Amazon Kindle Launch in UK Delayed

Amazon won’t be releasing its Kindle in the UK in time for the holiday season this year, MocoNews reports, due to delays negotiating the complex mass of agreements necessary to make the device work.

Remember that the Kindle’s largest distinguishing feature is its ability to let users buy and download eBooks and other subscriptions directly onto the device, meaning that there’s a cellular data connection running in the background all the time. In the U.S. the Kindle uses Whispernet, which is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) hanging off of Sprint’s data network.

This is one place where the U.S. actually has an advantage, because in Europe there are dozens of carriers involved in all of the different countries. “If you buy a Kindle in the UK and want to read it on the beach on holiday in Spain, unless we have signed deals in Spain it is not going to work on that beach,” said Amazon UK managing director Brian McBride in the report.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.