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Thu, 16 Jul 2009 Amazon plans Kindle launch in UK by Christmas

While Qualcomm will deal with all aspects of manufacturing the Kindle

Nick Spence

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Amazon is reported to be preparing to launch the Kindle, the ebooks and other digital media reader, in the UK in time for a potentially lucrative Christmas period.

According to the mobile phone industry Web site Mobile, Amazon is in advanced negotiations for a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) with a yet unnamed partner.

Mobile also understands that Qualcomm, a wireless telecommunications research and development specialist who offer a range of services, will deal with all aspects of manufacturing the Kindle for the UK market including securing connectivity with an mobile operator.

Discussions with potential partners, including Vodafone, Orange and 3, have reportedly stalled.

The Web site also claims Amazon has already secured agreements with book publishers and is in the process of negotiating with news and magazine publishers in the UK over digital reproduction rights.

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Comments received


sip said on Thu, 16 Jul 2009

Given that the Kindle DX now supports direct downloading of PDFs, Amazon should forget the MVNs for the time being and just introduce the DX in the UK now, as a plain & simple eBook reader. All the other stuff can be introduced gradually over a period of time as & when agreements have been reached with various parties.

I realise that Amazon has a lot invested in the Kindles and would like everyone to just buy eBooks from them (iPhone & the App Store!) I'm sure that Sony & the other eBook reader manufacturers don't faff about like this.

I just want a DX for installing and reading my own non-commercial non-copyright PDF files for reading in bed and when I am away from home.

Alex Cotton said on Thu, 16 Jul 2009

I agree with SIP. Amazon should just get the thing into the market. If you want a Kindle you'll probably have a computer so direct Kindle-internet/mobile access is not so important at this stage.

Just get it out Amazon. I know so many people who have expressed an interest...and not one of them would think of purchasing directly (they'd want a backup/source on their computer).

Kadoogan said on Fri, 17 Jul 2009

It is pathetic that they have taken so long to announce a Kindle release over here. I have been tempted to buy one of the new Cooler ebook readers instead, and probably will still do so instead of waiting another 4 months or so.

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