Amazon mini Kindle goes on sale

Amazon has upped the ante and has launched a mini Kindle with a pricing structure to hit the mass-market, and free 3G wireless connectivity.

Fed up with being the bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to mobile headlines, Amazon have launched a reduced-sized Kindle, aimed at attacking the mass market, and the iPhone and iPad market.

The smaller and lighter version of its Kindle e-book reader is 21% smaller, 15% lighter than it’s predecessors, and boast 50% better contrast, 20% faster page turns and double the storage. and importantly it has free 3G connectivity. Yes, free. Amazon say you will never have to pay to download a book magazine etc. Amazon pays for the connection, so no more monthly bills, and the 3G connection works in over 100 countries from launch.

The two new models include a 3G wireless enabled version priced at £149, and a wi-fi only option priced at £109 and there will be a UK version of the Amazon e-book store to support the new users with what Amazon claims is “the biggest selection of any e-bookstore in the UK”, with more than 400,000 books, UK and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs, plus more than 1 million free books.

The units will ship in the US on August 17 and in the UK on the August 27 and can be pre-ordered now here

The full specs for the new Kindle are;

Kindle at a Glance: New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen 50% better contrast than any other e-reader.

Lighter than a Paperback:
At only 247 grams and 8.5 mm thin, Kindle is lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine.

Holds 3,500 Books: A doubling of the Kindle’s previous storage, it can now carry up to 3,500 books.

Battery Life of Up to One Month: A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off. Keep wireless always on and go for up to 10 days without recharging.

Free 3G Wireless: No annual contracts, no monthly fees. Download books anytime, anywhere Amazon clain you can get get books in under 60 seconds with wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories.

Built-In Wi-Fi: Kindle now has built-in Wi-Fi support. Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the road.

Read-to-Me: Kindle has Text-to-Speech and will read any English-language content.

Share text: The Kindle has built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.

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