New Amazon Kindles For $189 and $139, Smaller and Faster

Details of the new Kindles, which will come with faster working speeds and slimmer bodies were revealed in a statement released by Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO.

Unlike Kindle 2, which was released with a separate U.S. version and international version, Kindle 3 will be released in a 3G ($189) and a non-3G version ($139). The combination gives customers worldwide access to the 3G network without any additional charges. In addition, both models support Wifi.

Kindle 3 features the same six-inch black and white screen with better contrast and electronic ink, making the pages more legible than before. The non-gloss design has no glare in sunlight. The reader is also 15 percent lighter in weight.

The price cut was a key change. The cheapest Wifi version of Kindle 2 cost $189, while the global 3G version of Kindle was sold at $379.

“At $139, we expect many people will buy multiple Kindles for the home and family,” said Mr. Bezos in a statement.

Non-3G Kindles can be ordered now. Shipment is expected to start on Aug 27.

With Amazon’s huge online selection, sales of E-books should rise significantly. In fact, Mr. Bezos told USA today in a interview that he expects E-books to pass paperbacks in the next nine to 12 months.