20 Kindle 3.0 Predictions and Feature Requests

So we didn’t get the Kindle upgrade most of us where hoping for this year. Sure. International Kindle and Kindle DX are both very decent e-readers to own but the rumors of color screen Kindles didn’t come true this year. Considering that Nook and other e-book readers are taking the game to Amazon, Amazon won’t be getting away with a minor upgrade as far as Kindle 3.0 is concerned. So expect big things from Amazon in 2010. Of course, we did expect big things this year and while we got some good things, Amazon did not completely wow us. It’s now time for our Kindle 3.0 predictions yet again. Let’s see whether Amazon steps up:

1. Product Design: Kindle 3.0 will finally get a major design upgrade. Kindle 2.0 was well designed but it still has some issues. Besides, it’s time for Amazon to refresh things up.
2. Color Screen: it’s about time. If Amazon doesn’t do it soon, someone else will.
3. Book Lending Feature: Nook already has this feature. It’s not perfect but a good start. Expect Amazon to at least make an effort to offer something similar.
4. Navigation: I am sure Amazon has been taking a look at what Nook offers when it comes to content navigation. I don’t expect Amazon to copy it completely, but Kindle has room for improvement in that department.
5. Kindle 2 Kindle: Amazon has not pursued this idea in the past. But the idea still has some merit.
6. Kindle In Physical Stores: B&N will be selling Nook in its physical stores. We have been hearing about Amazon planning physical stores. Will we finally see Amazon Kindles in stores? 2010 would be a good time to start.
7. Platform Expansion: expect Amazon to expand its reach to more platforms. Kindle is already on iPhone, and you can read your books on your PC as well. More platforms will be supported by the time Kindle 3 is released.
8. Content Distribution: I expect Amazon to work hard on adding titles to its content bank and form partnerships with content providers to bring more content to Kindle owners. Not hard to predict.
9. App Platform: I still believe this is going to be the strategy that pushes Kindle to the next level. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that there is a market for 3rd party Kindle apps. Amazon has waited a long time, and its time is running out considering that Android e-book readers may gain more traction in 2010.
10. Subscription Service: it’s about time Amazon developed a book subscription service for Kindle (e.g. read 30 books for $30 a month). Amazon may be confident about selling a lot of e-books, but that doesn’t mean it should ignore other ways to make content available to Kindle owners.
11. Premium Service: there are a lot of people who wouldn’t want to pay a monthly fee to use their Kindle. Amazon can offer a premium plan for Kindle owners who do want to get premium services on their Kindle (premium content and more). The same concept could be used to target business users as well.
12. Dynamic Content: we have been hearing about publishers who are not happy with the way their content is being displayed on Amazon Kindle and other e-book readers. It’s about time Amazon supported more dynamic content on Amazon Kindle.
13. Video-Books: why video books (training videos) don’t get too much respect is beyond me. But if Kindle provides supports for audio-books, shouldn’t it also support video-books?
14. Content Management: when I posted my predictions for Kindle DX, many have got back to me and suggested the idea of “folders.” I suspect Amazon will make managing your documents much more easier.
15. WiFi: Amazon should have had this feature from the get go. But it’s never too late.
16. Voice Recorder: wouldn’t it be nice if you could record audio-notes on your Kindle?
17. Social Media Integration: have you heard of Twitter, Facebook, and niche social media services for book junkies? Amazon should introduce Kindle apps for these services. Will it? That’s another story.
18. Kindle GPS: I still remember playing with my Kindle 1 and its hidden features. But it’d be nice if Amazon really worked on offering location-based services on Kindle.
19. Fashion: I don’t expect Amazon to focus too much on this issue, but it’s not hard to imagine Amazon selling black Kindles in the future.
20. Payment plan: I have seen Nintendo Wii, PS3, and digital cameras being sold with a flexible payment plan on Amazon. Will Amazon let more people get their hands on Kindle 3 by offering flexible financing on the device?

Please add your ideas below.