When Amazon’s Kindle 2 was announced earlier this week, plenty of folks in the tech community were excited: The new version of the e-book reader is thinner, features a sharper display, and offers more storage. There is, however, at least one glaring omission with the Kindle 2–international availability.
Since the announcement, we’ve been hearing of concerns from international readers wondering when the Kindle will hit their neck of the woods. The issue is that the Kindle 2 uses a Sprint manufactured modem, which is only compatible with the U.S. network. Delivering the device overseas would mean replacing this fundamental piece of hardware.
More important, it would also mean striking all manner of new deals with the publishers who provide content for the device. As anyone who has ever worked in licensing can tell you, the process can be a nightmare. Surely it’s not something that Amazon wants to deal with at the moment, especially as the company is continuing to sell the Kindle at a brisk pace in the U.S. market.
We put the question of international availability to Amazon. The company responded simply, “We do not comment on future releases.” If you aren’t in the U.S., it looks like you’re going to have to wait before picking one up–or take a good, long look at the Kindle’s competition.
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