Amazon.com said on Thursday its Kindle Fire tablet
computer is sold out, raising expectations that the
Internet retailer will launch at least one new version of
the device at an event next week.
Less than one year ago, Amazon introduced Kindle Fire.
Kindle Fire quickly became the most successful product
launch in the history of Amazon.com and is the #1
best-selling product across the millions of items available
on Amazon since its introduction 48 weeks ago. Today,
Amazon announced that Kindle Fire is sold out, and that in
just nine months, Kindle Fire has captured 22% of tablet
sales in the U.S.
Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said the 7-inch Kindle
Fire has grabbed 22 percent of U.S. tablet sales since it
hit stores in November at $199, well below the price of
Apple's market-leading iPad.
Amazon is holding a media event on September 6 in Santa
Monica, California, fueling speculation that it will launch
new tablet devices.
A week after Amazon's event, Apple is planning a news
conference where it is expected to unveil a new version of
its iPhone. However, some analysts also expect Apple to
launch a smaller tablet this year to compete with the
cheaper Kindle Fire.