Should Amazon Discontinue Kindle (U.S. Version)?

Amazon is heavily touting the new member of the Kindle family. It’s a great step forward for Amazon to offer international downloads to Kindle owners. While the process is not exactly without any issues, it’s nice to have the opportunity to download more content to read while you are traveling outside the U.S. Amazon has decided to keep offering the U.S. version of Kindle even though the International version offers U.S downloads as well International ones. Since the price is not different, the move could lead to customer confusion.

It’s true that not everyone of Amazon Kindle owners get to travel around the world, so they may not need  a Kindle (International). At the same time, the difference in price is not that much to make people want to invest in the U.S. version. Kindle 2.0 International does give you the best bang for you buck, and it comes with the same hardware features (almost) as the U.S. exclusive edition of Kindle. So why is Amazon keeping Kindle 2.0 (US) around?

It could be that Amazon can’t get out of its contract with Sprint. Even though Amazon will continue offering Kindle DX with Sprint, it may not be a smart move to upset Sprint at this point. The more likely scenario could be that Amazon’s working on a new pricing plan, and it will need Kindle (US) for future price drops (maybe to $199). We need to keep in mind that Amazon Kindle International is still a work in progress, and there are a few issues that need to be resolved. The books do cost you more if you live outside the U.S. as there are additional fees associated with Kindle – International ed.

I do believe that an International Kindle needs  to come with more language features for International users. It does seem that Amazon wanted to hurry up and get a foothold in other countries before adding the necessary features to help foreign Kindle owners consume content more effectively. At this point, Amazon is causing confusion for its customers by offering products that are very similar in features and price points. Let’s hope the next Amazon Kindle comes with the design upgrade we are all looking for.