Kindle 3 Rumor Round-up: Color, WiFi, Multitouch?

Many Kindle fans have dismissed the iPad as a true e-book reader. The device does look very interesting and has some nice features. But Apple never set out to design an e-book reader. It’s true that you get iBooks on the device, but it’s still not known how many titles will be available for the iPad. It turns out the next generation Kindle could look much more like an iPad after all. It’s no secret that Amazon has been working its way towards manufacturing an affordable color Kindle. With Apple offering full color with the iPad, Amazon may feel the pressure to finally add a color-screen to Kindle.

We already know that Amazon is planning to introduce multi-touch capability with the next generation Kindle. I admit that will make navigation much easier. But one could argue that Amazon waited too long to add such a feature. The same applies to WiFi capability for Kindle. While many other e-book readers already offer WiFi capability, Amazon has failed to deliver on that promise with its current generation Kindles. That’s about to change with Kindle 3.0. The bad news is Amazon could be moving away from e-ink in an effort to compete more effectively with the iPad. There are next generation e-paper technologies out there that the company can use to offer more value to its Kindle customers. So let’s not read too much into Amazon’s latest job listing.

Amazon has truly dropped the ball with Kindle. Instead of planning ahead and keeping its competitors on their toes, Amazon has allowed other companies to catch up and make its device look ordinary. The Kindle still has some advantages over its nearest competitors, and it’s tough to say what Amazon is planning for Kindle 3. Nevertheless, it does seem like Amazon is just trying to catch up to Apple iPad. Of course, we all want a better e-book reader in Kindle 3 and not an Apple iPad “wanna be.” Will Amazon listen?