News Analysis: The Amazon Kindle is selling extremely well. Although some may wonder if Apple will take down the e-reader next year, it seems more likely now than ever that it will fare just fine.
Amazon.com
announced Dec. 27 that the company's third-generation Kindle is now the top-selling product
it has ever offered. With that news, some in the tech industry were undoubtedly
taken aback, especially considering that Apple, the company that typically wins
out in battles over consumer electronics, hasn't been able to outright dominate
the Kindle.
Of
course, that hasn't stopped the naysayers from coming out and saying the Kindle
won't be able to repeat its success in 2011. It's a mantra that the market has
been hearing for quite some time. And, in each case, those who deny Amazon's
chances of performing well are proved wrong. Going into next year, all the
naysayers will likely experience the same result.
Read
on to find out why 2011 will be an even better year for Amazon and its Kindle.
1.
Sales are up
Sales
are usually the best indicator of whether a device will have a solid future. At
least when it comes to the Kindle,
sales remain
remarkably strong. Considering the 3G e-reader is now the top-selling
product on Amazon.com, there's no reason to suggest that won't continue going
into 2011. The Kindle has struck a chord with consumers, and that won't change
in a matter of months.
2.
E-readers are hot
Although
they're distracted by so many other options, consumers around the world still
love to read. The only difference is that more people are doing it with
e-readers these days than they used to. That might be a problem for book
publishers, but it's good news for Amazon. As the market continues to move
toward e-readers-Gartner expects better than 68 percent growth in 2011 alone-the
Kindle will be well-positioned for continued growth in 2011.
3.
The iPad is helping
Although the iPad is a competitor to the Kindle,
it's ironically helping Amazon sell more e-readers. When Apple first announced
its tablet and showed off iBooks, it made the mainstream pay more attention to
the e-reader market. Although many of those folks opted for the iPad, there
were still many others who saw value in e-books but opted for Amazon's product
simply because it was more affordable (and has received high marks from
reviewers).
4.
Remember the mobile app
Amazon
is offering more than just an e-reader to consumers. In fact, owners of
smartphones and tablets can download Amazon's mobile application, allowing them
to choose from and read the online retailer's collection of books on their
respective devices. That doesn't necessarily help Kindle sales, but if nothing
else, it keeps Amazon relevant in the e-book market. That could actually help
drive stronger sales of future Kindle models.
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