the next few weeks. Refurbished Kindle 3 readers have had their prices cut, in what many suspect to be an inventory reduction in the run up to the Kindle 4 hitting the market.
It’s not out of the question that it could be coincidence. 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.
The Kindle 3 is now 12 months old and, in comparison with some of the most recently released readers, might just be starting to show its age. Twelve months is a fair old time in the world of personal electronic devices where annual upgrades are considered the norm these days.
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 newly updated Nook reader from Barnes and Noble, complete with touch screen controls, looks more than capable of closing the gap on the Kindle. iRiver also released their Story HD reader. It’s the result of a partnership between iRiver and Google and is the first ebook reader to be fully integrated with the Google eBookstore. It looks more than capable of competing with both the Kindle and the Nook.