Hot Type: New Kindle from Amazon Due Feb. 9?

The Web is a-buzz with the speculation that a new version of Amazon.com’s Kindle e-reader will hit the e-shelves on Feb 9. Variously, it’s reputed to have a thinner design, a touchscreen, cheaper price tag, longer battery life, better navigation, faster screen refreshes and maybe a strand of unicorn hair in the chipset.

Whatever the case, Amazon’s not talking. But invitations to a non-purpose-specific Feb. 9 event were leaked to the media, to be held at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. CEO Jeff Bezos is hosting: that portends a major launch. And Amazon has said a Kindle 2.0 will launch sometime this year.

The Kindle, which debuted in November 2007, has been sold out since before the holidays. It carries an interesting model: The $359 connected device runs on Amazon’s Sprint-Nextel Corp.’s MVNO, Whispernet, the use of which is free to Kindle owners. Books downloaded over the air to the device cost at most $9.95 for new releases and best sellers.

Like Apple with its App Store, Amazon won’t talk sales numbers. But Mark Mahaney, director of Internet research at Citigroup, estimates that Amazon sold about 400,000 Kindle units in 2008 and that the overall initiative will translate into $1 billion to the e-tailer's bottom line through next year. "It's pretty clear this is the iPod of the book world," he said.

Amazon does have competition, that given the Kindle’s sold-out status could be wolves at the door. The Sony Reader, for instance, launched in October and goes for $400.

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