Amazon claims record sales rate for 3rd gen Kindle

Amazon today claimed that the third-generation Kindle is setting records as it has started shipping two days ahead of schedule. The e-reader is now Amazon's fastest-selling Kindle ever in the one month of pre-orders. It also assumed the top spot on Amazon's bestseller charts both in the US and the UK.

The rate has been brisk enough that the company has had to delay new orders. As of Wednesday, new orders won't ship until September 17, or more than three weeks from today. An all-time high was expected as a price cut on the Kindle had surged sales numbers to three times their previous rate even before the third generation was available.

Amazon didn't provide sales figures and has repeatedly avoided providing concrete information, but it's commonly thought to have sold a few million units since the first generation went on sale in fall 2007. The company has argued that giving this information would spoil a competitive advantage. It's increasingly believed the data wouldn't be flattering in the light of sales of the iPad, as the 3.27 million tablets sold in spring may have caught Apple up to Amazon's lifetime results within three months, albeit with many iPad owners have no intention of reading books.

The Kindle e-book store is still estimated to have 61 percent of the market. Most downloads come from Kindle device owners rather than those using apps on other platforms.

By Electronista Staff