# Amazon Kindle
**Amazon Kindle** is a line of e-readers and an associated e-book ecosystem developed and sold by Amazon, first introduced on November 19, 2007 after three years of development.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/kindle-at-10) The devices use electronic ink displays that present text like printed ink on paper, and they connect to the Kindle Store, Amazon's marketplace for e-books.[2](https://kindle.s3.amazonaws.com/UserGuide/Paperwhite_V2/Kindle_Paperwhite_V2_UserGuide_US.pdf) Amazon's stated vision at launch was "every book ever printed in any language, all available in less than 60 seconds."[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/kindle-at-10)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First launch | November 19, 2007, after three years of development[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/kindle-at-10) |
| Early market position | Upwards of 90% of the e-book market and 60% of the e-reader market by summer 2009[3](https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2012/10/e-books-developments-and-policy-considerations_g17a21ce/5k912zxg5svh-en.pdf) |
| Best-selling model | Kindle Paperwhite, introduced in 2012, Amazon's best-selling Kindle[4](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/which-kindle-to-buy?_amp=true) |
| Recent growth | Double-digit global growth for three consecutive years, with over 720 billion pages read in 2025[5](https://www.aboutamazon.es/noticias/dispositivos/amazon-presenta-gama-kindle-redisenada) |
| Subscription | Kindle Unlimited, offering unlimited reading of over 600,000 Kindle books and thousands of Audible audiobooks for $9.99 a month[6](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/a-look-back-at-10-years-of-the-amazon-kindle) |
## History
Amazon introduced the first Kindle in November 2007. CEO [Jeff Bezos](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-bezos) described the design goal as for the device "to disappear in your hands, to get out of the way, so you can enjoy your reading."[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/kindle-at-10) On the same day, Amazon launched its self-publishing service, then called Digital Text Platform and later renamed [Kindle Direct Publishing](https://www.edgepedia.org/kindle-direct-publishing) (KDP).[6](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/a-look-back-at-10-years-of-the-amazon-kindle) • [7](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/amazon-self-publishing-empowers-authors) Pre-launch press coverage in September 2007 reported that the product would be called "The Kindle" and would compete directly with Sony's e-reader.[8](https://techcrunch.com/2007/09/06/amazon-google-to-enter-ebook-business/)
The launch was commercially effective. According to an OECD report, between the November 2007 launch and the summer of 2009 Amazon captured upwards of 90% of the e-book market and 60% of the e-reader market by adhering to a wholesale model similar to the one it used for printed books.[3](https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2012/10/e-books-developments-and-policy-considerations_g17a21ce/5k912zxg5svh-en.pdf)
## Device line
The Kindle line has expanded into several tiers. The **Kindle Paperwhite**, introduced in 2012, became Amazon's best-selling Kindle model.[4](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/which-kindle-to-buy?_amp=true) The 2024 Paperwhite carries a 7-inch E Ink Carta 1300 screen described as sharp with good contrast, and Tom's Guide's review credited it with 12 weeks of battery life and a 4.5-star rating.[9](https://www.techradar.com/news/best-kindle) • [10](https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/e-readers/prime-day-kindle-deals-end-today-heres-every-e-reader-deal-i-recommend) A pricier Paperwhite model steps up to a 7-inch screen at 300 ppi with no glare, 32 GB of storage, Qi wireless charging, and a front light that adjusts automatically.[11](https://www.techradar.com/live/news/prime-big-deal-days-sale-amazon-us-2026-day-two)
Other models include the **Kindle Scribe**, a larger device that supports writing with a stylus, where battery life depends on how much the owner writes.[9](https://www.techradar.com/news/best-kindle) • [12](https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/after-testing-over-a-dozen-digital-notebooks-ive-realized-that-the-stylus-is-the-real-mvp-in-the-e-ink-tablet-equation) Color E Ink models exist in the lineup, such as the Kindle Colorsoft, though color displays render text slightly less crisply than black-and-white ones.[13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFZuyjOKvaE) • [14](https://penrift.com/blog/kindle-vs-kobo-ereaders/)
In October 2026 Amazon announced a completely redesigned Kindle family, which it called its most redesigned series in years. The new 6-inch base Kindle is the most compact and pocketable the company has made, and the new Paperwhite 2026 at $249 is thinner and lighter than its predecessor.[5](https://www.aboutamazon.es/noticias/dispositivos/amazon-presenta-gama-kindle-redisenada) • [15](https://www.androidcentral.com/tablets/kindle/users-find-a-weird-issue-with-the-kindle-2026-amazon-says-it-was-expected) • [10](https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/e-readers/prime-day-kindle-deals-end-today-heres-every-e-reader-deal-i-recommend)
## Ecosystem
The Kindle hardware is tied to a set of Amazon services. The **Kindle Store** sells e-books over Wi-Fi, and Amazon states it offers more than 12 million eBooks that are fully accessible to screen readers and refreshable braille displays.[16](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/what-to-buy/a71602854/kindle-versus-kindle-paperwhite/) • [17](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/kindle-accessibility-features-for-all-readers) **Kindle Unlimited** is Amazon's subscription service for avid readers, which at its launch gave subscribers unlimited access to over 600,000 Kindle books and thousands of Audible audiobooks for $9.99 a month.[6](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/a-look-back-at-10-years-of-the-amazon-kindle) • [9](https://www.techradar.com/news/best-kindle)
**Kindle Direct Publishing** lets authors self-publish to the store; since 2007 it has supported millions of self-publishing careers, according to Amazon.[7](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/amazon-self-publishing-empowers-authors) Publishing policy on the platform continues to change: as of January 20, 2026, DRM-free Kindle books gained a capability that DRM-protected books lack, visible to buyers, while books obtained through Kindle Unlimited or other borrowing services cannot be downloaded as files even when DRM-free.[18](https://kdpmetric.com/articles/kdp-drm-decision/)
The Kindle Unlimited catalog has also drawn attention as the dominant platform for self-published e-books; a 2026 study of more than 14,000 Kindle e-books examined AI-generated text in the market and found that revenue per book sold fell across most genres where AI diffusion was high, most of all where Kindle Unlimited availability was high.[19](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/07/daggermouth-novel-bestseller-ai/688067/) • [20](https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.20349)
## Accessibility
Amazon positions accessibility as a long-standing commitment across Kindle devices and the Kindle app. Its most recent feature, **Assistive Reader**, offers text-to-speech audio with synchronized highlighting on the Kindle app for iOS, Android, and Fire tablets, as well as current-generation Kindle devices, aimed at readers with dyslexia or other disabilities.[17](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/kindle-accessibility-features-for-all-readers) Kindle devices also support visual customization of text, and in-book notes remain anchored to their page location even when font size, font style, or layout changes.[4](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/which-kindle-to-buy?_amp=true)
## Market position and support lifecycle
Kindle remains the reference point in e-reader comparisons with competitors such as Kobo, and reviewers note that Kindles connect to Wi-Fi for access to the Kindle Store's catalog.[14](https://penrift.com/blog/kindle-vs-kobo-ereaders/) • [16](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/what-to-buy/a71602854/kindle-versus-kindle-paperwhite/) Amazon reports double-digit global growth for three consecutive years, with more than 720 billion pages read in 2025 alone.[5](https://www.aboutamazon.es/noticias/dispositivos/amazon-presenta-gama-kindle-redisenada)
The hardware lifecycle has limits.
## References
1. [Kindle at 10, About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/kindle-at-10)
2. [Kindle User's Guide (Paperwhite), Amazon](https://kindle.s3.amazonaws.com/UserGuide/Paperwhite_V2/Kindle_Paperwhite_V2_UserGuide_US.pdf)
3. [E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations, OECD](https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2012/10/e-books-developments-and-policy-considerations_g17a21ce/5k912zxg5svh-en.pdf)
4. [Kindle buying guide, About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/which-kindle-to-buy?_amp=true)
5. [Amazon presenta una gama Kindle completamente rediseñada, About Amazon España](https://www.aboutamazon.es/noticias/dispositivos/amazon-presenta-gama-kindle-redisenada)
6. [A look back at 10 years of the Amazon Kindle, About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/a-look-back-at-10-years-of-the-amazon-kindle)
7. [How Amazon's self-publishing service has empowered authors, About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/amazon-self-publishing-empowers-authors)
8. [Amazon & Google To Enter eBook Business, TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2007/09/06/amazon-google-to-enter-ebook-business/)
9. [The best Kindle in 2026, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/news/best-kindle)
10. [Prime Day Kindle deals end today, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/e-readers/prime-day-kindle-deals-end-today-heres-every-e-reader-deal-i-recommend)
11. [Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/live/news/prime-big-deal-days-sale-amazon-us-2026-day-two)
12. [The stylus is the real MVP in the e-ink tablet equation, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/after-testing-over-a-dozen-digital-notebooks-ive-realized-that-the-stylus-is-the-real-mvp-in-the-e-ink-tablet-equation)
13. [AMAZON CERTIFIES NEW KINDLES, YouTube (Seu Amigo Escritor)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFZuyjOKvaE)
14. [Kindle vs Kobo: Which E-Reader Should You Buy?, Penrift](https://penrift.com/blog/kindle-vs-kobo-ereaders/)
15. [Users find a weird issue with the Kindle 2026, Android Central](https://www.androidcentral.com/tablets/kindle/users-find-a-weird-issue-with-the-kindle-2026-amazon-says-it-was-expected)
16. [Kindle vs. Paperwhite: We Tested Both, Good Housekeeping](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/what-to-buy/a71602854/kindle-versus-kindle-paperwhite/)
17. [Kindle accessibility features, About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/kindle-accessibility-features-for-all-readers)
18. [Should You Apply DRM to Your Kindle Book? What Changed on 20 January 2026, KDP Metric](https://kdpmetric.com/articles/kdp-drm-decision/)
19. [Is This What Comes After AI Slop?, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/07/daggermouth-novel-bestseller-ai/688067/)
20. [Generative AI floods and dilutes the market for books, arXiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.20349)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Communications and everyday technology › Consumer electronics and devices › Home and personal electronics*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license