Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store.[6] The hardware platform, which Amazon subsidiary Lab126 developed, began as a single device in 2007. Currently, it comprises a range of devices, including e-readers with E Ink electronic paper displays and Kindle applications on all major computing platforms. All Kindle devices integrate with Windows and macOS file systems and Kindle Store content and, as of March 2018, the store had over six million e-books available in the United States.[7]
This article is about Amazon's E Ink e-readers. For the LCD Fire line of tablets that formerly had "Kindle" as a prefix in their names, see Amazon Fire tablet.Developer
Kindle
November 19, 2007
US$399; equivalent to $586 in 2023 (Kindle 1)
Kindle firmware, utilizing Linux kernel[1]
- Kindle 1: 1.2.1
- Kindle 2, DX: 2.5.8
- Kindle Keyboard: 3.4.3
- Kindle 4, 5: 4.1.4
- Kindle Touch: 5.3.7.3
- Kindle Paperwhite 1: 5.6.1.1
- Kindle 7, Paperwhite 2: 5.12.2.2
- Kindle Voyage: 5.13.6
- Kindle 8; Paperwhite 3; Oasis 1, 2: 5.16.2.1.1
- Kindle 10, 11; Paperwhite 4, 5; Oasis 3; Scribe: 5.16.8
32 MB - 512 MB RAM
Flash memory
Internal 256 MB - 64 GB
External SD card 1st gen
- Kindle 1:
6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 4-level grayscale[3] - Kindle 2, 3, 4, 5, Touch, 7, 8:
as Kindle 1 but 16-level grayscale - Kindle 10:
as Kindle 2, 3, 4, 5, Touch, 7, 8 but with LED frontlit - Kindle DX:
9.7-inch (250 mm), 824 × 1200 pixels, 150 PPI density, 16-level grayscale - Kindle Paperwhite 1, 2:
6-inch, 768 × 1024 pixels, 212 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit - Kindle Voyage; Paperwhite 3, 4; Oasis, Kindle 11:
6-inch, 1072 × 1448 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit - Kindle Oasis 2, 3:
7-inch, 1264 × 1680 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit - Kindle Paperwhite 5:
6.8-inch, 1236 × 1648 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit - Kindle Scribe:
10.2-inch, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit
Speakers/3.5 mm headphone jack (Kindle 1, 2, DX, Keyboard, Touch)
USB Audio Adapter (Kindle Voyage, Paperwhite 3)
Bluetooth (8th gen and newer)[4]
Keyboard, scrollwheel, D-pad select models, 2007–2012
Touchscreen select models 2011–2012, all models 2013-present
Stylus Pen Kindle Scribe
None
- Kindle 1:
8.0 in (203 mm) H
5.3 in (135 mm) W
0.8 in (20 mm) D - Kindle 2:
8.0 in (203 mm) H
5.3 in (135 mm) W
0.36 in (9 mm) D - Kindle Keyboard:
7.5 in (191 mm) H
4.8 in (122 mm) W
0.34 in (9 mm) D - Kindle DX:
10.4 in (264 mm) H
7.2 in (183 mm) W
0.38 in (10 mm) D - Kindle Touch:
6.8 in (173 mm) H
4.7 in (119 mm) W
0.40 in (10 mm) D - Kindle 4, 5:
6.5 in (165 mm) H
4.5 in (114 mm) W
0.34 in (9 mm) D - Kindle Paperwhite 1, 2, 3:
6.7 in (170 mm) H
4.6 in (117 mm) W
0.36 in (9 mm) D - Kindle 7:
6.7 in (170 mm) H
4.7 in (119 mm) W
0.40 in (10 mm) D - Kindle Voyage:
6.4 in (163 mm) H
4.5 in (114 mm) W
0.30 in (8 mm) D - Kindle Oasis (no cover):
5.6 in (142 mm) H
4.8 in (122 mm) W
0.13 in (3 mm) D - Kindle Oasis (with cover):
5.6 in (142 mm) H
4.8 in (122 mm) W
0.33 in (8 mm) D - Kindle 8:
6.3 in (160 mm) H
4.5 in (114 mm) W
0.36 in (9 mm) D - Kindle Oasis 2, 3:
6.3 in (160 mm) H
5.6 in (142 mm) W
0.33 in (8 mm) D - Kindle Paperwhite 4:
6.6 in (168 mm) H
4.6 in (117 mm) W
0.32 in (8 mm) D - Kindle 10:
6.3 in (160 mm) H
4.5 in (114 mm) W
0.34 in (9 mm) D - Kindle Paperwhite 5:
6.9 in (175 mm) H
4.9 in (124 mm) W
0.32 in (8 mm) D - Kindle 11:
6.21 in (158 mm) H
4.28 in (109 mm) W
0.315 in (8 mm) D - Kindle Scribe:
7.7 in (196 mm) H
9.0 in (229 mm) W
0.22 in (6 mm) D
- Kindle 1, 2:
10.2 oz (290 g) - Kindle Keyboard 3G:
8.7 oz (247 g) - Kindle Keyboard:
8.5 oz (241 g) - Kindle Touch 3G:
7.8 oz (220 g) - Kindle Touch:
7.5 oz (213 g) - Kindle DX:
18.9 oz (540 g) - Kindle 4, 5:
5.98 oz (170 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 3G:
7.8 oz (222 g) - Kindle Paperwhite:
7.5 oz (213 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 2 3G:
7.6 oz (215 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 2:
7.3 oz (206 g) - Kindle 7:
6.7 oz (191 g) - Kindle Voyage 3G:
6.6 oz (188 g) - Kindle Voyage:
6.3 oz (180 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 3 3G:
7.7 oz (217 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 3:
7.2 oz (205 g) - Kindle Oasis 3G (no cover):
4.7 oz (133 g) - Kindle Oasis (no cover):
4.6 oz (131 g) - Kindle Oasis's cover:
3.8 oz (107 g) - Kindle 8:
5.7 oz (161 g) - Kindle Oasis 2:
6.8 oz (194 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 4 3G:
6.7 oz (191 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 4:
6.4 oz (182 g) - Kindle 10:
6.1 oz (174 g) - Kindle Oasis 3:
6.6 oz (188 g) - Kindle Paperwhite 5:
7.2 oz (205 g) - Kindle 11:
5.6 oz (158 g) - Kindle Scribe:
15.3 oz (433 g)
Naming and evolution[edit]
In 2004, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos instructed the company's employees to build the world's best electronic reader before Amazon's competitors could. Amazon originally used the codename Fiona for the device.[8]
Branding consultants Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma devised the Kindle name. Lab126 asked them to name the product, and they suggested "kindle", meaning to light a fire.[9] They felt this was an apt metaphor for reading and intellectual excitement.[10]
Kindle hardware evolved from the original Kindle introduced in 2007 and the Kindle DX (with its larger 9.7" screen) introduced in 2009. The DX remained the only non-6" eink Kindle device until the 2017 introduction of the Oasis 2. The range included early generation devices with a keyboard (Kindle Keyboard), devices with touch-sensitive, lighted, high-resolution screens (Kindle Paperwhite), early generations of a tablet computer with the Kindle app (Kindle Fire), and low-priced devices with a touch-sensitive screen (Kindle 7). However, the Kindle e-reader has often been a narrow-purpose device for reading rather than being multipurpose hardware that might create distractions while reading. Active Content support was introduced in 2010 only to be dropped from new Kindle devices in late 2014. After the first three generations, the Kindle Fire tablet branding was changed to Amazon Fire in 2014; this name change reflected their wider capabilities as an Android-derived tablet. Other later developments include devices with larger eink displays such as the Kindle Oasis 2 (2017) at 7" and the Paperwhite 5 (2021) at 6.8", as well as a device with a 10.2" screen and Wacom stylus support called the Kindle Scribe (2022). In 2022 Amazon also introduced the 11th gen Kindle with a 300 PPI display, ending the use of the 6" 167 PPI display that had been on every basic Kindle since 2007.
Amazon has also introduced Kindle apps for use on various devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone.[11] Amazon also has a cloud reader to allow users to read e-books using modern web browsers.[12]
The first Kindle
Kindle 2
A Kindle DX underneath a Kindle 2
Kindle DX Graphite
Kindle Keyboard
Official accessories[edit]
Cases[edit]
Several cases and covers have been produced for all Kindle models, with official branded covers from Amazon along with a large third party market of varying designs.
The original Kindle design was bulky and asymmetric[117] designed to be held like a paperback book,[118] with a rubberized rear cover panel for grip. The Kindle 2 was redesigned to be used with an official Amazon leather cover. It had a much thinner chassis with a smooth metal rear cover. Two small slots in the left edge are used to clip into the official case. The Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard) included power pass through via the cover clips, to power a pull-out light.[119] The Kindle 4/5/Touch cover design is form-fit to the Kindle and power for the flip-up light is passed through pogo pins at the bottom of the rear chassis.[120]
With the release of the Kindle Paperwhite in 2012 a light in the cover was no longer necessary. Amazon released a natural leather cover and a plastic back that is form-fitted for the device that weighs 5.6 ounces, removing some of the bulk of the previous lighted covers.[121] The cover closes book-like from the left edge. Magnets activate the sleep/wake function in the Kindle when the front is either closed or opened. The subsequent Amazon covers include this function.
As a cost reduced model, the Kindle 7 (2014) did not have a frontlight and also did not have provisions for powering a cover light. Official Amazon covers were simple and only included sleep/wake functionality and multiple color options.[122]
With the release of the Voyage in 2014, Amazon released two covers made with polyurethane or leather. The Voyage attaches to the rear of the Protective Cover magnetically and the case's cover folds over the top, and the case weighs 4.6 ounces. The case can fold into a stand, propping the Kindle up for hands-free reading.[123]
The Oasis was released in 2016 with a case that added extra battery capacity via a pogo pin connection similar to earlier lighted covers. The case was called the Leather Charging Cover.[124] The subsequent Oasis models removed this feature and used their larger size to include a larger built-in battery.
Covers for the Oasis 2 in 2017 added multiple kinds of material and colors: Fabric became available in Charcoal, Marine Blue, and Punch Red colors, Leather in Black and Merlot colors,[125] and Premium Leather in a distressed brown.[126]
With the release of the Paperwhite 4 in 2018, Amazon released three versions of its cover: a water-safe fabric cover that can withstand brief exposure to water, a standard leather cover and a premium leather cover; these covers all weigh 4 ounces.[127]
Kids Edition bundles often feature covers with whimsical and bright designs. Some include branding or themes to tie in to popular books series such as Warrior Cats.[128] Non-bundled exclusives have also been produced such as a branded covers for The Hunger Games.[129]
Cork was introduced as a new cover material for the Paperwhite 5 in 2021.[130]
The Scribe was released with covers that flip and fold, and also have a loop to securely hold the stylus. The Scribe fits into the covers with magnets. The front flap is held closed or open, either flat or as a kickstand, with magnets. Cut outs on both sides allows the stylus to be magnetically attached to the side of Scribe as normal and with the cover open or closed.
Audio adapter[edit]
In May 2016, Amazon released the official Kindle Audio Adapter for reading e-books aloud via a text-to-speech (TTS) system for the blind and visually impaired.[131] This accessibility accessory, initially supported only for the Paperwhite 3 and Oasis, plugs in the USB port and connects to headphones or speakers. Once connected, the reader uses the Voiceview for Kindle feature to navigate the interface and listen to e-books via TTS. This feature only supports e-books, not audiobooks or music.
Using the accessory reduces the Paperwhite 3's battery life to six hours. As an alternative to the official adapter, a generic USB to audio converter will also work with Voiceview.[132]
Wireless charger[edit]
With the release of the 2021 Paperwhite Signature Edition, Amazon announced the Wireless Charging Dock which supports Qi charging up to 7.5 W.[101]
Reception[edit]
Sales[edit]
Specific Kindle device sales numbers are not released by Amazon; however, according to anonymous inside sources, over three million Kindles had been sold as of December 2009,[189] while external estimates, as of Q4-2009, place the number at about 1.5 million.[190] According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, estimates are ranging around four million, as of mid-2010.[191]
In 2010, Amazon remained the undisputed leader in the e-reader category, accounting for 59% of e-readers shipped, and it gained 14 percentage points in share.[192] According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study from March 2011, sales for all e-book readers worldwide reached 12.8 million in 2010; 48% of them were Kindles.[193] In the last three months of 2010, Amazon announced that in the United States its e-book sales had surpassed sales of paperback books for the first time.[194]
In January 2011, Amazon announced that digital books were outselling their traditional print counterparts for the first time ever on its site, with an average of 115 Kindle editions being sold for every 100 paperback editions.[195] In December 2011, Amazon announced that customers had purchased "well over" one million Kindles per week since the end of November 2011; this includes all available Kindle models and also the Kindle Fire tablet.[196] IDC estimated that the Kindle Fire sold about 4.7 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011.[197] Pacific Crest estimated that the Kindle Fire models sold six million units during Q4 2012.[198]
Morgan Stanley estimates that Amazon sold $3.57 billion worth of Kindle e-readers and tablets in 2012, $4.5 billion in Kindle device sales in 2013 and $5 billion in Kindle device sales in 2014.[199]
Aftermarket[edit]
Working Kindles in good condition can be sold, traded, donated or recycled in the aftermarket. Due to some Kindle devices being limited to use as reading device and the hassle of reselling Kindles, some people choose to donate their Kindle to schools, developing countries, literacy organizations, or charities.[200] "The Kindle Classroom Project" promotes reading by distributing donated Kindles to schools in need.[201] Worldreader and "Develop Africa" ships donated e-readers to schools in developing countries in Africa for educational use.[202][203] "Project Hart" may take donations of e-readers that could be given to people in need.[204]
Whether in good condition or not, Kindles should not be disposed of in normal waste due to the device's electronic ink components and batteries. Instead, Kindles at the end of their useful life should be recycled. In the United States, Amazon runs their own program, 'Take Back', which allows owners to print out a prepaid shipping label, which can be used to return the device for disposal.[205]
Criticism[edit]
Removal of Nineteen Eighty-Four[edit]
On July 17, 2009, Amazon withdrew from sale two e-books by George Orwell, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, refunding the purchase price to those who had bought them, and remotely deleted these titles from purchasers' devices without warning using a backdoor after discovering that the publisher lacked rights to publish these books. The two books were protected by copyright in the United States, but they were in the public domain in Canada, Australia and other countries.[206] Notes and annotations for the books made by users on their devices were left in a separate file but "rendered useless" without the content to which they were directly linked.[206][207] The move prompted outcry and comparisons to Nineteen Eighty-Four itself: in the novel, books, magazines, and newspapers in public archives that contradict the ruling party are either edited long after being published or destroyed outright; the removed materials go "down the memory hole", the nickname for an incinerator chute used in 1984.[208] Customers and commentators noted the resemblance to the censorship in the novel, and described Amazon's action in Orwellian terms. Ars Technica argued that the deletion violated the Kindle's terms of service, which stated in part:[209]