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Kindle Paperwhite Delayed 4 to 6 Weeks

It was pretty clear Sunday night that pretty much all the reviewers loved the Kindle Paperwhite, and today I’ve learned that clearly customers love it as well. Amazon is now showing that the Kindle Paperwhite has a shipping delay of 4 to 6 weeks.

This is a marked change from just a few days ago. when all the reviews appeared on Sunday night I checked and Amazon was still expecting to ship the KPW the week of the 22nd.

So why the delay? I don’t have any inside info, but clearly demand exceeds supply. And I suspect that this is a manufacturing issue, not just an excess of demand. Last week I reported on a Digitimes rumor that Amazon was having problems manufacturing the KPW, and now it seems that rumor was correct.

If I had to pin it down to a single part, I would bet that the hold up is due the the frontlight and screen assembly. Everything else that goes in the KPW is fairly standard in terms of consumer gadgetry, so it would truly be a surprise if Amazon couldn’t get the cases or logic board made in sufficient quantities.

But the screen is another matter. It’s new (for Amazon’s manufacturing partners, anyway), and that by itself can cause problems, as B&N may have discovered back in May. There were reports at the time that the Nook Glow was having manufacturing issues with the frontlight and screen. While there is no proof that the rumor was true, B&N did report the Nook Glow as being out of stock a few different times in May and June.

In any case, the Kindle Paperwhite should be back in stock some time in November. That would leave plenty of time to order it and get it in time for Christmas.

via Me and My Kindle

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Comments


George October 3, 2012 um 2:20 pm

All I know is that my wife is happy Fed Ex dropped her’s off this morning.

Nate Hoffelder October 3, 2012 um 2:22 pm

Mine isn’t due to arrive until the 16th.

Edit: I just got a ship notice.

Syn October 4, 2012 um 12:01 pm

Me to, mine will be here tomorrow. Originally it was suppose to come the 11th so very happy.

Syn October 21, 2012 um 8:39 pm

Too*


Anne October 3, 2012 um 3:18 pm

They changed from "limit 5" to "limit 2" also. I wonder what impact, if any, this will have on store stock at places such as Staples and Best Buy.

I am SO glad I ordered mine on announcement day.

Nate Hoffelder October 3, 2012 um 3:29 pm

I doubt the chains will have much stock until some time in December. They might not have any until next year.


Greg M. October 3, 2012 um 4:28 pm

I ordered a PW 3G without ads at 1:30 pacific time on Sep 6, so I should have been near the front of the line; the shipping date was originally Oct 11 but now says they’ll email me a shipping date when they have one.

What is shipping are the wifi only models, I think. Now I’d be pissed if ad models jumped the queue; I not sure if there is enough evidence to support that such a belief.

Sherri October 3, 2012 um 4:41 pm

I ordered two PW 3G’s without ads on Sep 6 at 1:10 pm, and both were delivered yesterday. I’m an Amazon Prime member and I upgraded to 1-day shipping for this order, and my estimated arrival date was always Oct. 2. Maybe Prime members jumped the queue?

Syn October 4, 2012 um 12:04 pm

Mine was set for the 11th, wifi, no ads model but it shipped yesterday. I’m also a Prime member but I didn’t upgrade the shipping. It will be here tomorrow.


KarLynP October 3, 2012 um 6:35 pm

I am so anxious for my PW to arrive. FedEx shows it in transit. I keep checking hourly for updates. My estimate is set for Saturday the 6th. Shipping from Toledo to the Bay Area, CA. I wish it would hurry up!!


Greg M. October 3, 2012 um 6:52 pm

I got my shipping notice shortly after posting here. I’m a prime member and it’s Oct 5.


KarLynP October 3, 2012 um 7:54 pm

My order was on Sept 6th at 1:27 p.m. PST. I ordered the PW 3G with ads, standard-shipping only (no prime membership either). ETA is still showing Oct 6th, which is an improvement from the 11th it originally showed. I think people who paid for next-day or two-day shipping are getting theirs now.


Isles October 3, 2012 um 8:35 pm

I ordered the $119 ad-supported model on the first day it was available, right after Amazon posted the order option on its homepage, and I got mine today. The shipping date never changed.

I am a little disappointed with the light distribution at the bottom of the screen, but otherwise it is a great device. I am looking forward to fully testing it out. If anyone else notices that the light quality isn’t exactly as you thought it would be, I’d like to hear from you. If you look at the Paperwhite in the Amazon press conference video, it doesn’t have the shadowy light level issues that I see on my display at the bottom. Is my unit unique, or is there an overall consistency issue?

Sherri October 3, 2012 um 9:38 pm

Mine has noticeable light distribution differences in the bottom half inch of the screen, more than I expected given the rave reviews. Everything else about the device is amazing, though. The touch response is much better than the previous generation Kindle Touch, redisplay feels faster, and the crispness of the display is great. I also got the cover, and I love it; it’s light, the PW snaps snugly into it, and I really like that it puts the device to sleep when I close the cover (even more than I like waking the device when I open the cover!)


Keishon October 3, 2012 um 9:50 pm

@Isles I was reading about the complaints on the screen and no, that is not unique. CNET did a review and showed what the screen looked like with the LED bleeding at the bottom. That doesn’t bother me but like the reviewer said this is bound to bother some people not all.

Isles October 3, 2012 um 10:12 pm

Thanks for the link. I think I will just get used to it, but the advertising led me to believe this was quite different.


Len October 20, 2012 um 7:21 pm

Ordered on Sept 11, and hasnt shipped yet ( Oct 18th -22nd was original est ) I have meanwhile verified others who ordered after I did receiving theirs weeks ago. Yeah, I’m angry….wrote Amazon many times & get polite response but no Kindle and no real explanation other than overwhelming demand ( right! ). Maybe they are taking a page from Apple…no I-phone 5’s in stock and no I-pod fifth gen in stock either.


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