Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. announced a new reading gadget-dubbed Kindle-that will allow users to download books, magazines and other publications via Sprint Nextel Corp.’s network. The innovative offering requires no monthly service fees; instead, the cost of wireless access is built into the price of the publications.
“Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store,” the company said in announcing the $400 device. “There is no wireless setup-you are ready to shop, purchase and read right out of the box.”
Amazon will sell “Kindle editions” of bestsellers and new books for $10 each. Subscriptions to newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times will range from $10 to $15 per month, and magazines such as Fortune and Time will run from $2 to $3 per month.
Amazon’s new Kindle device features an “electronic-paper” display that the company said provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. The device, which weighs 10.3 ounces, can hold over 200 titles, and can run for around two days with a wireless connection. If a user turns the gadget’s wireless function off, the battery can last for a week or more.
The device supports both EV-DO and 1xRTT connections.
The offering is notable for Sprint Nextel as it features a pricing service similar to what the carrier has discussed for its Xohm-branded WiMAX network. The carrier in August unveiled details on Xohm, which would offer wireless access in “sessions” that the user would pay for on a one-time basis-such as e-mailing photos directly from a WiMAX-enabled digital camera. The service would also offer access via the standard monthly fee scenario.
However, the future of Sprint Nextel’s Xohm offering is somewhat in question following the failure of the carrier’s partnership with Clearwire Corp.
Amazon intros EV-DO book reader: Sprint Nextel to provide access to Kindle users
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