Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon.com. 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. The hardware platform, developed by Amazon subsidiary Lab126, began as a single device and now comprises a range of devices, including e-readers with E Ink electronic paper displays, Android-based tablets with color LCD screens and Kindle applications on all major computing platforms. All Kindle devices integrate with Kindle Store content and as of July 2016, the store has over 4.6 million e-books available in the US.
Devices:
Amazon released the Kindle, its first e-reader,[13] on November 19, 2007, for US$399. It sold out in five and a half hours.[14] The device remained out of stock for five months until late April 2008.[15]
The device features a 6 inches (diagonal) 4-level grayscale display, with 250 MB of internal storage, which can hold approximately 200 non-illustrated titles.[16] It also has a speaker and headphone jack that allows the user to listen to audio files on Kindle.[13] It is the only Kindle with expandable storage, via an SD card slot.
The device's Whispernet feature was co-designed with Qualcomm, and Kindle was the first device to include free US-wide 3G access to download e-books from Amazon's Kindle Store. Amazon did not sell the first generation Kindle outside the US.[16]
Second generation[edit]
Kindle 2[edit]
Kindle 2
On February 10, 2009, Amazon announced the Kindle 2, the second generation Kindle.[17] It became available for purchase on February 23, 2009. The Kindle 2 features a text-to-speech option to read the text aloud, and 2 GB of internal memory of which 1.4 GB is user-accessible. By Amazon's estimates, the Kindle 2 can hold about 1,500 non-illustrated books. Unlike the first generation Kindle, Kindle 2 does not have a slot for SD memory cards.[18] It was slimmer than the original Kindle.[19][20][21] The Kindle 2 features a Freescale 532 MHz, ARM-11 90 nm processor, 32 MB main memory, 2 GB flash memory and a 3.7 V 1,530 mAh lithium polymer battery.[22]
To promote the Kindle 2, in February 2009 author Stephen King made UR, his then-new novella, available exclusively through the Kindle Store.[23]
On July 8, 2009, Amazon reduced price of the Kindle 2 from $359 to $299. On October 7, 2009, Amazon further reduced the price to $259.[24] The Kindle 2 had a manufacturing materials cost estimated at $185.49, in 2009 by iSuppli.[25] On October 22, 2009, Amazon stopped selling the original Kindle 2 in favor of the Kindle 2 international version it had introduced earlier that month.
On November 24, 2009, Amazon released a firmware update for the Kindle 2 that it said increased battery life by 85% and introduced native PDF file support.[26]
Kindle 2 international version[edit]
On October 7, 2009, Amazon announced an international version of the Kindle 2 with the ability to download new titles in over 100 countries. It became available October 19, 2009. The international Kindle 2 is physically very similar to the US-only model, although it uses a different mobile network standard.
The original Kindle 2 used CDMA2000 for use on the Sprint network. The international version used standard GSM and 3G GSM, enabling it to be used on AT&T's U.S. mobile network and internationally in 100 other countries.[27]
The international version of the Kindle 2 is believed to have a noticeably higher contrast screen, although Amazon does not advertise this.[28] Another review done by Gadget lab,[29] disputes this and actually states that the font appears to be fuzzier than that of the first generation kindle. The review goes on to say that changes to the Kindle 2 have made it tougher to read the smaller font sizes that most books use. Some writers discuss how the font size is at times worse than that of the first-generation Kindle.[30] It appears that whether the Kindle 2 is clearer or fuzzier than the prior model depends on the font size. These issues became moot when Amazon sourced a higher contrast E Ink technology it dubbed "E Ink Pearl" and which it used in its subsequent e-readers until the introduction of "E Ink Carta".
On October 22, 2009, Amazon lowered the price on the international version from $279 to $259 and discontinued the US-only model. On June 21, 2010, hours after Barnes & Noble lowered the price of its Nook, Amazon lowered the price of the Kindle 2 to $189.
Kindle DX[edit]
The larger Kindle DX with a Kindle 2
Amazon announced the Kindle DX on May 6, 2009. This device has a larger screen than the standard Kindle and supports PDF files. It has an accelerometer, which enables the user to seamlessly rotate pages between landscape and portrait orientations when the Kindle DX is turned on its side.[31] It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content.[32] The device can only connect to Whispernet in the United States. It can be distinguished from the later International version by a serial number starting with "B004".[33]
Kindle DX international version[edit]
Since January 19, 2010, the Kindle DX international version has shipped to over 100 countries.[34] The Kindle DX international version is the same as the DX, except it has support for international 3G wireless, and its serial number starts with "B005".[33]
Kindle DX (2nd generation)[edit]
Kindle DX Graphite
On July 1, 2010, Amazon released the Kindle DX Graphite, the 2nd generation of the DX. As well as dropping the price from $489 to $379, the newer Kindle DX has an E Ink display with 50% better contrast ratio (due to E Ink Pearl technology) and comes only in a graphite case color. It is speculated the case color change is to improve contrast ratio perception further, as some users found the prior white casing highlighted that the E Ink background is light gray and not white. Like the Kindle DX, it does not have a Wi-Fi connection.[35] Its serial numbers start with "B009".[33] The DX Graphite (DXG) is a mix of third-generation hardware and second-generation software. The CPU is of the same speed as Kindle Keyboard but is a different revision. The DXG has only half the system memory, 128MB, of the Kindle Keyboard. Due to these hardware differences, the DXG runs the same firmware as Kindle 2. Therefore, DXG cannot display international fonts (such as the Cyrillic font, Chinese, or any other non-Latin font), and PDF support and the web browser are limited to the Kindle 2's features. The Kindle DX was withdrawn from sale in October 2012, but in September 2013 was made available again in the US and internationally, with the 3G data free to access the Kindle Store and Wikipedia. Loading personal documents by USB is free, but sending them via 3G is about $1 per megabyte. Its battery life is about one week with 3G on and two weeks with 3G off. Text-to-Speech and MP3 playback are supported.
Third generation[edit]
Kindle Keyboard[edit]
Kindle Keyboard
Amazon announced the third generation Kindle, later renamed "Kindle Keyboard" in September 2011, on July 28, 2010.[36] Amazon began accepting pre-orders for the Kindle Keyboard as soon as it was announced and began shipping the devices on August 27, 2010. On August 25, Amazon announced that the Kindle Keyboard was the fastest-selling Kindle ever.[37] While Amazon does not officially add numbers to the end of each Kindle denoting its generation, reviewers, customers and press companies often referred to this Kindle as the "K3" or the "Kindle 3".[38][39][40] The Kindle Keyboard had a 6 inches (15 cm) screen with a resolution of 600x800 (167 PPI).[41]
The Kindle Keyboard is available in two versions. One of these, the Kindle Wi-Fi, was initially priced at $139 and connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi networks.[36] The other version, called the Kindle 3G, was priced at $189 and includes both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.[36] The built-in free 3G connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use, allowing it to download and purchase content from any location with cell service.[36] The Kindle Keyboard is available in two colors: classic white and graphite. Both versions use a E Ink "Pearl" display, which has a higher contrast than prior displays and a faster refresh rate than prior e-ink displays. However, it remains significantly slower than traditional LCDs.[42] An ad-supported version, the "Kindle with Special Offers" was introduced on May 3, 2011, with a price reduction of $25 less than the no ads version, for $114. On July 13, 2011, Amazon announced that due to a sponsorship agreement with AT&T, the price of the Kindle 3G with ads would be $139, $50 less than the Kindle 3G without ads.
The Kindle Keyboard is 0.5 inches shorter and 0.5 inches narrower than the Kindle 2. It supports additional fonts and international Unicode characters and has a Voice Guide feature with spoken menu navigation. Experimental features include a browser based on the popular WebKit rendering engine (but browser may be limited to 50MB of 3G per month to web sites other than Amazon and Wikipedia in territories outside the United States),[44] Text-to-Speech that can read aloud the text from books and other content, and an MP3 player. Internal memory is expanded to 4 GB, with approximately 3 GB available for user content. Battery life is advertised at up to two months of reading half an hour a day with the wireless turned off, which amounts to roughly 30 hours.[36]
Reception
The Kindle Keyboard generally received good reviews after launch. Review Horizon describes the device as offering "the best reading experience in its class"[45] while Engadget[46] states, "In the standalone category, the Kindle is probably the one to beat".
Kindle 4[edit]
Amazon announced the fourth-generation Kindle on September 28, 2011 ($80 ad supported, $110 no ads). Retaining the 6 inch e-ink display of the previous Kindle model as well as Amazon's experimental web-browsing capability with Wi-Fi, the fourth-generation Kindle features a slight reduction in weight and size[47] in a silver-grey bezel, as well as nine hard keys, a cursor pad, an on-screen rather than physical keyboard, a flash storage capacity of 2 GB, and an estimated one month battery life under ideal reading conditions
Kindle Touch[edit]
Amazon announced a touchscreen Kindle, called the Kindle Touch, on September 28, 2011, available with Wi-Fi ($100 ad-supported, $140 no ads) or Wi-Fi/3G connectivity ($150 ad supported, $190 no ads). Via 3G the device is able to connect to the Kindle Store, download books and periodicals, and access Wikipedia. Experimental web browsing (outside Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over a Wi-Fi connection.[50] (Kindle Keyboard continues without this restriction). The usage of the 3G data is limited to 50MB per month.[51] The device uses the same 6 inch E-ink screen of the previous Kindle model, with the addition of an infrared touch-screen control.[47] Like its predecessor, the Kindle Touch has a capacity of 4 GB and battery life of two months under ideal reading conditions.[52] The Kindle Touch began to ship on November 15, 2011 (U.S. only).[53] Amazon announced in March 2012 that the device would be available in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy on April 27, 2012.[54] The Touch was the first Kindle to support X-Ray, which lists the commonly used character names, locations, themes, or ideas in a book.[55] In January 2013, Amazon released the 5.2.0 firmware that updated the operating system to match the Paperwhite's interface with the Touch's MP3/audiobook capabilities remaining.
Fifth generation
Kindle
Kindle 5
Amazon announced a new version of the regular Kindle on September 6, 2012.[56] The Kindle 5 was released on September 6, 2012 ($70 ad-supported, $90 no ads). The Kindle has a black bezel, in contrast to the Kindle 4 which was available in silver-grey, and has better contrast. Amazon also claims that it has 15% faster page loads. It has a 167 PPI display and was the lightest Kindle at 5.98 oz until 2016's Kindle Oasis.
Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)
The Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation) was announced on September 6, 2012 and released on October 1. It has a 6 in, 212 PPI display (758×1024 resolution) with four built-in LEDs to illuminate the screen. It was available in Wi-Fi ($120 ad-supported, $140 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($180 ad-supported, $200 no ads) models,[56] with the ad-supported options only intended to be available in the United States.[57] The light is one of the main features of the Paperwhite and it has a manually adjusted light level. The 3G access restrictions are the same as the Kindle Touch, and usage of the 3G data is limited to 50 MB per month; additional data can be purchased.[51] Battery life is advertised as up to eight weeks of reading with half an hour per day with wireless off and constant light usage; this usage equals 28 hours.[58] The official leather cover for the Paperwhite uses the hall effect sensor in the device that detects when the cover is closed/opened to turn the screen off/on respectively. This device was the first Kindle to track one's reading speed to estimate when one will finish a chapter or book; this feature was later included with updates to the other Kindles and Kindle Fire tablets. The Kindle Paperwhite lacks physical buttons for page turning and does not perform auto-hyphenation. Except for the lock-screen/power button at its bottom, it relies solely on the touchscreen interface.[59] In November 2012, Amazon released the 5.3.0 update that allowed users to turn off recommended content on the home screen in Grid View (allowing two rows of user content) and included general bug fixes. In March 2014, the Paperwhite 5.4.4 update was released that added Goodreads integration, Kindle FreeTime to restrict usage for children, Cloud Collections for organization and Page Flip for scanning content without losing your place, which closely matched the Paperwhite 2's software features.[60]
The Kindle Paperwhite was released in most major international markets in early 2013, with Japan's version including 4GB of storage, and in China on June 7, 2013; all non-Japan versions have 2GB of storage (1.25GB usable).[61]
Reception[edit]
Engadget praised the Paperwhite, giving it a 92 out of 100. The reviewer liked the front-lit display, high contrast, and useful software features, but did not like that it is less comfortable to hold than the Nook, the starting price includes ads, and it has no expandable storage.[62]
Shortly after release, some users complained about the lighting implementation on the Kindle Paperwhite.[63] While not widespread, some users found the lighting to be inconsistent, causing the bottom edge to cast irregular shadows. Also, some users complained that the light can only be dimmed, not turned off completely.[64]
Sixth generation[edit]
Kindle Paperwhite (2nd generation)[edit]
Kindle Paperwhite 2
Amazon announced the Kindle Paperwhite (2nd generation), marketed as the "All-New Kindle Paperwhite" and colloquially referred to as the Paperwhite 2, on September 3, 2013; the Wi-Fi version was released in the US on September 30, 2013 ($120 ad-supported, $140 no ads), and the 3G/Wi-Fi version was released in the US on November 5, 2013 ($190 ad-supported, $210 no ads). The Paperwhite 2 features a higher contrast E Ink Carta display technology,[65] improved LED illumination, 25% faster processor (1 GHz) that allows for faster page turns, and better response to touch input compared to the original Paperwhite. It has the same 6" screen with 212 PPI, bezel and 28-hour battery life as the original Paperwhite. The software features dictionary/Wikipedia/X-Ray look-up, Page Flip that allows the user to skip ahead or back in the text in a pop-up window and go back to the previous page, and Goodreads social integration.[66]
The Paperwhite 2 uses a similar experimental web browser with the same 3G data usage restrictions as previous Kindles; there are no usage restrictions when using Wi-Fi. The official Amazon leather cover for the Paperwhite 2 is the same item as was used for the original Paperwhite. It turns the screen on or off when it is opened or closed.
The Kindle Paperwhite 2 was released in most major international markets by the middle of 2014 and this released model includes 4GB of storage. As of September 2014, the US version of the Paperwhite 2 includes 4GB of storage while the previous Paperwhite 2 version has 2 GB.
Reception[edit]
Engadget rated the Paperwhite 2 a 93 out of 100, saying while the "all-new" Paperwhite does not offer many new features compared to the original model, but "an improved frontlight and some software tweaks have made an already great reading experience even better."[67]
Seventh generation[edit]
Kindle 7[edit]
Amazon announced an upgraded basic Kindle and the Kindle Voyage on September 18, 2014.[68] The Kindle 7 was released on October 2, 2014 ($80 ad-supported, $100 no ads). It is the first basic Kindle to use a touchscreen for navigating within books and to have a 1 GHz CPU.[69] It is the first basic Kindle available in international markets such as India, Japan and China. Amazon claims that a single charge lasts up to a month if used half an hour a day without using Wi-Fi.
Kindle Voyage[edit]
Kindle Voyage's back
The Kindle Voyage was released on October 21, 2014 in the US. It has a 6-inch, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display, which was the highest resolution and contrast available in e-readers as of 2014[70] with six LEDs with an adaptive light sensor that can automatically illuminate the screen depending on the environment. It is available in Wi-Fi ($200 ad-supported, $220 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($270 ad-supported, $290 no ads) models.[71] Its design features a flush glass screen on the front and the rear has angular, raised plastic edges that house the power button, similar to the Fire HDX. The Voyage uses "PagePress", a navigation system that has sensors on either side of the screen that turns the page when pressed.[72] PagePress may be disabled, but the touchscreen is always active. It has over 3 GB of user storage. Amazon claims it has 6 weeks of battery life if used for 30 minutes per day with wireless disabled and brightness set to 10, which is about 21 hours.
Reception[edit]
The Verge gave the Voyage a 9.1 out of 10, saying that "this is the best E Ink e-reader I've used, and it's unquestionably the best that Amazon has ever made. The thing is, it's only marginally better than the fantastic Paperwhite in several ways, and significantly better in none" and with those differences in mind, disliked how it costs $80 more than the Paperwhite.[73]
Engadget gave the Voyage a 94 out of a 100, stating that while it was "easily the best e-reader that Amazon has ever crafted," it was also the priciest at $199.[74]
Kindle Paperwhite (3rd generation)[edit]
Kindle Paperwhite 3
The Kindle Paperwhite (3rd generation), marketed as the "All-New Kindle Paperwhite" and colloquially referred to as the Paperwhite 3 and Paperwhite 2015, was released on June 30, 2015 in the US. It is available in Wi-Fi ($120 ad supported, $140 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($190 ad-supported, $210 no ads) models. It has a 6-inch, 1440×1080, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display, which is twice the pixels of the original Paperwhite, and has the same touchscreen, four LEDs and size as the previous Paperwhite.[75][76] It has over 3 GB of user storage. This device improved on the display of PDF files, with the possibility to select text and use some functionalities, such as translation on a PDF's text. Amazon claims it has 6 weeks of battery life if used for 30 minutes per day with wireless off and brightness set to 10, which is about 21 hours.
The Paperwhite 3 is the first e-reader to include the Bookerly font, a new font designed by Amazon, and includes updated formatting functions such as hyphenation and improved spacing.[77] The Bookerly font was added to most older models via a firmware update.[78] The official Amazon leather cover for the Paperwhite 3 is the same item as was used with the previous two Paperwhite devices.
On June 30, 2016, Amazon released a white version of the Paperwhite 3 worldwide; the only thing different about this version is the color of the shell.[79]
The Paperwhite 2, Paperwhite 3, Kindle 7, and Voyage received the 5.7.2 update in February 2016 that included a new home screen layout, an OpenDyslexic font choice, improved book recommendations and a new quick actions menu.[80]
Reception[edit]
The Verge gave the Paperwhite 3 a 9.0 out of 10, saying that "The Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people by a wide margin" and liked the high-resolution screen but disliked that there was no adaptive backlight; this is featured on the Kindle Voyage.[81]
Eighth generation[edit]
Kindle Oasis[edit]
Kindle Oasis' one-hand operation
Kindle Oasis
Amazon announced the Kindle Oasis on April 13, 2016 and it was released on April 27, 2016 worldwide.[82] The Kindle Oasis is available in Wi-Fi ($290 ad-supported, $310 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($360 ad-supported, $380 no ads) models.[83] The Oasis has a 6-inch, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display with ten LEDs.[84] Its asymmetrical design features physical page turn buttons on one side and it has an accelerometer so the display can be rotated for one-hand operation with either hand. It has one thicker side that tapers to an edge that is 20% thinner than the Paperwhite. It includes a removable leather battery cover for device protection and increased battery life that is available in either black, walnut (brown) or merlot (red); the cover fits in the tapered edge. The Oasis has 28 hours of battery life if used with the battery cover with Wi-Fi off, however without the cover the Oasis Kindle battery lasts about seven hours. It has nearly 3 GB of user storage. The Oasis includes the Bookerly (serif) font and its is the first Kindle to include the Amazon Ember (sans-serif) font.[85]
Reception[edit]
The Guardian's reviewer praised the Oasis' ease in holding, it weighing next to nothing without the cover attached, its long battery life, excellent screen display, even front lighting, usable page-turn buttons and the luxurious feel of the leather cover, however did not like that it was so expensive, that the battery cover only partially protects the back and it is not waterproof. The reviewer concluded, "...the Paperwhite will likely be all the e-reader most will need, but Oasis is the one you'll want. The Oasis is the Bentley to the Paperwhite’s Golf - both will get the job done, just one is a cut above the other."[86]
The Verge gave the Oasis a 9/10, praising its thinness, its weight next to nothing without the cover and the ability to read with one hand, but did not like that is so expensive, has no adaptive backlight like the Voyage and it is not waterproof.[87]
Kindle 8[edit]
Amazon's upgraded basic Kindle was released on June 22, 2016 in both black and white colors ($80 ad-supported, $100 no ads). The Kindle 8 features a new rounded design that is 0.35 inches (9 mm) shorter, 0.16 inches (4 mm) narrower, 0.043 inches (1.1 mm) thinner, and 1.1 ounces (30 g) (16%) lighter than the previous Kindle 7, and features double the RAM (512MB) of its predecessor. The Kindle 8 is the first Kindle to use Bluetooth that can support VoiceView screen reader software for the seeing impaired. It has the same screen display as the previous Kindle 7, the device has a 167 ppi E Ink Pearl touch-screen display, and Amazon claims it has a four-week battery life and can be fully charged in four hours.[88][89]
LCD versions[edit]
Kindle Fire[edit]
Kindle Fire
Main article: Kindle Fire
Amazon announced Kindle Fire, an Android-based tablet that uses a fork of Android on September 28, 2011. It was released for $199 and has a 7-inch IPS color touchscreen display. This was the first Kindle without an E Ink display. However, unlike previously released Kindles, it has no 3G option, but only Wi-Fi. It has 8 GB of storage and a projected battery life of up to eight hours.[90] In September 2012, the Kindle Fire was refreshed to have more RAM, a faster processor and an updated OS.[91]
Kindle Fire HD[edit]
Main article: Kindle Fire HD
The Kindle Fire HD, announced on September 6, 2012, is the second generation of Amazon's color touchscreen Kindle Fire tablet line. It is available in three form factors, 6 inch, 7 inch and 8.9 inch screen sizes. Both Fire HD were sold at cost.[92] The 7 inch version was released on September 14, while the 8.9 inch model (with either Wi-Fi or 4G model) was released on November 20, 2012. In October 2013, the Kindle Fire HD 7 inch was refreshed to use the Kindle Fire HDX unibody.[91]
In October 2014, Amazon released its next line of Fire HD tablets, officially removing "Kindle" from the device's name.[93]
Kindle Fire HDX[edit]
Main article: Kindle Fire HDX
The Kindle Fire HDX, announced on September 25, 2013, is the third generation of Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet line that initially used Fire OS 3; it is available in 7 inch and 8.9 inch screen sizes and in 32 and 64 GB versions.[91]
In the 2014 refresh of the tablet, it was renamed Fire HDX officially removing the name "Kindle" from that device's name.
Accessories[edit]
Kindle cases[edit]
With the release of the Kindle Paperwhite in 2012, Amazon released the official "Paperwhite Leather Cover" with a natural leather cover and a plastic back that is form-fitted for the device.[94] The cover closes book-like from the left edge. The cover has a sensor that activates the sleep/wake function when it is closed/opened and the case weighs 5.6 ounces.
With the release of the Kindle Voyage in 2014, Amazon released the official "Protective Cover" with either a polyurethane or a leather cover. 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.[95]
Kindle 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.[96] 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.[97]
Kindle applications[edit]
Kindle apps on different devices
Amazon released the Kindle for PC application in late 2009, available for Microsoft Windows systems.[98] This application allows thousands of books to be read on a personal computer in color, with no Kindle unit required, for e-books purchased from Amazon's store.[99] Amazon released a Kindle for Mac app for Apple Macintosh OS X systems in early 2010.[100] In June 2010, Amazon released the Amazon Kindle for Android. After the Android app release, versions for the Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad), and BlackBerry OS phones are also available.[101] In January 2011, Amazon released Kindle for Windows Phone.[102] In July 2011, Kindle for HP TouchPad (running webOS) was released in the US as a beta version.[103] In August 2011, Amazon released an HTML5-based webapp for supported web browsers called Kindle Cloud Reader.[104] In 2013, Amazon has expressed no interest in releasing a separate application for Linux systems; the Cloud Reader can be used on supported browsers in Linux.[105] As of July 2016, there is no Kindle Linux application.
On April 17, 2014, Samsung announced it would discontinue its own e-book store effective July 1, 2014 and it partnered with Amazon to create the Kindle for Samsung app optimized for Samsung Galaxy devices. The app uses Amazon's e-book store and it includes a service that offers a monthly selection of free e-books.[106]
On June 2016, Amazon started to release the new Page Flip feature to the Kindle App and to e-readers released in 2014 or later via software update.[107] This feature allows the user to flip through nine thumbnails of page images at a time.
Kindle sales[edit]
Specific Kindle sales numbers are not released by Amazon.com; however, CEO Jeff Bezos stated in a shareholders' meeting in January 2010 that "millions of people now own Kindles".[108] According to anonymous inside sources, over three million Kindles had been sold as of December 2009,[109] while external estimates, as of Q4-2009, place the number at about 1.5 million.[110] According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, estimates are ranging around four million, as of mid-2010.[111] On March 6, 2011, AT&T stores officially started sales of the Amazon Kindle.[112]
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.[113] 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.[114] 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.[115]
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.[116] 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.[117] IDC estimated that the Kindle Fire sold about 4.7 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011.[118] Pacific Crest estimated that the Kindle Fire models sold six million units during Q4 2012.[119]
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.[120]
Document availability[edit]
Main article: Kindle Store
Content from Amazon's Kindle Store and some other content providers is primarily encoded in Amazon's proprietary Kindle format (AZW and KF8). It is also possible to load content in various formats from a computer by transferring it to the Kindle via a USB cable or by emailing it to a registered email address provided by Amazon (for a fee via 3G, or free via Wi-Fi); the email service can convert a number of document formats to Amazon's AZW format and then transmit the result to the associated Kindle over Whispernet. Amazon also has an application and browser extension called "Send to Kindle," which users can use to convert a web page to a format that can be read on Kindle. In addition to published content, Kindle users can also access the Internet using the experimental web browser, which uses NetFront.[121][122] The Kindle Store's terms of use forbid transferring the store's e-books to another user or a different type of device.[123] However, Amazon allows limited lending of certain titles.[124]
The New Yorker subscribed on a "Kindle Keyboard"
Users can use the Kindle Store to access reading material using the Kindle itself or through a web browser to download content and as of February 2016, there are over 4.3 million e-books available at the store.[125] The store features Kindle Unlimited for unlimited access to over 1.2 million e-books[126] for a monthly fee.
For US customers traveling abroad, Amazon originally charged a $1.99 fee to download e-books over 3G while overseas, but later removed the additional charge. Fees remain for wireless 3G delivery of periodical subscriptions and personal documents, while Wi-Fi delivery has no extra charge.[127]
In addition to the Kindle Store, paid content for the Kindle can be purchased from various independent sources such as Fictionwise, Mobipocket and Baen Ebooks. Public domain titles are also obtainable for the Kindle via content providers such as Project Gutenberg, The Internet Archive, Retroread, and the World Public Library. In 2011, the Kindle Store had more than twice as much paid content as its nearest competitor, Barnes & Noble.[128]
Public libraries that offer books via OverDrive, Inc. also loan titles for the Kindle and Kindle reading apps. Books are checked out from the libra
The Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon.com. 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. The hardware platform, developed by Amazon subsidiary Lab126, began as a single device and now comprises a range of devices, including e-readers with E Ink electronic paper displays, Android-based tablets with color LCD screens and Kindle applications on all major computing platforms. All Kindle devices integrate with Kindle Store content and as of July 2016, the store has over 4.6 million e-books available in the US.
Amazon released the Kindle, its first e-reader,[13] on November 19, 2007, for US$399. It sold out in five and a half hours.[14] The device remained out of stock for five months until late April 2008.[15]
The device features a 6 inches (diagonal) 4-level grayscale display, with 250 MB of internal storage, which can hold approximately 200 non-illustrated titles.[16] It also has a speaker and headphone jack that allows the user to listen to audio files on Kindle.[13] It is the only Kindle with expandable storage, via an SD card slot.
The device's Whispernet feature was co-designed with Qualcomm, and Kindle was the first device to include free US-wide 3G access to download e-books from Amazon's Kindle Store. Amazon did not sell the first generation Kindle outside the US.[16]
Second generation[edit]
Kindle 2[edit]
Kindle 2
To promote the Kindle 2, in February 2009 author Stephen King made UR, his then-new novella, available exclusively through the Kindle Store.[23]
On July 8, 2009, Amazon reduced price of the Kindle 2 from $359 to $299. On October 7, 2009, Amazon further reduced the price to $259.[24] The Kindle 2 had a manufacturing materials cost estimated at $185.49, in 2009 by iSuppli.[25] On October 22, 2009, Amazon stopped selling the original Kindle 2 in favor of the Kindle 2 international version it had introduced earlier that month.
On November 24, 2009, Amazon released a firmware update for the Kindle 2 that it said increased battery life by 85% and introduced native PDF file support.[26]
Kindle 2 international version[edit]
On October 7, 2009, Amazon announced an international version of the Kindle 2 with the ability to download new titles in over 100 countries. It became available October 19, 2009. The international Kindle 2 is physically very similar to the US-only model, although it uses a different mobile network standard.
The original Kindle 2 used CDMA2000 for use on the Sprint network. The international version used standard GSM and 3G GSM, enabling it to be used on AT&T's U.S. mobile network and internationally in 100 other countries.[27]
The international version of the Kindle 2 is believed to have a noticeably higher contrast screen, although Amazon does not advertise this.[28] Another review done by Gadget lab,[29] disputes this and actually states that the font appears to be fuzzier than that of the first generation kindle. The review goes on to say that changes to the Kindle 2 have made it tougher to read the smaller font sizes that most books use. Some writers discuss how the font size is at times worse than that of the first-generation Kindle.[30] It appears that whether the Kindle 2 is clearer or fuzzier than the prior model depends on the font size. These issues became moot when Amazon sourced a higher contrast E Ink technology it dubbed "E Ink Pearl" and which it used in its subsequent e-readers until the introduction of "E Ink Carta".
On October 22, 2009, Amazon lowered the price on the international version from $279 to $259 and discontinued the US-only model. On June 21, 2010, hours after Barnes & Noble lowered the price of its Nook, Amazon lowered the price of the Kindle 2 to $189.
Kindle DX[edit]
The larger Kindle DX with a Kindle 2
Amazon announced the Kindle DX on May 6, 2009. This device has a larger screen than the standard Kindle and supports PDF files. It has an accelerometer, which enables the user to seamlessly rotate pages between landscape and portrait orientations when the Kindle DX is turned on its side.[31] It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content.[32] The device can only connect to Whispernet in the United States. It can be distinguished from the later International version by a serial number starting with "B004".[33]
Kindle DX international version[edit]
Since January 19, 2010, the Kindle DX international version has shipped to over 100 countries.[34] The Kindle DX international version is the same as the DX, except it has support for international 3G wireless, and its serial number starts with "B005".[33]
Kindle DX (2nd generation)[edit]
Kindle DX Graphite
On July 1, 2010, Amazon released the Kindle DX Graphite, the 2nd generation of the DX. As well as dropping the price from $489 to $379, the newer Kindle DX has an E Ink display with 50% better contrast ratio (due to E Ink Pearl technology) and comes only in a graphite case color. It is speculated the case color change is to improve contrast ratio perception further, as some users found the prior white casing highlighted that the E Ink background is light gray and not white. Like the Kindle DX, it does not have a Wi-Fi connection.[35] Its serial numbers start with "B009".[33] The DX Graphite (DXG) is a mix of third-generation hardware and second-generation software. The CPU is of the same speed as Kindle Keyboard but is a different revision. The DXG has only half the system memory, 128MB, of the Kindle Keyboard. Due to these hardware differences, the DXG runs the same firmware as Kindle 2. Therefore, DXG cannot display international fonts (such as the Cyrillic font, Chinese, or any other non-Latin font), and PDF support and the web browser are limited to the Kindle 2's features. The Kindle DX was withdrawn from sale in October 2012, but in September 2013 was made available again in the US and internationally, with the 3G data free to access the Kindle Store and Wikipedia. Loading personal documents by USB is free, but sending them via 3G is about $1 per megabyte. Its battery life is about one week with 3G on and two weeks with 3G off. Text-to-Speech and MP3 playback are supported.
Third generation[edit]
Kindle Keyboard[edit]
Kindle Keyboard
Amazon announced the third generation Kindle, later renamed "Kindle Keyboard" in September 2011, on July 28, 2010.[36] Amazon began accepting pre-orders for the Kindle Keyboard as soon as it was announced and began shipping the devices on August 27, 2010. On August 25, Amazon announced that the Kindle Keyboard was the fastest-selling Kindle ever.[37] While Amazon does not officially add numbers to the end of each Kindle denoting its generation, reviewers, customers and press companies often referred to this Kindle as the "K3" or the "Kindle 3".[38][39][40] The Kindle Keyboard had a 6 inches (15 cm) screen with a resolution of 600x800 (167 PPI).[41]
The Kindle Keyboard is available in two versions. One of these, the Kindle Wi-Fi, was initially priced at $139 and connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi networks.[36] The other version, called the Kindle 3G, was priced at $189 and includes both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.[36] The built-in free 3G connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use, allowing it to download and purchase content from any location with cell service.[36] The Kindle Keyboard is available in two colors: classic white and graphite. Both versions use a E Ink "Pearl" display, which has a higher contrast than prior displays and a faster refresh rate than prior e-ink displays. However, it remains significantly slower than traditional LCDs.[42] An ad-supported version, the "Kindle with Special Offers" was introduced on May 3, 2011, with a price reduction of $25 less than the no ads version, for $114. On July 13, 2011, Amazon announced that due to a sponsorship agreement with AT&T, the price of the Kindle 3G with ads would be $139, $50 less than the Kindle 3G without ads.
The Kindle Keyboard is 0.5 inches shorter and 0.5 inches narrower than the Kindle 2. It supports additional fonts and international Unicode characters and has a Voice Guide feature with spoken menu navigation. Experimental features include a browser based on the popular WebKit rendering engine (but browser may be limited to 50MB of 3G per month to web sites other than Amazon and Wikipedia in territories outside the United States),[44] Text-to-Speech that can read aloud the text from books and other content, and an MP3 player. Internal memory is expanded to 4 GB, with approximately 3 GB available for user content. Battery life is advertised at up to two months of reading half an hour a day with the wireless turned off, which amounts to roughly 30 hours.[36]
Reception
The Kindle Keyboard generally received good reviews after launch. Review Horizon describes the device as offering "the best reading experience in its class"[45] while Engadget[46] states, "In the standalone category, the Kindle is probably the one to beat".
Kindle 4[edit]
Amazon announced the fourth-generation Kindle on September 28, 2011 ($80 ad supported, $110 no ads). Retaining the 6 inch e-ink display of the previous Kindle model as well as Amazon's experimental web-browsing capability with Wi-Fi, the fourth-generation Kindle features a slight reduction in weight and size[47] in a silver-grey bezel, as well as nine hard keys, a cursor pad, an on-screen rather than physical keyboard, a flash storage capacity of 2 GB, and an estimated one month battery life under ideal reading conditions
Kindle Touch[edit]
Amazon announced a touchscreen Kindle, called the Kindle Touch, on September 28, 2011, available with Wi-Fi ($100 ad-supported, $140 no ads) or Wi-Fi/3G connectivity ($150 ad supported, $190 no ads). Via 3G the device is able to connect to the Kindle Store, download books and periodicals, and access Wikipedia. Experimental web browsing (outside Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over a Wi-Fi connection.[50] (Kindle Keyboard continues without this restriction). The usage of the 3G data is limited to 50MB per month.[51] The device uses the same 6 inch E-ink screen of the previous Kindle model, with the addition of an infrared touch-screen control.[47] Like its predecessor, the Kindle Touch has a capacity of 4 GB and battery life of two months under ideal reading conditions.[52] The Kindle Touch began to ship on November 15, 2011 (U.S. only).[53] Amazon announced in March 2012 that the device would be available in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy on April 27, 2012.[54] The Touch was the first Kindle to support X-Ray, which lists the commonly used character names, locations, themes, or ideas in a book.[55] In January 2013, Amazon released the 5.2.0 firmware that updated the operating system to match the Paperwhite's interface with the Touch's MP3/audiobook capabilities remaining.
Fifth generation
Kindle
Kindle 5
Amazon announced a new version of the regular Kindle on September 6, 2012.[56] The Kindle 5 was released on September 6, 2012 ($70 ad-supported, $90 no ads). The Kindle has a black bezel, in contrast to the Kindle 4 which was available in silver-grey, and has better contrast. Amazon also claims that it has 15% faster page loads. It has a 167 PPI display and was the lightest Kindle at 5.98 oz until 2016's Kindle Oasis.
Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)
The Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation) was announced on September 6, 2012 and released on October 1. It has a 6 in, 212 PPI display (758×1024 resolution) with four built-in LEDs to illuminate the screen. It was available in Wi-Fi ($120 ad-supported, $140 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($180 ad-supported, $200 no ads) models,[56] with the ad-supported options only intended to be available in the United States.[57] The light is one of the main features of the Paperwhite and it has a manually adjusted light level. The 3G access restrictions are the same as the Kindle Touch, and usage of the 3G data is limited to 50 MB per month; additional data can be purchased.[51] Battery life is advertised as up to eight weeks of reading with half an hour per day with wireless off and constant light usage; this usage equals 28 hours.[58] The official leather cover for the Paperwhite uses the hall effect sensor in the device that detects when the cover is closed/opened to turn the screen off/on respectively. This device was the first Kindle to track one's reading speed to estimate when one will finish a chapter or book; this feature was later included with updates to the other Kindles and Kindle Fire tablets. The Kindle Paperwhite lacks physical buttons for page turning and does not perform auto-hyphenation. Except for the lock-screen/power button at its bottom, it relies solely on the touchscreen interface.[59] In November 2012, Amazon released the 5.3.0 update that allowed users to turn off recommended content on the home screen in Grid View (allowing two rows of user content) and included general bug fixes. In March 2014, the Paperwhite 5.4.4 update was released that added Goodreads integration, Kindle FreeTime to restrict usage for children, Cloud Collections for organization and Page Flip for scanning content without losing your place, which closely matched the Paperwhite 2's software features.[60]
The Kindle Paperwhite was released in most major international markets in early 2013, with Japan's version including 4GB of storage, and in China on June 7, 2013; all non-Japan versions have 2GB of storage (1.25GB usable).[61]
Reception[edit]
Engadget praised the Paperwhite, giving it a 92 out of 100. The reviewer liked the front-lit display, high contrast, and useful software features, but did not like that it is less comfortable to hold than the Nook, the starting price includes ads, and it has no expandable storage.[62]
Shortly after release, some users complained about the lighting implementation on the Kindle Paperwhite.[63] While not widespread, some users found the lighting to be inconsistent, causing the bottom edge to cast irregular shadows. Also, some users complained that the light can only be dimmed, not turned off completely.[64]
Sixth generation[edit]
Kindle Paperwhite (2nd generation)[edit]
Kindle Paperwhite 2
Amazon announced the Kindle Paperwhite (2nd generation), marketed as the "All-New Kindle Paperwhite" and colloquially referred to as the Paperwhite 2, on September 3, 2013; the Wi-Fi version was released in the US on September 30, 2013 ($120 ad-supported, $140 no ads), and the 3G/Wi-Fi version was released in the US on November 5, 2013 ($190 ad-supported, $210 no ads). The Paperwhite 2 features a higher contrast E Ink Carta display technology,[65] improved LED illumination, 25% faster processor (1 GHz) that allows for faster page turns, and better response to touch input compared to the original Paperwhite. It has the same 6" screen with 212 PPI, bezel and 28-hour battery life as the original Paperwhite. The software features dictionary/Wikipedia/X-Ray look-up, Page Flip that allows the user to skip ahead or back in the text in a pop-up window and go back to the previous page, and Goodreads social integration.[66]
The Paperwhite 2 uses a similar experimental web browser with the same 3G data usage restrictions as previous Kindles; there are no usage restrictions when using Wi-Fi. The official Amazon leather cover for the Paperwhite 2 is the same item as was used for the original Paperwhite. It turns the screen on or off when it is opened or closed.
The Kindle Paperwhite 2 was released in most major international markets by the middle of 2014 and this released model includes 4GB of storage. As of September 2014, the US version of the Paperwhite 2 includes 4GB of storage while the previous Paperwhite 2 version has 2 GB.
Reception[edit]
Engadget rated the Paperwhite 2 a 93 out of 100, saying while the "all-new" Paperwhite does not offer many new features compared to the original model, but "an improved frontlight and some software tweaks have made an already great reading experience even better."[67]
Seventh generation[edit]
Kindle 7[edit]
Amazon announced an upgraded basic Kindle and the Kindle Voyage on September 18, 2014.[68] The Kindle 7 was released on October 2, 2014 ($80 ad-supported, $100 no ads). It is the first basic Kindle to use a touchscreen for navigating within books and to have a 1 GHz CPU.[69] It is the first basic Kindle available in international markets such as India, Japan and China. Amazon claims that a single charge lasts up to a month if used half an hour a day without using Wi-Fi.
Kindle Voyage[edit]
Kindle Voyage's back
The Kindle Voyage was released on October 21, 2014 in the US. It has a 6-inch, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display, which was the highest resolution and contrast available in e-readers as of 2014[70] with six LEDs with an adaptive light sensor that can automatically illuminate the screen depending on the environment. It is available in Wi-Fi ($200 ad-supported, $220 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($270 ad-supported, $290 no ads) models.[71] Its design features a flush glass screen on the front and the rear has angular, raised plastic edges that house the power button, similar to the Fire HDX. The Voyage uses "PagePress", a navigation system that has sensors on either side of the screen that turns the page when pressed.[72] PagePress may be disabled, but the touchscreen is always active. It has over 3 GB of user storage. Amazon claims it has 6 weeks of battery life if used for 30 minutes per day with wireless disabled and brightness set to 10, which is about 21 hours.
Reception[edit]
The Verge gave the Voyage a 9.1 out of 10, saying that "this is the best E Ink e-reader I've used, and it's unquestionably the best that Amazon has ever made. The thing is, it's only marginally better than the fantastic Paperwhite in several ways, and significantly better in none" and with those differences in mind, disliked how it costs $80 more than the Paperwhite.[73]
Engadget gave the Voyage a 94 out of a 100, stating that while it was "easily the best e-reader that Amazon has ever crafted," it was also the priciest at $199.[74]
Kindle Paperwhite (3rd generation)[edit]
Kindle Paperwhite 3
The Kindle Paperwhite (3rd generation), marketed as the "All-New Kindle Paperwhite" and colloquially referred to as the Paperwhite 3 and Paperwhite 2015, was released on June 30, 2015 in the US. It is available in Wi-Fi ($120 ad supported, $140 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($190 ad-supported, $210 no ads) models. It has a 6-inch, 1440×1080, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display, which is twice the pixels of the original Paperwhite, and has the same touchscreen, four LEDs and size as the previous Paperwhite.[75][76] It has over 3 GB of user storage. This device improved on the display of PDF files, with the possibility to select text and use some functionalities, such as translation on a PDF's text. Amazon claims it has 6 weeks of battery life if used for 30 minutes per day with wireless off and brightness set to 10, which is about 21 hours.
The Paperwhite 3 is the first e-reader to include the Bookerly font, a new font designed by Amazon, and includes updated formatting functions such as hyphenation and improved spacing.[77] The Bookerly font was added to most older models via a firmware update.[78] The official Amazon leather cover for the Paperwhite 3 is the same item as was used with the previous two Paperwhite devices.
On June 30, 2016, Amazon released a white version of the Paperwhite 3 worldwide; the only thing different about this version is the color of the shell.[79]
The Paperwhite 2, Paperwhite 3, Kindle 7, and Voyage received the 5.7.2 update in February 2016 that included a new home screen layout, an OpenDyslexic font choice, improved book recommendations and a new quick actions menu.[80]
Reception[edit]
The Verge gave the Paperwhite 3 a 9.0 out of 10, saying that "The Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people by a wide margin" and liked the high-resolution screen but disliked that there was no adaptive backlight; this is featured on the Kindle Voyage.[81]
Eighth generation[edit]
Kindle Oasis[edit]
Kindle Oasis' one-hand operation
Kindle Oasis
Amazon announced the Kindle Oasis on April 13, 2016 and it was released on April 27, 2016 worldwide.[82] The Kindle Oasis is available in Wi-Fi ($290 ad-supported, $310 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($360 ad-supported, $380 no ads) models.[83] The Oasis has a 6-inch, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display with ten LEDs.[84] Its asymmetrical design features physical page turn buttons on one side and it has an accelerometer so the display can be rotated for one-hand operation with either hand. It has one thicker side that tapers to an edge that is 20% thinner than the Paperwhite. It includes a removable leather battery cover for device protection and increased battery life that is available in either black, walnut (brown) or merlot (red); the cover fits in the tapered edge. The Oasis has 28 hours of battery life if used with the battery cover with Wi-Fi off, however without the cover the Oasis Kindle battery lasts about seven hours. It has nearly 3 GB of user storage. The Oasis includes the Bookerly (serif) font and its is the first Kindle to include the Amazon Ember (sans-serif) font.[85]
Reception[edit]
The Guardian's reviewer praised the Oasis' ease in holding, it weighing next to nothing without the cover attached, its long battery life, excellent screen display, even front lighting, usable page-turn buttons and the luxurious feel of the leather cover, however did not like that it was so expensive, that the battery cover only partially protects the back and it is not waterproof. The reviewer concluded, "...the Paperwhite will likely be all the e-reader most will need, but Oasis is the one you'll want. The Oasis is the Bentley to the Paperwhite’s Golf - both will get the job done, just one is a cut above the other."[86]
The Verge gave the Oasis a 9/10, praising its thinness, its weight next to nothing without the cover and the ability to read with one hand, but did not like that is so expensive, has no adaptive backlight like the Voyage and it is not waterproof.[87]
Kindle 8[edit]
Amazon's upgraded basic Kindle was released on June 22, 2016 in both black and white colors ($80 ad-supported, $100 no ads). The Kindle 8 features a new rounded design that is 0.35 inches (9 mm) shorter, 0.16 inches (4 mm) narrower, 0.043 inches (1.1 mm) thinner, and 1.1 ounces (30 g) (16%) lighter than the previous Kindle 7, and features double the RAM (512MB) of its predecessor. The Kindle 8 is the first Kindle to use Bluetooth that can support VoiceView screen reader software for the seeing impaired. It has the same screen display as the previous Kindle 7, the device has a 167 ppi E Ink Pearl touch-screen display, and Amazon claims it has a four-week battery life and can be fully charged in four hours.[88][89]
LCD versions[edit]
Kindle Fire[edit]
Kindle Fire
Main article: Kindle Fire
Amazon announced Kindle Fire, an Android-based tablet that uses a fork of Android on September 28, 2011. It was released for $199 and has a 7-inch IPS color touchscreen display. This was the first Kindle without an E Ink display. However, unlike previously released Kindles, it has no 3G option, but only Wi-Fi. It has 8 GB of storage and a projected battery life of up to eight hours.[90] In September 2012, the Kindle Fire was refreshed to have more RAM, a faster processor and an updated OS.[91]
Kindle Fire HD[edit]
Main article: Kindle Fire HD
The Kindle Fire HD, announced on September 6, 2012, is the second generation of Amazon's color touchscreen Kindle Fire tablet line. It is available in three form factors, 6 inch, 7 inch and 8.9 inch screen sizes. Both Fire HD were sold at cost.[92] The 7 inch version was released on September 14, while the 8.9 inch model (with either Wi-Fi or 4G model) was released on November 20, 2012. In October 2013, the Kindle Fire HD 7 inch was refreshed to use the Kindle Fire HDX unibody.[91]
In October 2014, Amazon released its next line of Fire HD tablets, officially removing "Kindle" from the device's name.[93]
Kindle Fire HDX[edit]
Main article: Kindle Fire HDX
The Kindle Fire HDX, announced on September 25, 2013, is the third generation of Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet line that initially used Fire OS 3; it is available in 7 inch and 8.9 inch screen sizes and in 32 and 64 GB versions.[91]
In the 2014 refresh of the tablet, it was renamed Fire HDX officially removing the name "Kindle" from that device's name.
Accessories[edit]
Kindle cases[edit]
With the release of the Kindle Paperwhite in 2012, Amazon released the official "Paperwhite Leather Cover" with a natural leather cover and a plastic back that is form-fitted for the device.[94] The cover closes book-like from the left edge. The cover has a sensor that activates the sleep/wake function when it is closed/opened and the case weighs 5.6 ounces.
With the release of the Kindle Voyage in 2014, Amazon released the official "Protective Cover" with either a polyurethane or a leather cover. 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.[95]
Kindle 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.[96] 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.[97]
Kindle applications[edit]
Kindle apps on different devices
Amazon released the Kindle for PC application in late 2009, available for Microsoft Windows systems.[98] This application allows thousands of books to be read on a personal computer in color, with no Kindle unit required, for e-books purchased from Amazon's store.[99] Amazon released a Kindle for Mac app for Apple Macintosh OS X systems in early 2010.[100] In June 2010, Amazon released the Amazon Kindle for Android. After the Android app release, versions for the Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad), and BlackBerry OS phones are also available.[101] In January 2011, Amazon released Kindle for Windows Phone.[102] In July 2011, Kindle for HP TouchPad (running webOS) was released in the US as a beta version.[103] In August 2011, Amazon released an HTML5-based webapp for supported web browsers called Kindle Cloud Reader.[104] In 2013, Amazon has expressed no interest in releasing a separate application for Linux systems; the Cloud Reader can be used on supported browsers in Linux.[105] As of July 2016, there is no Kindle Linux application.
On April 17, 2014, Samsung announced it would discontinue its own e-book store effective July 1, 2014 and it partnered with Amazon to create the Kindle for Samsung app optimized for Samsung Galaxy devices. The app uses Amazon's e-book store and it includes a service that offers a monthly selection of free e-books.[106]
On June 2016, Amazon started to release the new Page Flip feature to the Kindle App and to e-readers released in 2014 or later via software update.[107] This feature allows the user to flip through nine thumbnails of page images at a time.
Kindle sales[edit]
Specific Kindle sales numbers are not released by Amazon.com; however, CEO Jeff Bezos stated in a shareholders' meeting in January 2010 that "millions of people now own Kindles".[108] According to anonymous inside sources, over three million Kindles had been sold as of December 2009,[109] while external estimates, as of Q4-2009, place the number at about 1.5 million.[110] According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, estimates are ranging around four million, as of mid-2010.[111] On March 6, 2011, AT&T stores officially started sales of the Amazon Kindle.[112]
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.[113] 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.[114] 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.[115]
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.[116] 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.[117] IDC estimated that the Kindle Fire sold about 4.7 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011.[118] Pacific Crest estimated that the Kindle Fire models sold six million units during Q4 2012.[119]
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.[120]
Document availability[edit]
Main article: Kindle Store
Content from Amazon's Kindle Store and some other content providers is primarily encoded in Amazon's proprietary Kindle format (AZW and KF8). It is also possible to load content in various formats from a computer by transferring it to the Kindle via a USB cable or by emailing it to a registered email address provided by Amazon (for a fee via 3G, or free via Wi-Fi); the email service can convert a number of document formats to Amazon's AZW format and then transmit the result to the associated Kindle over Whispernet. Amazon also has an application and browser extension called "Send to Kindle," which users can use to convert a web page to a format that can be read on Kindle. In addition to published content, Kindle users can also access the Internet using the experimental web browser, which uses NetFront.[121][122] The Kindle Store's terms of use forbid transferring the store's e-books to another user or a different type of device.[123] However, Amazon allows limited lending of certain titles.[124]
The New Yorker subscribed on a "Kindle Keyboard"
Users can use the Kindle Store to access reading material using the Kindle itself or through a web browser to download content and as of February 2016, there are over 4.3 million e-books available at the store.[125] The store features Kindle Unlimited for unlimited access to over 1.2 million e-books[126] for a monthly fee.
For US customers traveling abroad, Amazon originally charged a $1.99 fee to download e-books over 3G while overseas, but later removed the additional charge. Fees remain for wireless 3G delivery of periodical subscriptions and personal documents, while Wi-Fi delivery has no extra charge.[127]
In addition to the Kindle Store, paid content for the Kindle can be purchased from various independent sources such as Fictionwise, Mobipocket and Baen Ebooks. Public domain titles are also obtainable for the Kindle via content providers such as Project Gutenberg, The Internet Archive, Retroread, and the World Public Library. In 2011, the Kindle Store had more than twice as much paid content as its nearest competitor, Barnes & Noble.[128]
Public libraries that offer books via OverDrive, Inc. also loan titles for the Kindle and Kindle reading apps. Books are checked out from the libra
