Amazon cuts Japan Kindle price before launch

Nov 08, 2012
Internet shopping giant Amazon has cut the cost of the Japanese version of its Kindle e-reader even before its launch Enlarge
The price of the wifi-only edition of Kindle Paperwhite was shaved by 500 yen ($6.25) to 7,980 yen Wednesday, as competition heats up in a sector that has been slow off the mark.

Internet shopping giant Amazon has cut the cost of the Japanese version of its Kindle e-reader even before the first customers get their hands on the device.

The price of the wifi-only edition of Kindle Paperwhite was shaved by 500 yen ($6.25) to 7,980 yen Wednesday, as competition heats up in a sector that has been slow off the mark.

Amazon began taking pre-orders for the gadget on October 24, with the first shipping expected on November 19.

The discount might give an edge to the US giant against a range of rivals, including the "Lideo" e-reader, with the of 8,480 yen, the same as the Paperwhite before its discount.

Lideo, which is made by printing heavyweight Toppan, uses free WiMax high-speed, wireless broadband technology that allows users to connect to its BookLive with 95,000 titles, compared with Amazon's 50,000 Japanese titles.

Sony and Japanese online store Rakuten also have e-readers, while a horde of electronics makers have produced ahead of the year-end shopping season.

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