New Kindle joins e-reader price wars

SEATTLE - Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday it is introducing a new version of its higher-end Kindle at a lower price as competition among electric-book readers intensifies.

The new version of its Kindle DX has a better screen that will display sharper images.

The large-screen reader with free 3G Wireless will be sold for $379. That's down more than 22 percent from $489 than the price on the previous high-end version.

It can be pre-ordered immediately and will ship on July 7.

Electronic book reader prices wars have been heating up. Last week Amazon.com Inc., based in Seattle, cut the price on its smaller Kindle by $70 to $189 after Barnes & Noble reduced the price of its Nook e-reader by $60 to $199. Both face competition from Apple Inc.'s iPad, which starts at $499.

The Kindle DX, which has a 9.7-inch screen, is about one-third of an inch thick.