I really thought Amazon was going to swing for the fences on this one but they chose to bunt instead.
Yesterday, Amazon.com announced the availability of a special offers edition Kindle that would cost $25 less than the normal WiFi only Kindle that sells for $139. The big difference between the two is that on the special offers edition Kindle instead of book and author related screensavers you will see offers from various advertisers as well as Amazon themselves.
Here is the summary provided by Amazon.com:
New, Lower Price
Get the same bestselling Kindle for $25 less—only $114.Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers
Receive special offers directly on your Kindle. Examples include:
- $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
- $6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68)
- $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums)
- $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop
Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don’t interrupt reading.
I am glad they have made these things non-intrusive but I think Amazon should have shot for under $100 for this special offers Kindle. I think this Kindle offered at $99 would have been the threshold to entice those who are bordering on the edge of making the purchase or not. To be honest with you to get the Kindle for just $25 less than a normal WiFi edition at $139 I am most likely going to spend the extra $25 and get the device without all the ads. However, give me that same offer for $40 off – $99 – then I am most likely going to purchase a second Kindle for our household.
What do you think of the $25 off special offers edition Kindle?
