Oct 7th update: Was off by a month and 10 days. Kindle UK release date is Oct 19, 2009. You can preorder a Kindle UK now for $279 to get it by October 21st. Its 217 pounds ($345) after import duties, etc.
Stuff TV is quoting ‘well placed sources’ on an early September Kindle UK release date – they think it might be as soon as the IFA conference which runs Sept 4th to 9th.
Stuff TV think Amazon want to steal a march over the Sony Reader Daily Edition -
It could be that Amazon is hoping to get the Kindle over here as quickly as possible in order to win over the market before the launch of Sony’s Daily Edition, announced in the States yesterday.
They then themselves point out that Sony has said that it might be a year or two until the Sony Reader Daily Edition is launched in the UK.
It’s more likely that Amazon finally figured out the wireless part.
Rumors about Amazon Kindle seeing a UK release have been making the rounds since April 2008. Both end 2008 and early 2009 there were claims that Amazon talked with wireless providers and negotiations failed.
Kindle UK Release – the long struggle
Its been quite a struggle for Amazon to get all the content deals done, and negotiate terms with a wireless provider. A September Kindle UK release would be a relief to customers who’ve been waiting forever and to Amazon.
A release in 1-2 weeks would mean -
- Amazon got a wireless provider deal done.
- PVI managed to ramp up production of the eInk screens.
- Book and Content Deals for the UK got done.
- Perhaps, that Amazon feels it needs to step in and get a lead before Apple, Sony and Plastic Logic arrive in full force.
- Perhaps, that Amazon thinks the new Sony Readers might capture a bigger share of the market.
In mid July Mobile Today had claimed that Kindle UK manufacturing etc. had been handed over to Qualcomm -
Amazon is understood to have outsourced all aspects of manufacturing for the Kindle in the UK to Qualcomm, including securing ‘connectivity’ with
a mobile operator in the UK.Amazon is understood to be frantically working on having the Kindle ready for launch before Christmas 2009 and has already secured agreements with book publishers.
The online retailer is known to have discussed a potential MVNO deal with the likes of Vodafone, Orange and 3 around six months ago, but discussions broke down.
Well, if we get Kindle UK soon, Mobile Today’s sources will have been spot-on.
Will Kindle UK be a hit?
Without a Doubt.
The only threat to the Kindle would be a 2009 Apple iTablet release or if Sony magically releases the Daily Edition in UK this December.
Both currently look doubtful which would leave Amazon as the best eReader this Christmas season. There’s also a lot of pent-up demand as readers have been waiting forever for the Kindle to make the jump across the pond.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kindle UK sell out.
Filed under: availability, kindle Tagged: | kindle uk, kindle uk release date
Any thoughtsas to whether UK published books would be available to US readers (or vice versa)?
don’t have much of an idea. There will probably be a lot of overlap – at the beginning there might be fewer books available in the uk.
[...] By the way, this is the same conference at which Amazon is rumored to launch the Kindle 2 in UK and Europe. [...]
Why all the WiFi fuss – I just want to plug into my Mac and download. I can’t get reliable WiFi at home – Kenley – an outpost of deepest Croydon. Which is where I will would download 90% of my reading matter. So Amazon have held up a UK launch for over a year just by trying to arrange deals with various ‘phone companies while everyone buys the Sony or one of the others. Great business plan…… Flexibility must be the keynote