Amazon to release $139 Wi-Fi-only Kindle

We thought the pricing battle for e-readers had finished a few weeks ago when everyone’s prices dropped. But Amazon was only just getting started, and now it’s decided to blow the competition out the water with an all new low price point of $139 and re-design for Kindle.
In fact there are two price points depending on whether you want 3G or not. The Wi-Fi only model will cost $139 while the 3G-enabled version is $189.
Here’s the announcement from Amazon:
Amazon’s double the internal storage claim sees the new Kindle ship with 4GB of memory, and the battery life is 10 hours if you have wireless switched on, or the one month stated above if it isn’t.

In making the unit smaller Amazon has also tweaked the buttons on the Kindle. The rocker is more compact, the side button lengths have been changed (bigger forward, smaller back buttons), and the keyboard has been altered slightly and is more flush with the case.
On the software front the PDF reader has been improved with a new dictionary lookup, notes and highlights, and password-secured PDFs are supported. There’s a new Voice Guide system allowing for navigation without having to read menus. You can also content descriptions read out to you.
Amazin is also introducing a WebKit-based browser which the company is quick to point out is just an experimental features. It’s free to use and has an article mode which simplifies web page text to make it present better on the Kindle screen.
Finally, there’s a new Kindle Lighted Leather Cover which includes a light that draws power from your Kindle. The thinking here is you will always have a light available when in a dark environment, but it’s going to cost an additional $59.99.
Both the Wi-Fi only Kindle and the 3G Kindle are available to pre-order today, but won’t ship until August 27th.