Amazon plans to sell its wireless electronic reader, the Kindle, in more than 100 countries outside the United States. The new markets include China, Japan and most of Europe, the company announced Tuesday. Canada was not included.
The International version of Kindle, which will start to ship Oct.19, is priced at $279 (all prices are in U.S. currency) for each unit, $20 more than the U.S.-only version.
Under the wireless agreement between Amazon and AT&T, the company that acts as a global network carrier, users outside the United States can enjoy more than 200,000 English-language books and 85 International newspapers and magazines through the device, reports
Reuters.
Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos told Reuters the company has seen a big demand for English-language books around the world, and eventually Kindle will be sold everywhere including Antarctica.
But the new version is still not going to Canada, and Amazon declined to give a reason reported
CBC News.
To reach more e-book fans, Amazon has also made its digital books available on other devices, such as the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Kindle's rival, the Sony Reader, will also launch its new touchscreen version, priced at $399, in the United States, United Kingdom and some other European countries soon.
E-readers have been growing significantly in the US. According to Cambridge-based technology research firm Forrester Research, three million e-reader devices could be sold in the U.S. by the end of 2009, up 50 percent from the earlier estimate. The number is expected to hit 10 million in 2010.
