Stefan Mileschin

Amazon's latest Kindle - currently rumoured to be in production - may have to be delayed following manufacturing problems related to the front light design.

According to Digitimes, the device could be delayed until later on in the third quarter. The problem is the current generation Kindle doesn't ship with a front light, so users have to find an alternative light source when they're in dimly lit areas. When Barnes & Noble brought out its Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight, Amazon, Digitimes' sources said, felt it needed to revise the look of the Kindle to accomodate and compete.

So far, the expected shipping date has been early third quarter 2012. But reportedly, Amazon has had to halt production on some components shipments.

Not only that, but E Ink - the technology which made the Kindle such a hit in the first place - is tipped to have its shipments halted throughout both July and August so Amazon can work on the problems related to the front light.

This means that E Ink may have to lower its shipments by as many as 1.8 million units, which will, no doubt, leave a nasty taste behind for shareholders.

http://news.techeye.net/hardware/ama...ext-gen-kindle