Kindle 4 Launch Date Imminent

I recently wrote a fairly lengthy hub on the state of the ebook reader market and why I believe that Amazon will shortly launch the Kindle 4 ebook reader. You can find it here if you like:

Kindle 4 Launch

However, I'm going to be a little more concise and to the point here:

The Kindle 4 will launch in September 2011.

You can stop reading now if you like.

However, if you're interested, I'm happy to go into a little more detail. I am speculating a little here - but there are some clear signs that Amazon is gearing up for the launch of the Kindle 4.

The clear signal that Amazon is getting ready to pull the trigger on the Kindle 4 is the fact that the price of refurbished Kindles has dropped dramatically. Normally the price of refurbished Kindles is pegged at around $10 lower than the price of a new Kindle.

However, over the last couple of days, Amazon has dropped this significantly. The Wi-Fi model sells for $ 139. The price of a refurbished Wi-Fi model has now fallen to just $ 99.99. Why would Amazon do that?

Well, one possible explanation would be that Amazon are looking to reduce their stocks of the Kindle 3 in the run up to the launch of the Kindle 4. Speculation? Yes. A fanciful notion? No.

The last time that Amazon slashed the price of their refurbished Kindle stock was back in July of 2010 - one month before the launch of the Kindle 3. I believe that this is a clear signal that the Kindle 4 is on the way.

It will probably be available in September. Maybe it will be on a "pre-order" basis for shipping later - but the Kindle 4 will be available in some format very soon.

I could be wrong (I don't think so) - but if you were thinking about treating yourself to a Kindle, hanging on for another 3 or 4 weeks might not be a bad idea at the moment.

Alternatively, if you just want a very good ebook reader and aren't too worried about getting the very latest model, you could get yourself a good deal on the refurbished Kindles right now.

What might be a little less certain than the launch date, is just what the new Kindle 4 will look like and what upgrades it will have.

Rumors in the industry seem to suggest that Amazon will launch two new Kindles. One will have a touch screen and there will be an entry level model, without touch screen, aimed at students. Other than that, details are a little sketchy.

Rumors regarding a launch for two Amazon tablets also continue to grow, with the general consensus being that they will hit the market in time for the Christmas gift giving bonanza.