We still don’t have a firm idea when the Amazon Kindle 4 reader will be ready. Before the third-generation reader was released, it was pre-orderable. The same is likely to happen with the next version of this device. But both current Kindle users and people who don’t yet own an electronic reading device have a lot of questions regarding this new model. For example:
- Will it have a color screen?
- If so, will this mean a move away from electronic paper in favor of an LCD screen?
- Will it offer touch functionality similar to that of the iPad?
- How much will it cost?
- When will it be ready?
Some of these questions are a bit easier to answer than others. For some, we simply have to wait for an announcement from Amazon. However, we can certainly guess most of them simply from the information that is already available online. For example, by looking at media reports and going directly to the websites of companies involved in innovating the technology that the Kindle uses, we can get a lot of useful information.
First of all, there’s a good chance that we’ll be reading with a color Kindle 4 in the not-too-distant future. This is more than a dream. The fact is that an electronic color screen is already a reality. Currently, it is a company called E Ink that makes the screens for the Kindle 3. The version used for this model is called Pearl. Its newest version, which can display more than 4,000 different colors, is called Triton. Since Amazon already has a relationship with this company and is comfortable using their inventions, it’s a logical step for them to move to use the most up-to-date e-paper display technology.
Whether a color screen will add much to the user experience is debatable. That said, it will be an important marketing device to be able to compare the Kindle reader, at its lowest cost, against the flashier iPad tablets. The fact is that the Kindle and the iPad only compete with each other insofar as they are both portable electronic devices. But the thing is, they really are designed to do different tasks. The Kindle has one main function, allowing its users to read e-books. The iPad, on the other hand, offers a broader range of capabilities but doesn’t have a specific feature. The Kindle is more functional while the iPad is cooler. Bringing out a Kindle with a color screen might not add too much functionality, but it certainly gives this device an enhanced cool factor.
As you will have gathered from the previous paragraphs, a color screen does not need an LCD screen. There is no doubt that LCD screens can work at higher resolutions. After all, these are the kind of screens that computers use. But e-paper displays offer some advantages of their own. These include vastly superior battery life compared to devices like laptops, mobile phones, and the iPad. The current version of the Kindle reader can last a month between battery charges. Second, reading with the Amazon Kindle is really the same as reading a book, as far as your eyes are concerned. I have yet to get a headache or feel the effects of eyestrain from using my Kindle. They are definitely more relaxing to use than staring at a computer screen for a long time.
Another interesting feature that the iPad offers is its I touched ability. The third-generation Kindle uses a small QWERTY keyboard that sits on the bottom of the device. However, it is still unknown whether the Kindle 4 will still have a keyboard or not. Developments in this area include Amazon’s purchase of a company called TouchCo in 2010. This company was developing touch functionality for e-paper displays. In fact, at the time of their purchase, they had already invented working prototypes. Therefore, making another assumption, it may well be the case that this technology is already fully operational. We don’t know for sure if Amazon will choose to include this in its Kindle 4 reader, but as long as they have it working properly, it would be surprising if they didn’t make use of this innovation.
So it may well be the case that Amazon is able to steal some of the limelight from the iPad device. When it comes to marketing your next handheld reader, having a color screen and touch functionality would be invaluable. The question is whether these features will add much, if anything, to the price of the device itself.
At the moment there are three different Kindle models. Two 6″ versions (Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G) as well as the larger DX device. We could say that the 6″ Kindles are the standard type while the DX is a deluxe version. The cost of the Kindle DX is about twice the price of the cheapest model and twice the price of the one with 3G. Will Amazon be able to sell a color, touch version of its product for less than $150? A big part of the Kindle reader’s appeal is its affordability. It would be a shame if the price had to go above $200, for example. This would certainly limit the ability of some people to be able to buy the phone.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, we don’t know exactly when the Kindle 4 will be released. There hasn’t been any announcement from Amazon other than to say that there’s still a long way to go. To date, there have been three versions of the Kindle so far. The first one went on sale in November 2007. That was just over three years ago. So, if they stick to a similar kind of timescale, a Kindle 4 might be available for purchase before the end of 2011. Releasing the next version would guarantee record sales before Christmas. But potentially more important to Amazon than short-term profit is making sure the Kindle 4 e-reader is the best device of its kind. So rather than work to a sales schedule, it seems likely that they’ll only unveil the next incarnation of their best-selling phone when the device is ready and ready. This might not be until 2012.
