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Kindle Store to Open in Brazil in June

Rumors are coming out of Brazil this week that Amazon is in talks with publishers down there. No one has gone on the record yet, but word has it that the contracts will be signed in March and April, with the Brazilian Kindle  store itself opening in June.

Update: A problem with Google Translate mucked up the price. The rumored local price is 199 Brazilian reals, not US dollars. That coverts to about $115 USD.

When that happens, Amazon is expected to sell the Kindle 4 in Brazil for around $199. No, not the Kindle Fire; I’m talking bout the $109 K4. Brazilian import duties add to the price; right now the K4 costs around R$ 250 if you buy it in Brazil.

 

So, June?

While I don’t know if the date is correct (it might slip); I do believe that Amazon will eventually open a Kindle Store in Brazil. There have been any number of signs that it’s coming, including news that Amazon is hiring managers there. In fact, I think this was one of the markets that they had in mind when they launched the new Kindles back in September.The Kindle 4, which at the time was the only new Kindle available internationally, supported Brazilian Portuguese from the day it shipped.

When they do launch, Amazon will pretty much have the ereader market sown up. A R$  200 Kindle might be expensive to outsiders, but it is cheap compared to a R$ 430 Sony Reader, and it’s considerably lower in price than the Alpha Plus (R$800) ($800). And if Foxconn gets around to building those 5 factories in Brazil, the Kindle will get cheaper.

On the other hand, ereaders are just half the battle.  For Amazon to really dominate the Brazilian ebook market, they will first need to sign publishers, and I don’t know that they will have much luck. Right now the retail giant is not in good odor in the US, and I am sure that Brazilian publishers are reading the same stories we are.

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image by over_kind_man

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Comments


Stella Dauer February 10, 2012 um 10:18 am

Hello, Nate.

There’s a mistake in your text. The rumors said that Kindle could be sell for R$199, not US$199. This number, R$199, represents US$115. This is a happy number, because is more cheap than we expect here!

Despite what was said on the brazilian article, the Sony Reader is not officially sold here, and the name of the other eReader is Positivo Alfa, and its selling price is US$462.

I always read your site, congratulations!
Regards

Nate Hoffelder February 10, 2012 um 10:20 am

Ooh! That’s even better. Thanks!

Stella Dauer February 10, 2012 um 4:20 pm

Cool!


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