Amazon Confirms Kindle With Special Offers Shipping Now

Amazon has begun shipping the ad-supported Kindle it announced earlier this month, around a week earlier than expected. The Kindle with Special Offers gives users the opportunity to save $25 off the price of a third-gen WiFi-only Kindle, in return for agreeing to view adverts on the homescreen and sponsored screensavers.

Amazon originally said the subsidized version would ship from May 3, or next Tuesday. Obviously the retailer has decided that readers may want some early distraction from the royal wedding this weekend, however; saying that, there are probably already Wills & Kate ebooks just waiting to be downloaded.

We'll have to wait until Amazon release sales figures – if they ever do – to know how many people are willing to view adds in return for a $25 discount. Frankly, we can't help but think the company should've bitten the bullet and given it a $99 sticker instead.