when did kindle voyage come out

Looks like Amazon finally has ended the Kindle Voyage's...voyage

Make way for the Oasis

Amazon 's previously top-end, high-spec Kindle Voyage has now disappeared from the official retailer's site, so now you can only buy refurbished versions of the premium reader.

The website notes the "item is only available from third-party sellers" plus the retailer has told TechCrunch “that customer response to Kindle Voyage has been incredibly positive and we’ve sold out.” 

Exactly what that means for the Kindle Voyage line remains to be seen. It may be the company is readying itself for a new version of the ereader to be released so is selling through the last of its stock.

It's perhaps just as likely the company has decided to drop the line of ereaders from its collection of Kindle devices, seeing as it's since been superseded by the Kindle Oasis .

The Voyage is complete

Currently the lineup of ereaders in price order from the company are the Kindle , Kindle Paperwhite , Kindle Voyage and Kindle Oasis . 

The Kindle Voyage was introduced in 2014 as the high-spec bookworm-friendly device, but it has always felt odd to keep it around since the even higher-end Kindle Oasis was introduced in 2016.

The Kindle Voyage has arguably been redundant in the range since the end of 2016 when the Oasis came to market, and the fact we're on generation 2 of the Oasis product it feels like the company is ultimately focusing on that range in the future.

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If you're desperate to get a Kindle Voyage before this iteration at least is properly discontinued, you'll have to head over to some third-party retailers to find it.

• Best Kindle: which is made for you?

James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.

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Amazon Kindle Voyage review: Amazon's second best e-reader

Although it's pricey, the Kindle Voyage's slim design, sharper display and even better lighting make it an attractive high-end e-book reader.

• Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer

In recent years, Amazon's mantra for its tablets and e-readers has been to build "premium products at nonpremium prices." So it surprised some people when the company went ahead and built a premium e-reader, the Kindle Voyage, for a pretty premium price. It starts at $199 in the US and £169 in the UK for the Wi-Fi version.

Amazon Kindle Voyage

The bottom line.

A step-up version with "free" 3G is also available for $269 or £229. In the US, both models require an additional $20 charge to remove the embedded ads on the home screen and lock screen (in the UK, there is no cheaper ad-supported version). The Voyage is available for preorder now, and ships the week of November 23 in the US and November 4 in the UK.

In Australia, the Voyage has just gone on sale as of May 1, 2015. Only the Wi-Fi version is available and it's going to cost you a rather large AU$299. Amazon has no current plans to bring the 3G Voyage into Australia.

The Voyage isn't a huge upgrade over the existing Kindle Paperwhite ($119, £109 and AU$179 for the Wi-Fi version), which remains on sale with a bump from 2GB to 4GB of memory. But it's a little slimmer, measuring 7.6mm thick and weighing less than 181 grams (the Paperwhite weighs 206 grams). It also has an improved lighting system, and its higher-resolution screen is a little sharper, with better contrast.

Kindle Voyage product photos

Simply put, the Voyage is the best Kindle I've used to date. But is it worth the $80 or £60 premium over the Paperwhite?

If you're already a satisfied Paperwhite owner -- or if you only use an e-reader sparingly -- the answer is probably no. But if you're an avid everyday reader, check the yes box -- and know that you're getting the latest and greatest e-reader, bar none.

Design changes

The Voyage is the first Kindle e-ink reader to feature a flush glass front and magnesium back. It uses a new 6-inch Carta E Ink HD touchscreen display, with pixel density of 300 pixels per inch (ppi). Like the Paperwhite, the Voyage uses capacitive touch technology, not the older infrared-based touch technology of the entry-level Kindle 2014 .

Its display stack uses "chemically strengthened glass" too, which Amazon says is designed to resist scratches. On top of that, Amazon says the cover glass is micro-etched to diffuse light and reduce glare, which sounds pretty high-tech. From my time using the Voyage both indoors and in direct sunlight, the micro-etching does seem to help, but that doesn't mean you won't encounter some glare.

In some ways the Voyage resembles the Kobo Aura , which weighs 174 grams and has a flush glass front and similar specs (1GHz processor, 4GB of memory, built-in light). There's also the new $180/£140 Kobo Aura H2O -- a 6.8-inch waterproof e-reader that sports a Carta E Ink HD touchscreen similar to the Voyage's (in this case with 1,430x1,080-pixel resolution, at 265 ppi) and has expandable storage, too. But the Voyage is sleeker. And, of course, it has access to Amazon's extensive e-book ecosystem, while the Kobo can use "open" epub files.

The Kindle Voyage features Amazon's sharpest screen in an e-ink e-reader, with a flush glass panel.

Thanks to the flush-glass design, the Voyage's touchscreen is allegedly a tad more responsive than the Paperwhite's, but I didn't notice a significant difference. When you compare the screens side by side, however, you can see that the Voyage's screen is a little sharper -- it's easy to spot in book covers but is also noticeable in text, particularly small text -- and the contrast is a little better, with blacks appearing more black than dark gray.

The light at its highest setting is clearly brighter -- Amazon says 39 percent brighter -- and the screen appears whiter. Look closely and you'll also see that the light splays across the screen more uniformly, though it's still not absolutely perfect, leaving room for some small improvements in the next model.

What's also new is that the light can be set to adjust automatically based on the light in your environment. You can, as always, opt to adjust the lighting manually, but I suspect most people will just go with the automatic setting and not think about it too much. Additionally, you can enable the "Nightlight" feature, which Amazon says "gradually reduces the screen brightness over time as your eyes adjust to the darkness."

Another new addition is a set of pressure-sensitive page-turn buttons on either side of the bezel. You keep your thumb resting on the button and then press lightly to make the page turn forward or back, depending on whether you touch the top or bottom button. You also get a some haptic feedback -- a slight buzz on your finger -- with each page turn. Amazon calls the new feature PagePress and it works well.

That said, I personally prefer to simply touch the sides of the screen to turn pages -- yes, you can still do that -- but an apparently vocal subset of the e-reading population likes to press physical buttons, so we now have PagePress.

The Kindle Paperwhite (left) next to the Kindle Voyage (right).

All the new e-ink Kindles are powered by a 1GHz processor and 4GB of built-in storage with no expansion (although that 4GB allows you to store thousands of e-books and other documents). The Voyage has 1GB of RAM compared with the 500MB of the step-down models, which makes this device a tad zippier. However, since e-ink is inherently sluggish, the device just isn't anywhere as speedy or responsive as the latest iPads or Android tablets.

It's worth mentioning that no AC adapter is included with the e-reader -- just a USB cable -- but most people have a USB charger already for their phone or tablet. No case is included either and it's probably a good idea to get one, particularly since this model costs so much. Amazon makes a really well-designed Origami Case -- I recommend it -- but it is rather pricey, starting at $45 or £40 (the leather model costs $60 or £55). Other more affordable case options will be available eventually.

The back of the device, with the power button on the left side near the top.

Battery life is rated at six weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off. That's less than the Paperwhite's eight weeks (it appears that more power is required to drive the higher-resolution display or Amazon shaved the battery down to get the weight of the device down -- or a combination of the two). But at this point, with battery life measured in weeks rather than hours, that reduced battery rating shouldn't be a serious issue.

Some competitors, including Kobo, have made efforts to reduce the amount of flashing the screen does to clear e-ink's slight ghosting effect as you turn pages. With the Voyage I ended up turning around 14 pages before the screen would refresh (that number was pretty consistent). Most people don't mind too much when the screen blinks, but it does bother some readers.

The device charges via Micro-USB. A USB cable is included but no AC adapter.

I'm not going to dig too deep into the Voyage's Kindle features and interface, but the platform continues to mature and add new features. The kid-friendly Kindle FreeTime and Vocabulary Builder (words you look up are automatically added) are now on all of Amazon's e-ink Kindles, and Amazon has enhanced its X-Ray ("bones of the book") feature too. Goodreads, the social reading and reviews site that Amazon bought last year , has been integrated.

As with other e-readers, you can also borrow e-books from your local library. And Amazon's daily, weekly and monthly deals ensure that there is always a huge number of e-books available for as little as $2 or 99p -- just don't expect them to necessarily be from mainstream authors that you've heard of.

To cut a long story short, the Amazon ecosystem remains far superior to alternatives from Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.

You may balk at the price of the Voyager, especially with Amazon selling the Fire HD 6 tablet for half the price. But there's been a movement lately by companies such as Kobo toward creating higher-end e-readers with higher-resolution displays that sell for more. They're targeted at heavy readers who want the best dedicated e-reader available. And that's exactly what the Kindle Voyage is: a great e-reader that just isn't cheap.

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Amazon Kindle Voyage review

Sharper, brighter and quicker, amazon's kindle voyage is its finest ereader yet.

“This is, without question, the best Kindle ebook reader yet. Between the improved specs and Amazon’s reading ecosystem, it’s the best E Ink reader you can buy.”

• Great Screen
• Slim Profile
• Excellent overall reading ecosystem
• No expandable storage
• More locked down ecosystem than competing readers

This time last year, Amazon seemed content to rest on its ebook reader laurels. That’s no knock against the last Kindle Paperwhite. It was a fine device, but at its heart, the reader was little more than a slight upgrade, a mostly modest refining of its predecessor’s shortcomings aimed at offering some reassurance that the company hadn’t completely abandoned the space for $200 tablets. At the time, we called it a “holding pattern.”

If nothing else, the Kindle Voyage is a sign that the ebook ship  hasn’t sailed. Amazon still has some R&D money to spend on the space, and it’s willing to gamble that big-time readers are still willing to shell out a bit of their own hard-earned money on just such a device. Lots of it, in fact. This time out, Amazon eschewed its longstanding view of the Kindle as a content delivery device, instead delivering a reader with premium specs that’s as focused on cutting-edge hardware as it is the books it’s delivering.

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The Kindle Voyage is a sign that the ebook ship  hasn’t sailed.

The new Kindle also comes with a starting price of $200 — that’s a number that includes the company’s “Special Offers” (built-in advertising). Dumping that adds $20 to the price, and 3G will set you back another $70. All told, it’s a pretty sizable premium over the base Kindle’s $70 starting price. That translates to a lot of books.

A svelter Kindle

With this generation, the Kindle finally sheds its plastic bezel, following the lead of Kobo’s high-end Aura devices. The display and bezel are now one contiguous piece, which serves to not only make the reader more aesthetically pleasing, but also shaves a few precious fractions of an inch from its footprint.

The reader is noticeably smaller in each dimension, down to 6.4 x 4.5 x 0.30 inches from 6.7 x 4.6 x 0.36 inches. It was possible to slip the Paperwhite in the front pocket of a pair of jeans, but this time you can manage it with minimal maneuvering, making the reader portable. At 6.3 ounces for the Wi-Fi version and 6.6 ounces for 3G, Amazon’s also managed to shed a full ounce, just in time for fall coat season.

Even more interesting than the flush bezel is Amazon’s return to page-turn buttons. Unlike the Nook Simple Touch, the Kindle shed all of its buttons, save for power when it made the move to touchscreen. This was long a pet peeve of of mine, as a frequent one-handed subway reader (gotta be mindful of those sudden stops). Now, the company has maneuvered its way back into my good graces with the inclusion of not two, but four buttons devoted to the cause.

The touch spots are designation by dots and lines. You can either tap sides with a thumb or give them a good, hearty squeeze, the latter of which will respond with a friendly haptic buzz. Strangely, holding down on the button won’t make the pages to flip continuous, but rapidly pressing down will cause things to turn pretty fast.

The display and bezel are now one contiguous piece.

The power button has been moved to the back as well, thanks to the slimmer profile. It’s actually an ideal position for turning the device on and off while holding it in the reading position.

The back is also emblazoned with a huge Amazon logo smack dab in the middle. All-in-all, there’s a lot going on back there, and, from an aesthetic standpoint, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t partial to the simplicity of older Kindles. But let’s be honest: If you’re shelling out $200 plus a reader, you’re going to want a case for the thing, which means you likely won’t be spending a lot of time staring at the back anyway.

And really, that’s an extremely minor quibble. At its heart, the hardware is the product of a company with years of experience in a space pulling out all the stops, and it’s a lovely thing to behold.

Under the hood

Amazon never did come around on expandable storage. But while we’d certainly never turn down the option, its relative merits have become less pronounced over the years, between all of Amazon’s cloud-based storage, cross-platform syncing, and internal storage increases. A couple of months back, the company quietly doubled the Paperwhite’s storage from 2GB to 4GB and the company carried that number over to the Voyage.

That translates to 3GB of space for books. Amazon’s apparently given up on keeping track of the number of books you can store on the thing, just listing “thousands” as the number in the product’s specs. If that’s not enough, the company still has a list of every book you’ve purchased along with where you left off easily accessible in the Cloud tab on the device’s main menu.

Per usual, Amazon’s mum on processor specifics, stating that chip is “20 percent faster” this go-round. That’s compared to a 1GHz model on the second-gen Paperwhite. You’re unlikely to notice that difference while reading. Placed side by side against the last generation, there’s no discernible difference in page-turn speed. The Voyage is, on the other hand, noticeably zippier when performing bigger tasks, such as opening a book.

At this point, what you’re looking at is pretty comparable to the printed page.

Speaking of wireless, the options are the same as always: Wi-Fi and 3G. Given the $70 price difference, the base model will be plenty connected enough for most users. Frequent traveling voracious readers who really hate waiting on the other hand, might want to cough up the difference — which, it’s worth pointing out, is nearly the same price as the base Kindle model.

It’s really bright

Kobo experiments aside, the industry has settled pretty comfortably into the six-inch display. And it’s hard to argue that it’s not the ideal size for most readers. Five inches just doesn’t afford enough real estate and seven starts getting unwieldy.

But while the size has remained largely the same, the screens have continued to get better with nearly every generation. At 300ppi (pixels per inch), the Voyage feels like it’s skipped a generation. That’s light years beyond the base Kindle’s 167 and the latest Paperwhite’s 212. It’s even well above the Kobo Aura HD’s 265, which played a major role securing that device’s position as the Cadillac of ebook readers when it was released nine months ago.

What that means for most users is incredibly sharp text. If you’re prone to reading newspapers or magazines on the device, you’ll be getting higher-res grayscale images, but for the rest of us, it means the text really pops. At this point, what you’re looking at is pretty comparable to the printed page. Keep in mind, the screen on last year’s Paperwhite is perfectly fine, but placed next to the Voyage, the text looks downright soft.

The contrast is even more pronounced when the front lighting is turned on. Once again, you accomplish that in the touchscreen settings. Amazon never did go in for the devoted light button, which has always come down to a matter of personal preference. The point is made even more moot with the introduction of the adaptive light.

If you hold the reader at the right angle, you’ll see a small circle next to the top-right corner of the display which looks a bit like an opaque front-facing camera. That’s actually a light sensor. Tick the box next to the light meter in settings and the screen will automatically adjust based on the light level of the room you’re in — a great addition to save both your battery and eyes.

The waterproof Kindle can’t be that far off, right?

The Voyage gets bright: really, really bright. Helped along, perhaps, by the lack of display gap, the new Kindle may, in fact, hurt your eyes at full brightness in a dark room. The flush screen has also helped to alleviate light bleed from the sides, since there isn’t as much direct front lighting exposed off the screen. And while the display still isn’t a perfectly white color, the added brightness has taken the reader yet another step in that direction. The first-generation front-light readers look downright murky by comparison.

E Ink continues to be the best option for devoted electronic reading. It’s easier on the eyes, readable in direct sunlight, and can milk a heck of a lot of time out of a battery. It also keeps getting better year after year.

Reading experience

Not much has changed on the reading front, and that’s not a bad thing. Amazon’s had several years to get this right and has happily recognized that, on a whole, simpler is better. If you wanted distraction, you’d buy a Kindle Fire or any of the other innumerable tablets out there. As such, the layout is nearly identical to older Kindles. You still get the same eight text sizes and six font styles, with all the same margin and spacing options.

The touchscreen is extremely responsive and pages turn quickly. Amazon has never eliminated those full-screen refreshes, but it has greatly reduced them over past years. The frequency of flickers you get while turning the pages differs based on the number of non-textual elements in a book. I noticed a full-page refresh once every 14 pages, or some on purely text title — that’s down from every six a couple of generations ago. The display recognizes some dual-touch gestures, as well, so you can, say, pinch to adjust the font sizes.

Now on its seventh generation, Amazon has built up an extremely robust ecosystem of extras, piece by piece. X-Ray brings plenty of contextual and supplemental information to the reading experience via Wikipedia, The Oxford English and publisher-provided information, while Goodreads brings a social element to the reading experience. The company still has a ways to go to fully integrate the social network’s recommendations into device, but it’s a tricky thing to do so without making it overly distracting.

There aren’t a whole lot of brand-new features on the software side, this time out. As with the first-generation Paperwhite, a few features are still listed as “coming soon,” destined to roll out with a future software update. Among them is Word Wise, which brings automatic definitions to denser titles with more difficult words.

There’s also an improved search that combines results from the library, store, and friends on Goodreads. Coming Soon is also neat. It offers up contextual information about a book as you start to read. Again, it’s not a lot of new stuff, but seven generations is a lot of time to get the relatively simple reading experience just right, and no one does it better than Amazon.

In spite of Barnes & Noble’s absence and Sony’s relative silence, the devoted ebook reader arms race hasn’t ended. Kobo is pushing the space’s limitations and Amazon is following suit, incorporating new technologies into its mainstream products. The Aura HD showed us there is room for a high-end reader and the Voyage does a great job turning those features into a flagship reader.

At $200 and up, this is a pricey book reader for Amazon. Most of you will be plenty content buying a cheaper Kindle. The Paperwhite, for example, is still a fine reader made even better with that quiet storage doubling, all with a $120 starting price. The new Kobo Aura H20, meanwhile, will set you back $180, with the added bonus of being able to read the thing in the tub.

If you’re an everyday reader and can’t really remember the last time you left the house without a book — electronic or otherwise — in tow, the overall improved reading experience may be well worth the price of admission. This is, without question, the best Kindle ebook reader yet. Heck, between the improved specs and Amazon’s industry-best reading ecosystem, it’s the best devoted e-reader you can buy.

Casual readers, on the other hand, are better off waiting for the inevitable price drops, first when sales slow a bit and then when the company gets ready for a follow up. The waterproof Kindle can’t be that far off, right?

Available at Amazon

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Just over a week ago, Amazon added four new members to its Fire family of budget tablets. And today, during its Devices and Services event, Amazon announced it is bringing some of the tablet fun to its Kindle e-reader portfolio. And by tablet fun, we mean the ability to draw gibberish on the screen with a stylus.

If you've ever looked longingly at the reMArkable 2 paper tablet and wished that the stylus input somehow made it to a Kindle, your prayers have been answered. Say hello to the Kindle Scribe, Amazon's next-gen e-book reader that will let you scribble with a stylus.

Books are wonderful things, and if you have a mini library at home, we're willing to bet you wouldn't trade all of them for an e-book reader loaded down with your favorites. But while they may lack the tactile nature of a book, an e-book reader is still something every keen reader should consider. Many of the models available come with backlights so you can read in lower light, can make the font bigger to suit your needs, and are small enough to slip into a pocket — and e-book readers are always going to beat physical books when it comes to going on holiday, especially if you're a fast reader.

But which e-book reader should you buy? There's no shortage of great readers out there, and while Amazon's Kindle Oasis may be the biggest name that nearly everyone knows, there are other options available if you're looking to get an e-reader that's not tied to the world's largest shopping site. Here are the best e-book readers for 2022.

Amazon's Kindle is getting even better this week with a new model that introduces a new display, a more compact design, and support for USB-C. It's nothing that'll replace your Kindle Oasis, but if you want a Kindle while spending as little as possible, there's a lot to like with the new baseline option.

This 2022 Kindle release will see the baseline Kindle pick up a high-resolution display that's capable of dark mode, support for USB-C, 16GB of storage, and extended battery life with up to six weeks on a single charge. The Kids edition of the tablet will, like other Kids edition tablets, comes with a kid-friendly cover and a free subscription to Amazon's Kids+ service.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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Katie Collins

Amazon Kindle Voyage review

High-resolution screen; automatically adjusts brightness levels according to ambient light; squeeze pads for turning pages

Much more expensive than other Kindle models; no dedicated high-end software features

Perhaps it will come as no surprise to hear that the newest and most expensive Kindle from Amazon is its best ever. But it really is. The price tag could be sticking point, however. At £170, the top-of-the range Kindle Voyage is the most expensive ebook reader Amazon has developed yet, but with similarly remarkable electronic ink tech available at a remarkably affordable price in the form of the £60 Kindle, has Amazon undercut itself?

The screen on the Kindle Voyage was made for those mammoth reading sessions in which night or day, no matter how fatigued, you just can't put a book down. Its 300 pixels per inch display is very high resolution for a device of this type and therefore very kind on your eyes.

To stop you from squinting in the darkness, the Kindle will automatically adjust to new lighting situations so, as time goes by, will get lighter or darker as your eyes start to adjust to the changed visibility conditions. This is almost imperceptible, in the way of discreet five-star hotel service -- you feel comfortable and taken care of, and yet there have been no interruptions to your private time.

As well as the actual device being the thinnest and lightest Kindle ever, the Voyage has some other tricks up its sleeves that we haven't seen on previous models. Running down each vertical bezel is a line and a dot. Squeeze the line and the page will flick forwards and squeeze the dot and the page flicks back one.

This obviously makes it ideal for lefties and means that most of the time you don't even need to lift a finger to turn the page (just shift your thumb a bit instead). The Voyage provides noiseless haptic feedback that you can only feel in your thumb.

Over time it becomes more sensitive -- Voyage newbies tend to squeeze harder out of excitement, which was definitely true of WIRED.co.uk's reviewer.

It's a boon and a novelty and perfect for those lazy days on a sun lounger when you're lying on one side holding the Kindle up to help shield your eyes from the sun as you read (just don't try and balance it on your face if you decide to have a nap). But it is also to an extent a luxury. Touching the screen to turn the page is not all that more difficult than squeezing the bezel -- not £110 more difficult at any rate.

It should be mentioned that there are some great features on-board the Kindle, including expanded X-Ray -- which lets you look at the "bare bones" of the book -- and a smart lookup tool that integrates X-Ray, dictionary and Wikipedia information about the book in one place. On their way are other features -- enhanced search, family libraries and Word Wise to help you understand more complex books. All great, but these features are also all available on the £60 Kindle.

Boone Ashworth

Carlton Reid

Amanda Hoover

Reece Rogers

The Voyage's main competition aside from Amazon's other products is the Nook Glow -- a lovely, light ebook reader with similar light-emitting technology to the Paperwhite and a 6-inch screen that costs only £90. Of course this locks you out of Amazon's ebook ecosystem, but if you've yet to invest in a device, that is not necessarily a problem.

Amazon revolutionised the hardware people used for reading for the mass market in a way the human race hadn't seen for centuries, but innovating such a low-tech activity comes at a price. As it always has done, the luxury of reading lies in the content itself rather than the more disposable vehicle that delivers it.

The Kindle Voyage is a fabulous device that we wouldn't hesitate to endorse, but ultimately we couldn't recommend to someone that they should pay to upgrade from a recent older model. Similarly, if you're debating between the cheaper and more expensive Kindles, you are probably better off going for the £60 device and spending the change on stocking up your ebook library. The exceptions to this are if you have no choice but to read in the dark, or if your name is Moneybags -- in which case, go wild and enjoy.

This article was originally published by WIRED UK

Will Knight

Matt Burgess

Kate Knibbs

Amazon Just Unveiled Its Most Advanced Kindle Yet

Correction appended Sept. 18

Amazon is updating its Kindle line with its slimmest e-reader to date. On Wednesday, the company announced the $199 Kindle Voyage, which is 7.6 mm thick and weighs less than 6.4 oz. It will feature a higher-resolution Paperwhite display that boasts 300 pixels per inch.

The specially designed glass on the device makes the display readable in even the most glaring of sunlight and features an etching pattern so that it feels more like paper to the touch. The lighting of this high-end Kindle has also been improved, with a new adaptive front light that lowers the display’s brightness over time in a dark room, to match how the human eye adjusts to dark environments.

The Kindle Voyage will also feature a pressure-sensitive bezel that functions as a page-turning button. When pressing the outer edges of the Kindle, users will feel a small vibration as the page turns to offer a more tactile experience. Amazon says the feature will help people read for longer periods of time compared with swiping the touch screen to turn pages. Like previous fancy Kindle models, the new Voyage will also come with free 3G connectivity.

In addition to the new device, Amazon is updating its Kindle mainstays. The basic Kindle will double its storage capacity to 4 GB and feature a touch interface for the first time, at a cost of $79. The Paperwhite, Amazon’s best-selling Kindle, will also get double the storage and cost $119.

All the Kindles will come with updated software that features tighter integration with Goodreads, the book-club website that Amazon bought last year, and an expanded vocabulary-teaching functionality, among other tweaks.

The Kindles are available for preorder now and begin shipping in October.

Correction : The original version of this article misstated the day the Kindle Voyage was announced.

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Amazon kindle: a brief history from the original kindle onwards.

The first Amazon Kindle launched all the way back in 2007. Join us as we trace the history from the original Kindle to the latest Kindle devices.

The Amazon Kindle was launched with one real aim: to bring people books. The Kindle was never designed to compete with tablets and sticking to this principle has allowed the Kindle to evolve through to the present day and excel at its task.

The Kindle has remained one of our favourite devices. Where tablets, phones, PCs and TVs have seen radical changes, the technology and the functions of the Kindle have remained true to task, but evolving in pace with technology.

The Kindle gives you access to digital books and provides the best method for reading them and that's the guiding principle that drives the Kindle on. It's about reading, reading and reading. It's a tool for a single job, not a tool for many (there's the Kindle Fire for that, which we're ignoring here.)

We've been looking over the archives of Kindle history, starting from Amazon's original ebook reader, through to its present-day devices.

Amazon Kindle (2007)

Launched in November 2007, the first generation Amazon Kindle was showcased in NewsWeek magazine. It went on sale on Amazon.com on 19 November and sold out within hours and was immediately dubbed "the iPod of reading". The original Kindle launched with a 6-inch E Ink display, offered a free wireless connection over Sprint's EV-DO network, on the new Whispernet announced by Amazon.

There was no touch control, however, so the Kindle offered a full keyboard, navigation buttons and a quirky wedge-shaped design aiming to make it better to hold. It also offered a speaker and headphone socket, and expandable SD card storage.

Because page navigation was difficult, it featured a second display with a scroll wheel to help make selections on the display easier. That was needed because the E Ink display was too slow to refresh to give a natural navigation experience.

It cost $399 and was only available within the US, offering access to 90,000 books at launch.

Amazon Kindle 2 (2009)

On 9 February 2009 Amazon updated the Kindle with the launch of the Kindle 2. The crazy design of the 2007 Kindle was swapped for a more conventional, flatter, design, with a button layout that was flatter and less dominating. It retained the 6-inch E Ink display, however, improving the technology for faster page turns and better refreshing, while moving from the original 4 shades of grey to 16. There was a storage boost too, moving up to 2GB of internal storage for 1000s of books. A new navigation controller was added to make it easier to select text and options on the screen.

The Kindle Store by this time had expanded to around 230,000 titles and the Kindle 2 launched with a Steven King exclusive, called Ur.

It cost $359 originally, discounted to $299 and then $259. The Kindle 2 was then dropped for the Kindle 2 International Edition that was announced on 7 October and shifted to GSM for global wireless connections.

The Kindle also fractured off into a line of larger devices called the Kindle DX aimed at magazine reading, but only survived two generations before they stopped being offered.

Amazon Kindle Keyboard (2010)

The Kindle Keyboard was the first Kindle to sell natively in the UK, announced on 29 July 2010. It was launched originally as Kindle 3, an obvious evolution of the Kindle 2, but then changed its name to the Kindle Keyboard.

The Kindle Keyboard again made the page turn controls more compact in the edges and slotted the navigation controller alongside the keyboard. It still didn't offer a touchscreen, so that keyboard was used for browsing and buying from the Kindle store.

The other big departure was a Wi-Fi only version, meaning a lower pricing point. It was $139 for Wi-Fi and the 3G version costing $189. The new UK Kindle Store opened on 27 August 2010, with access to 400,000 books.

The display is still a 6-inch E Ink display, by now offering 600 x 800 pixels.

Kindle Touch (2011)

On 28 September 2011, Amazon had a huge day, announcing not only a fourth-generation Kindle, but also the Kindle Fire as it branched into tablets. However, for the Kindle family, the most important device was the Kindle Touch. The Touch was the first implementation of touchscreen, dropping the navigation keys and the keyboard.

The new device retained the 6-inch E Ink display, but now touch was added because Amazon felt the refresh rate was fast enough and the experience clean enough to make this move. There was 4GB of storage and a battery life of weeks.

The Kindle Touch was again available in Wi-Fi and 3G versions, it introduced Amazon's X-Ray feature. It was originally launched in the US, but became international in March 2012. The Kindle Touch cost $99 for Wi-Fi and $149 for 3G at launch in the US.

Kindle Paperwhite (2012)

The rumours of a front-lit Kindle appeared not long after the launch of the Touch, but it was 6 September 2012 when Amazon announced the Kindle Paperwhite . The first generation device added illumination to the display which was a major breakthrough, meaning you could now read in the dark, with manual brightness adjustment.

It was originally launched with a 6-inch 212ppi display and in 3G and Wi-Fi editions, again relying solely on touchscreen navigation.

The second edition (Paperwhite 2) was announced on 3 September 2013 with an upgraded E Ink display offering better contrast and faster page turns thanks to a more powerful processor. The illumination was also improved for more a more even front light.

The third edition Kindle Paperwhite was announced on 30 June 2015 and stepped the E Ink display up to 300ppi, with twice the number of pixels of the 2012 model. This model also saw the debut of the Bookerly font, Amazon's own font designed for reading.

Amazon Kindle (2014)

While most of the attention has been taken by the advancements firstly to touch and then to the front lighting of the Paperwhite, the humble Kindle continued. Announced in 2014, this version of the Amazon Kindle was heralded mostly for its price, launched alongside the advanced Kindle Voyage . This Kindle is perhaps basic by comparison, but with a price of only $79, it was the cheapest Kindle, but still fully featured, offering a great entry point into the world of ebook readers.

The Kindle offered full touch control and a 6-inch E Ink display, but didn't offer a 3G connection, sticking to Wi-Fi only. There was 4GB of storage and a battery that would last you through weeks of reading. The standard Kindle was updated in June 2016 and added Bluetooth, but had much the same design and display as the 2014 version.

Amazon Kindle Voyage (2014)

The Kindle Voyage takes much of what Amazon has done elsewhere and refines it further. It was announced on 18 September 2014 alongside the £59 basic Kindle, offering quite a contrast in the Kindle family.

The Kindle Voyage looked to enhance the Kindle experience, removing the bezel and placing touch controllers next to the display to make page turning easier without having to swipe the display. At the same time the display steps-up offering adaptive front lighting, a feature unique to this model.

The display is still a 6-inch E Ink display, offering a 300ppi resolution. The Kindle Voyage aimed to give users a premium reading experience and it did so, but comes with a hefty $199 price for the Wi-Fi model, or $289 for the 3G version.

Amazon Kindle Oasis (2016)

The Amazon Kindle Oasis was announced on 13 April 2016 and was a radical departure for the Kindle design, breaking the device down and starting again. It offered a device that was much thinner and lighter than any previous Kindle, pulling the hardware into the grip on one side and offering two top page turning buttons. The aim was to make it a superlative one-handed reading device.

It offered enhanced front lighting, but lacked the adaptive lighting of the Voyage, and again stuck to a 6-inch E Ink display with 300ppi.

It came with a battery cover that would extend the life up to about 9 weeks, making this the longest-lasting Kindle to date. But it was also the most expensive, with a $290 price tag.

Amazon Kindle Oasis (2017)

In 2017 there was a new Oasis in town, and this time Amazon made a big change not seen so far on this list: it bumped up the screen size up to 7 inches. While the resolution stayed the same at 300dpi, the new Oasis was a lot more ambitious than the 2016 version.

Announced on 11 October 2017, the new Oasis offered IPX8 waterproofing - another first for Kindle - as well as offering support for Audible books. It also brought with it a welcome price drop, offering this skinny reading experience for $249. There was also 8GB storage for that (with 32GB an option), meaning more space for all those audiobooks, while offering adaptive front lighting too.

The Kindle Oasis was updated in 2019 to the third-gen, taking all the updates of the 2017 model and improving the lighting across the front with colour temperature adjustment. It again launched at $249.99 , although the price continues to fluctuate with deals and discounts.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2018)

In 2018, Amazon announced a new model of the Kindle Paperwhite which came with a brighter display and a flatter edge-to-edge screen, removing the raised bezels of the previous versions. It also had support for Bluetooth to play audiobooks via Amazon's Audible service using headphones too. Other highlights of this Paperwhite included a rubberised non-slip back and a dash of IPX8 waterproofing as well. The result was a more solid and reliable reading device that was also easy on the eye and great to use too - but it was still a 6-inch device, so not a huge change from those before it.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)

In October 2021, Amazon announced the latest edition of the Kindle Paperwhite . For the first time, Amazon announced an increase in the screen size, moving to 6.8-inches, closer to that of the flagship Oasis and narrowing the gap between these two devices. Although featuring a rubberised back much like the 2018 edition, there's a change to the illumination with more LEDs, including the option to adapt the colour temperature. The Signature Edition was launched at the same time offering Qi wireless changing for a more premium offering. For many, the Paperwhite is the Kindle of choice on Amazon .

Amazon Kindle (2022)

In 2022 Amazon once again updated its most basic Kindle. It's perhaps unfair to call it basic, because in this 11th-gen device you have a light loaded with features. The display is still 6 inches, but it finally makes the move to 300ppi so the quality is great, while it also offers front lighting to help you read in the dark. It isn't as refined as the Paperwhite, but it isn't as expensive either, while still giving you a great way to read books at any time in any place. It's currently available from Amazon and a great choice for those on a tighter budget.

Ebook Friendly

A fascinating history of kindle devices and services.

Take a look at a detailed history of the Amazon Kindle – not only devices, but also ebooks, services, and subscriptions.

The Kindle would not exist without the print book, not only in general meaning but the one more specific, and referring to the company which created it.

The first Kindle e-reader – and everything that happened later – is an effect of Amazon’s success in the online retail business.

In 1995, Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, identified five product categories with the highest e-commerce potential: videos, books, compact discs, computer software, and computer hardware.

Eventually, he decided to focus on books. At that time, there was a huge global demand for English-language literature, which combined with relatively low prices and a vast number of available titles made it the most promising category.

Jump directly to:

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022

As a result, Amazon launched as an online bookstore and began service in July 1995.

A less-known fact is that the first book was bought on Amazon a few months earlier. One of the beta testers of the service, John Wainwright, ordered a hardcover edition of Douglas Hofstadter’s Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies on April 3, 1995.

Without this single book order, which ignited Amazon’s giant machinery, and without millions of books sold in the next twelve years, we would most probably not see the first Kindle at all.

Below you’ll see a timeline of the Kindle. And by “Kindle” we mean the entire Kindle world, not only devices.

Please note that this timeline doesn’t include Amazon Fire tablets. They were called “Kindle” for some time, but as they are now a different brand, we will showcase them in a separate timeline.

You can also check out our infographic with the evolution of Kindle e-readers and services .

A timeline of Kindle e-readers and services

November 19, 2007.

Amazon introduces Kindle 1

The 1st-generation Kindle has an asymmetric shape with the full-size keyboard, white bezel, and a dark 6-inch E-Ink display. It looks outdated compared to other mobile devices of that time. But it beautifully serves the purpose it was designed for: read books conveniently and without any distractions.

Kindle 1 has an internal storage of 250 MB, which is enough for 200 medium-length books. It is Amazon’s only Kindle e-reader that offers a possibility to extend available disc space by a memory card. It also sports a headphone jack and a speaker.

The 2007 Kindle costs $399. The battery has to be recharged every other day if the wireless connectivity is turned on. With this option being turned off, you can read one week without recharging.

You can still see Kindle 1 product page from the launch date using Wayback Machine.

Kindle Store opens

Together with the launch of the 1st-generation Kindle, a store with Kindle ebooks opens within Amazon.com website.

88,000 Kindle ebooks are available at launch. The catalog includes 100 of 112 current New York Times bestsellers. Most of the books in the Kindle Store cost $9.99 or less.

In the Kindle Store, users can find not only ebooks but also popular newspapers (The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post among them), as well as magazines, including Time and Forbes. Kindle Store also includes 250 top blogs on technology, business, entertainment, and politics.

Two well-known features are available in the Kindle Store since the very beginning: free samples and ability to add own documents.

Three days after the launch, top three places on the list of Kindle bestsellers are occupied by newspapers and magazines:

• The New York Times
• The Wall Street Journal

The most popular novel on the list takes the 6th place. It’s The Pillars of the Earth , the first part of the historical series by Ken Follett.

My definition of Kindle: a gadget with stories hiding inside it. – Stephen King , January 23, 2008

May 30, 2008

The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, reveals that Kindle ebooks account for more than 6% of all books sold on Amazon.

He also shares the news that a total number of titles bought on Amazon by customers who purchased the Kindle increase by 2.6 times.

Amazon and Simon & Schuster release a joint statement with information that by the end of 2008 Simon & Schuster will make 5,000 additional titles available for Amazon Kindle. It will more than double the number of Simon & Schuster titles offered in the Kindle Store.

February 23, 2009

Kindle 2 starts shipping

The 2nd-generation Kindle starts shipping one day ahead of its official launch day set for February 24.

Announced on February 9, 2009, the new Kindle costs $359. It is slim, weights 10.2 ounces, and sports a new 5-way controller, which makes it easy to select text for highlight, switch between books in the library, or look up words.

Its internal memory has 2 GB and is eight times bigger than in Kindle 1. It’s seven times bigger if you count space available for the user – approximately 1.4 GB. It can hold more than 1,500 books without images.

Kindle 2 offers 25% longer battery life, 20% faster page turns, and crispier text with the display’s 16 shades of gray (versus 4 available in Kindle 1).

A new experimental feature called Read-To-Me converts the written to the spoken word. Thanks to that, the user has an option to choose between reading and listening. Pages turn automatically while the text is being spoken, and users can choose between male or female voices.

With the 2nd-generation Kindle, you can also download and listen to Audible audiobooks. At that time, more than 50,000 book titles are available as audiobooks. Audio files can only be downloaded to the Kindle using the included USB 2.0 cable.

Users can listen to text-to-speech, own audio files, or audiobooks via rear-mounted stereo speakers or by plugging in headphones using 3.5 mm stereo audio jack.

Another new feature offered in the 2nd-generation Kindle is an instant dictionary look-up. The device comes equipped with the New Oxford American Dictionary, containing over 250,000 definitions.

Whispersync is launched

Together with Kindle 2, Amazon is launching Whispersync technology. The feature lets sync content between devices registered by the same Amazon user.

The feature can sync the library, reading progress, highlights, and notes between Kindle 2 and Kindle 1. It’s planned to be used in the upcoming Kindle applications.

March 4, 2009

Kindle app for iPhone and iPod Touch is available in Apple’s App Store. The app is free to download and supports the newly launched Whispersync technology.

The app lets see and sync Kindle ebooks from the user’s library; add highlights, notes, and bookmarks; change font and paragraph settings.

This is the point. One technology doesn’t replace another, it complements. Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators. – Stephen Fry – March 11, 2009

E-reading’s success depends more on a Kindle behaving like a book and less like a machine. – Thessaly La Force , April 22, 2009

May 19, 2009

Amazon launches a Kindle Store version optimized to work seamlessly on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

From now on, when Kindle app user taps “Get Books” button, the mobile version of the Kindle Store opens in a Safari browser to conveniently browse and buy new ebooks.

June 10, 2009

Kindle DX starts shipping

Amazon’s largest Kindle e-reader features a large 9.7-inch 1200 × 824 px E-Ink display, auto-rotate capability, and a built-in pdf reader. The device is addressed to users who want to read a lot of graphic books, pdf documents, newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

The launch price of Kindle DX is set to $489. Its internal memory of 4GB gives approximately 3.3 GB to the user. It’s enough to hold up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and personal documents.

The battery lets read on a single charge for up to 4 days with wireless on.

Kindle DX has 3.5 mm stereo audio jack as well as built-in stereo speakers. Just like Kindle 2, it can play text-to-speech, Audible audiobooks, and user’s personal audio files.

October 19, 2009

International launch of Kindle 2

Kindle 2 starts shipping from Amazon.com to over 100 countries and destinations around the world.

The international version of the e-reader was announced and available for pre-order on October 7. It costs $279, and foreign users can choose from 200,000 English-language books (versus 360 available to customers living in the US).

October 22, 2009

Amazon is introducing Kindle for PC – a free application for reading and managing Kindle ebooks on the Windows computer. The app can be downloaded directly from Amazon.com website.

November 17, 2009

Kindle and Kindle Store launch in Canada. Customers can order the device on Amazon.com website, for the same price as US citizens – $259.

Over 300,000 Kindle ebooks and over 90 top newspapers and magazines are available for purchase by Canadian users.

November 24, 2009

Kindle 2 gets a built-in native pdf reader, introduced earlier this year with Kindle DX. It enables the user to read documents in their original pdf format without conversion.

The second enhancement introduced today is 85% more battery life. The Kindle can now work on a single charge for seven days, compared to four, with wireless turned on.

The battery life enhancement was achieved thanks to improvements in the Kindle’s firmware. Users who bought the device earlier can also enjoy a better battery life after they install a free software update.

December 25, 2009

For the first time, customers purchase more Kindle books than paper books.

December 26, 2009

Amazon announces that Kindle has become the most gifted item in the company’s history.

January 6, 2010

Kindle DX is available for the first time to customers around the world.

The international version of the e-reader can ship from Amazon.com to over 100 countries and destinations.

June 28, 2010

Kindle for Android available in Android Market.

The free application can be used on Android-powered devices around the world and supports Whispersync to save and sync user’s books, highlights, and reading progress.

July 6, 2010

Hachette reveals that up to date James Patterson had sold almost 870,000 Kindle ebooks.

Four more authors – Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Stieg Larsson, and Stephenie Meyer – have each sold more than 500,000 books in Kindle format.

July 19, 2010

Jeff Bezos reveals that for the first time in history Amazon customers buy more Kindle books than hardcover books.

Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books.

It’s astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.

July 27, 2010

Amazon reveals that Stieg Larsson, the author of the bestselling Millennium Trilogy has become the first author to sell over 1 million Kindle books.

Larsson becomes the first member of the new Kindle Million Club, which will recognize writers whose entire body of work has sold over 1 million copies in the Kindle Store.

August 27, 2010

Kindle 3 is launched

The third-generation Kindle e-reader, called “Kindle 3” or “Kindle Keyboard” starts shipping today.

Amazon announced the device a month earlier, on July 28. It has a display with 50% better contrast than Kindle 2, while the resolution of 600 × 800 pixels remains the same. Kindle 3 offers 20% faster page turns. New crispier and darker fonts are designed to improve readability.

The new Kindle is 21% smaller and 17% lighter than its predecessor. Its weight is only 8.5 ounces (241 grams). The battery can work without the charge for up to four weeks.

Kindle Keyboard is the first Kindle that comes in two versions – with and without the wireless connection. The Wi-Fi-only variant costs $139; the wireless is $189.

It’s also the first Kindle device that since official launch day can be shipped outside the US. Kindle Keyboard is available to customers from 140 countries and 30 territories around the world.

September 28, 2010

Amazon is introducing Kindle for the Web

Kindle for the Web a feature that allows readers to read free samples of Kindle books on their web browsers without the need to install anything or register an Amazon account.

When users find interesting Kindle books on the Amazon website, they can click “Read first chapter free” button, and the free sample – usually the first chapter – will open within the web page.

October 25, 2010

Amazon reveals that in the past 30 days the customers purchased more Kindle books than print books (hardcover and paperback combined) for the top 10, 25, 100, and 1,000 bestselling books.

The Kindle is – and I say this with a mixture of delight and dismay – really rather fabulous. – Judith Woods , December 11, 2010

January 5, 2011

Kindle app for Windows Phone 7 is released. The app includes new features built into a mobile Kindle app for the first time, such as personalized book discovery or recommendation sharing.

January 26, 2011

Kindle Singles are launched

Three months earlier, on October 12, 2010, Amazon made a call to writers, thinkers, business leaders, and publishers to join Kindle in creating a new kind of content – Kindle Singles.

Kindle Singles are “compelling ideas expressed at their natural length.” They are quality reads usually taking between 5,000 and 30,000 words (roughly between 30 and 90 pages of a typical book).

The name “single” comes from the world of music. A single is a song that is released separately from an album.

Each Kindle Single is focusing on a single idea which should be well researched and well argued. Each title costs much less than a typical novel or a non-fiction book.

The first set of Kindle Singles includes “The Happiness Manifesto” by Nic Marks, Jodi Picoult’s “Leaving Home,” and “The Dead Women of Juarez” by Robert Andrew Powell.

May 3, 2011

Special offers land on the Kindle

Announced in April, special offers are ads that are displayed on the Kindle screensaver and the bottom of the home screen. Kindle versions with such ads are cheaper regular versions.

The first Kindle featuring ads and sponsored screensavers is Kindle 3 with Special Offers. It costs $114, which is $25 less than the regular version.

To encourage customers to buy Kindle version with ads, Amazon offers special deals, including $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Cards.

May 19, 2011

According to today’s announcement, Amazon customers are now buying more Kindle books than all print books – hardcover and paperback – combined.

It happens less than four years since the introduction of the 1st-generation Kindle, and sixteen years since the first print book was purchased on Amazon.com website.

Amazon reveals that since April 1, 105 Kindle books were bought for every 100 print books.

I know the Kindle will eventually carry the day – an electronic reader means no more embarrassing coffee stains, no more library holds and renewals, no more frantic flipping through pages for a lost quote or going to three bookstores in one afternoon to track down an evasive title. – Sara Barbour , June 17, 2011

August 10, 2011

Kindle Cloud Reader is launched

Kindle Cloud Reader is a web-based reading application that enables users to read and manage Kindle books instantly using only their web browser. No downloading or installation is required.

Just like any other Kindle app, the Cloud Reader syncs the user’s library, reading progress, bookmarks or highlights.

Kindle Cloud Reader is compatible with Chrome and Safari browsers on desktop computers. A version optimized for Safari on the iPad is also available.

September 21, 2011

Kindle ebooks are now available to borrow from over 11,000 public libraries in the United States.

To borrow a Kindle book, customers visit their local library’s website and select the title they want to read. Then they choose the “Send to Kindle” option and will be redirected to Amazon website where they finalize the process. The book will be delivered in seconds to their preferred e-reading device or application.

Kindle books borrowed from a library are the same books as the ones bought in the Kindle Store. You can read them on the Kindle e-reader or in a Kindle mobile app, using the same unique features these reading environments provide.

September 28, 2011

Kindle 4 is launched

Amazon’s newest 4th-generation Kindle e-reader is the first one without the full-size keyboard. It sports five buttons and a cursor pad instead. The device is 30% lighter and 18% smaller than Kindle 3.

The silver-gray e-reader is considerably cheaper than its predecessor. The version with special offers costs only $79.

Reduction in size and price was achieved at the cost of the internal memory. The new device offers 2 GB compared to 4 GB of Kindle Keyboard. The device doesn’t support audiobooks and doesn’t have a headphone jack or built-in speakers.

November 2, 2011

Amazon is introducing Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (better known as KOLL) is a part of Amazon Prime multi-benefit subscription program.

Owners of Kindle e-readers or Amazon Fire tablets (but not Kindle applications) can borrow for free from thousands of eligible Kindle ebooks, including 100 current and former New York Times bestsellers.

At launch, the number of books in KOLL catalog is 5,000, but it’s quickly growing.

There are no due dates, but the user can borrow one book at a time, and no more than one book per month.

For a lot of people who are more and more immersed into technology, the Kindle became a way back into reading books. – Jeremy Toeman , November 11, 2011

November 15, 2011

Kindle Touch starts shipping

Announced the same day as Kindle 4 (September 28), Kindle Touch is Amazon’s first e-reader with the touch-responsive display.

It’s also the first e-reader to support an advanced reference tool called X-Ray.

Amazon Prime members will be able to use Kindle Touch to borrow books from Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

The e-reader features an internal storage of 4 GB (for approximately 3,000 books), deep integration with Audible, and battery life extended to two months.

The Wi-Fi-only version with special offers costs $99. The version with Wi-Fi+3G and no ads is available for $189.

X-Ray feature debuts on Kindle Touch

X-Ray is a unique, highly advanced reference tool, developed by Amazon to be used in Kindle e-readers and applications.

The feature helps the reader easier and deeper explore the book.

With a single tap, you can see the passages from across the book that refer to characters, ideas, places, or topics mentioned in the text.

X-Ray is not only a must-have tool to follow more complicated plots but is a great way to extend knowledge about topics the book is about, by providing extended definitions from Wikipedia and Shelfari.

April 20, 2012

Kindle Touch starts shipping to international customers of Amazon.com. The list of locations the Kindle can be shipped includes 175 countries and territories.

June 19, 2012

Harry Potter books are coming to Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

Members of Amazon Prime can enjoy Harry Potter books for free. All seven parts of the famous J.K. Rowling’s series are now available to borrow from Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL).

Harry Potter editions included in Kindle Owners’ Lending Library are not only in English but also French, Italian, German and Spanish.

August 28, 2012

Amazon reveals that Kindle-exclusive books have been downloaded more than 100 million times.

At the time of the announcement, there are over 180,00 Kindle-exclusive ebooks in the Kindle Store. You can’t find them in any other ebook platform.

September 6, 2012

Whispersync for Voice is introduced

Whispersync for Voice is a new part of Amazon’s ever-growing Whispersync technology aimed at improving user’s reading experience on several connected devices.

Whispersync for Voice was developed in cooperation with Audible. It enables the user to seamlessly switch between reading a Kindle book and listening to its audiobook version – all in just a few taps, within one book.

The feature helps readers enjoy following the story, no matter what they are doing.

Kindle Serials are introduced. They are a new way to enjoy serialized stories.

A digital format enables publishers and authors to release their works in parts. It’s is what Kindle Serials are about. They are stories published in episodes.

When you buy Kindle Serial, you will immediately receive all currently available episodes. Future parts will arrive at your Kindle or Kindle app once they are released.

October 1, 2012

Kindle Paperwhite 1 starts shipping

In an announcement from September 2, Amazon called the 1st-generation Kindle Paperwhite “the most advanced e-reader ever constructed.”

The device features a patented built-in front light, which enables users to read even in complete darkness without the need to have an external source of light. The screen is lighted by four small LED lights located on its edges.

Another highly advanced feature is the newest 6-inch e-paper display. With 212 ppi pixel density, it has a resolution of 758 × 1024 px, giving 62% more pixels than Kindle Touch. The screen also has a 25% better contrast. All that makes text look crisp no matter the size and images show more details.

A battery is Paperwhite’s another strong point. Even with the front light on, the device can run up to eight weeks on a single charge.

The 1st-generation Kindle Paperwhite is available from $119 (Wi-Fi version with special offers).

The Kindle – by design – is digital paper. And the tablet – by the hubris of its own design – is not. – Kevin Kelleher , October 4, 2012

October 11, 2012

Amazon reveals that later this month Kindle Owners’ Lending Library will be available to users from the UK, Germany, and France.

Members of Amazon Prime program will be able to choose from over 200,000 eligible titles and borrow one book per month with no due dates.

October 25, 2012

Kindle for Windows 8 is available for download.

The application is tailored to devices running Windows 8 and offers features similar to other apps, including syncing of bookmarks, notes, and reading progress.

January 25, 2013

Kindle Paperwhite 1 is available for readers in 175 countries around the world.

Foreign customers can order on Amazon.com two international versions. Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi costs $139; Wi-Fi + 3G version is available for $199.

May 1, 2013

Amazon brings accessibility features to Kindle applications.

New features enable blind and visually impaired users to read books aloud, navigate their Kindle library, sort and search books, add notes and highlights, use X-Ray, or share passages to social media.

The first app to support accessibility features is Kindle for iOS. Other applications are planned to join in the future.

June 27, 2013

Amazon is launching Kindle Worlds

Kindle Worlds is Amazon’s new innovative publishing model focused on fan fiction. Any writer can publish authorized stories inspired and based on original stories and characters.

The platform opens with licenses from Warner Bros., Valiant Entertainment, and authors such as Hugh Howey, Barry Eisler, or Neal Stephenson.

Over 50 fan fiction stories are available at launch. They are written by several well-known authors such as Barbara Freethy, Charles Sasser, Anita Clenney, or Robert Rodi.

September 30, 2013

Kindle Paperwhite 2 is launched

Compared to its predecessor, the 2nd-generation Paperwhite sports the display with higher contrast.

The new front-light technology allows the light to distribute more evenly. 1 GHz processor is 25% faster, which results in faster page turns and a better response to touch.

The price of the Kindle Paperwhite 2 version with Wi-Fi and ads is $119.

The 2nd-generation Kindle Paperwhite with 3G and no ads, priced $189, is planned to ship later – on November 5, 2013.

June 10, 2014

Kindle apps for iOS and Android come with Audible support.

Amazon introduced Whispersync for Voice in September 2012. Now the technology comes to tablets and smartphones operated by Android and iOS systems.

From now on, using Kindle for Android and Kindle for the iOS application you won’t only read ebooks but also listen to their audiobook versions.

The Whispersync for Voice enables the user to seamlessly switch between reading and listening without leaving the app and the book.

July 18, 2014

Kindle Unlimited ebook subscription is launched

Kindle Unlimited is an ebook subscription service which gives members unlimited access to a growing collection of Kindle ebooks and Audible audiobooks.

The fee for using Kindle Unlimited is $9.99 per month. Other subscription options – 6, 12, and 24-month pre-paid plans – will be introduced later.

At launch, the catalog of Kindle Unlimited ebooks includes 640,000 titles. Most of them are books published exclusively in the Kindle Store.

The Kindle Unlimited subscriber has unlimited access to all eligible books but can download and keep up to ten titles at a time.

Unlike Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, Kindle Unlimited can be accessed not only from Amazon devices (Kindle e-readers or Fire tablets) but also Kindle applications.

October 2, 2014

Kindle 7 is released

The new model is the first basic Kindle without buttons. It’s fully operated by the touchscreen.

Compared to the basic Kindle released in September 2012 (Kindle 5), the new device sports twice the storage (4 GB). A single battery charge lasts up to four weeks.

The version with special offers costs $79. The one without ads is $99.

October 21, 2014

Kindle Voyage starts shipping

Voyage is Amazon’s most advanced e-reader so far. It’s the thinnest Kindle ever produced. Its depth is 0.3 in (7.6 mm).

Weighing only 180 g, Kindle Voyage has a flush glass front and magnesium back.

The device features a new way to turn pages, called Page Press, with custom-designed force sensors located under page-turn buttons. To turn the page you need to press lightly, and the operation will be confirmed by a haptic.

A next-generation 6-inch display offers the highest resolution (1430 × 1080 px) and pixel density (300ppi) available in e-readers at that time. The contrast is 25% higher than in the 2nd-generation Kindle Paperwhite.

An improved front light consists now of six LED lamps for even light distribution. A built-in light sensor allows the brightness of the screen to be automatically adjusted to current light conditions.

The entry version of Kindle Voyage (Wi-Fi, ads) costs $199. The most expensive variant with Wi-Fi + 3G (no ads) is $289.

June 30, 2015

Kindle Paperwhite 3 is launched

3rd-generation Kindle Paperwhite offers the same pixel density as the top-shelf Kindle Voyage – 300 ppi – for crisp, laser-quality text and more detailed images. With a resolution of 1440 × 1080 px, the new Paperwhite offers twice as many pixels as the 1st-generation Paperwhite.

The new Paperwhite is Amazon’s first e-reader to feature the new Bookerly font and improved typography.

The price of Kindle Paperwhite 3 is kept at the same level as Paperwhite 2 from 2013. The cheapest version (Wi-Fi and ads) is $119.

⇢ Tech specs

Amazon introduces Bookerly font

Bookerly font is used for the first time in the 3rd-generation Kindle Paperwhite launched today. It is a new font “inspired by the artistry of the best fonts in modern print books.” But its purpose is different. The focus was made to optimize the reading experience on the screen.

The font looks good in any size and on any screen, e-paper or LCD. It is lighter and has a more modern look than other digital reading fonts while maintaining maximum readability.

April 27, 2016

Kindle Oasis 1 starts shipping

1st-generation Kindle Oasis is the thinnest and lightest Kindle ever made. Weighing only 4.6 oz (131 g) without the battery cover, it is just 3.4 mm on the thinner side.

A reimagined, asymmetric construction shifts the gravity center to the user’s palm. Combined with advanced page-turn buttons it makes one-handed reading much more comfortable.

Another unique feature is a dual-battery system. One battery is built into the device; the other one is in the detachable case. Once you connect the cover to the Oasis, the battery starts charging the e-reader immediately.

Kindle Oasis 1 features the same 1440 × 1080 px, 300 ppi display as the one used in Voyage.

A single built-in battery can last up to two weeks, but with the energy from the battery cover, you can read several months without the need to recharge.

The prices of 1st-generation Kindle Oasis start from $289.99 (Wi-Fi, ads). For the most expensive version – Wi-Fi + 3G, no special offers – you will pay $379.99.

The Amazon Kindle is probably the least gadget-y gadget ever created. No one ever exclaims about its remarkable specs. It doesn’t need upgrading every two years. You just pick it up, turn it on, and read. – David Pierce , May 13, 2016

July 7, 2016

Kindle 8 is launched

Amazon’s 8th-generation Kindle is 11% thinner and 16% lighter than the 7th generation model.

Kindle 8 has the same price tag as its predecessor – $79.99 – and comes in two color variants: Black and White.

It’s the first Kindle that comes equipped with accessibility feature, called VoiceView, that activates via the built-in Bluetooth audio.

The version of Kindle 8 without special offers is planned to be launched on July 30.

July 19, 2016

Amazon introduces Kindle Single Classics

What if iconic articles, stories, and essays from well-known authors and journalists were available in digital form? This is what Kindle Single Classics are about.

Classic articles from the past, worth reading but hard to find, are available for $0.99 each.

Kindle Single Classics launch with 140 articles, essays, and short stories. Among the authors, you will find Susan Orlean, Norman Mailer, Gloria Steinem, John le Carré, and Kurt Vonnegut.

Ten years after the first Kindle, e-ink remains the best technology for the devoted e-reader. – Brian Heater , October 12, 2017

October 24, 2017

Redesigned Kindle apps for iOS and Android operating systems are launched.

The apps have a unified look and set of features across the two platforms. No matter which platform you use, you will find in the Kindle app a more intuitive search, Goodreads integration, and support for Audible audiobook playback.

The new thing is that you can now choose the app’s theme. You can pick up either Light or Dark look.

October 31, 2017

Waterproof Kindle Oasis 2 is launched

The 2nd-generation Kindle Oasis is Amazon’s first waterproof e-reader.

The e-reader meets IPX8 water resistance rating. It means you can safely put it two meters under fresh water and keep for up to one hour.

Oasis 2 is also the second Kindle that sports the display larger than 6 inches. Kindle DX, introduced in June 2009, had the 9.7-inch screen.

With Oasis 2, Audible is coming back to Kindle e-readers. This time, however, the device does not have built-in speakers or even a headphone jack. Instead, you can listen to audiobooks by connecting the e-reader to a Bluetooth-enabled speaker or headphones.

The new Kindle has much bigger internal storage than its predecessors – 8 and 32 GB. More memory is needed to hold audiobook files.

November 7, 2018

Waterproof, Audible-ready Kindle Paperwhite 4 is released

The long-expected new generation of the most popular Amazon e-reader is finally arriving, with prices starting at $129.99. The device offers features that were most often requested by readers.

First of all, the 2018 Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof. It has passed the IPX8 test, and it means you can put it in 2 meters of the fresh water for 60 minutes and it will withstand it.

Another most requested feature was the ability to play audiobooks. After Oasis and the basic Kindle, the 2018 Paperwhite can play Audible audiobooks and audiobook companions via connected Bluetooth-enabled headphones or speakers.

There are two storage options to choose from, just like in Oasis 2017: 8 GB and 32 GB. The smaller memory variant will let you download dozens of audiobooks for offline playback.

The new Paperwhite looks modern and is thinner and lighter than any Paperwhite previously released. Just like Kindle Voyage and Oasis, Amazon’s newest e-reader sports the glass front and comes with a large selection of original case covers, some of them made from water-safe fabric.

April 10, 2019

The new entry-level Kindle model starts shipping

The newest-generation Kindle model is announced on March 20, three weeks ahead of the official release day set for April 10.

Kindle 2019 is smoother and thinner than its predecessor, comes in two color variants (black and white), offers the same internal memory of 4 GB, and can play Audible audiobooks via connected Bluetooth speakers or headphones.

The biggest improvement is a front-lit display. Four LED lamps embedded in the front bezel spread light over the screen enabling you to read in the dark without the need to turn on an external source of light.

The second upgrade is the display. It has the same resolution of 800 × 600 px, and the same pixel density of 167 ppi as the predecessor, but offers better contrast.

This very feature makes the price of the newest Kindle go up by $10, to $89.99, for the variant with special offers. The ad-free version costs $20 more – $109.99.

In a limited-time offer, a free Kindle Unlimited subscription plan is bundled with the 2019 Kindle. You can read eligible books free of charge for three months, a value of $30.

July 24, 2019

Kindle Oasis 3 is launched

The newest Oasis (3rd-generation) is the first Kindle to sport adjustable warm light. You can change the color temperature of the front light to be warmer.

The new feature is helpful if you are reading a lot in the evening, as blue light (which is natural for daytime) can cause sleep problems. You can adjust the intensity of warm light, as well as schedule how it works during a day.

Besides warm light control, the new top-shelf Kindle offers the same features as the previous-generation model. It’s waterproof (IPX8 rating)m, has a 7-inch touchscreen (1680 × 1264 pixels, 300 ppi), and comes with Audible support and two storage options (8 and 32 GB).

Kindle Oasis 3 (2019) has the same price tag as its predecessor: $249.99 for the entry-level version.

October 27, 2021

6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite 5 is launched

For a price $10 higher than the previous generation, Kindle Paperwhite 2021 offers a slim waterproof design with a 6.8-inch display, adjustable warm light, and USB-C port.

The device is offered in two distinctively different variants: Regular and Signature. The Signature Edition exclusively features auto-adjusting front light, wireless charging, and 32 GB memory size.

The new 6.8-inch display is 13% larger than in the previous-generation model, but the overall dimensions of the new Paperwhite are only a bit bigger.

Amazon claims, the battery can last up to 10 weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day, with Wi-Fi connection turned off, and the brightness level set at 13.

August 2022

Amazon starts supporting epub file format

For many years, Amazon was the only major ebookstore that required the mobi file format if you wanted to add your own books to your Kindle library, devices, and apps.

It changed in August 2022. From that time you were able to send epub files via Send to Kindle extensions. Even before that, since the beginning of 2022, it was possible to successfully add epub files to the Kindle by sending them via email to your dedicated Kindle email address.

All the mobi files that you have added to your Kindle library before are 100% safe, and will not be deleted. However, since August 2022 it’s not possible to add mobi files to the Kindle library – you will get an alert email every time you do that.

October 12, 2022

Kindle 11 starts shipping

Announced by Amazon on September 13, 2022, the newest 11th-generation base Kindle model sports the crisp 300 ppi display, adjustable front light, fast USB-C port, and 16 GB of storage.

The biggest improvement is the new 6-inch, high-resolution 300 ppi touchscreen that offers three times more pixels than the previous model, offering sharper text and images in a paper-like feel.

USB-C becomes the standard in charging and data transfer. It lets you charge and send data to and from the Kindle much faster than the standard USB port. You will need approximately 2 hours to fully charge the Kindle 11 using a 9W USB-C power adapter (not included in the box).

The battery life is extended to 6 weeks, compared to the previous generation model. The calculation is based on the assumption that you read for half an hour a day, with the display brightness set at level 13.

November 30, 2022

Kindle Scribe 1 is launched

Announced on September 28, 2022, and available from November 30, 2022, Amazon’s latest e-reader is one of the most important milestones in Kindle history.

Kindle Scribe sports the 300 ppi 10.2-inch Paperwhite, glare-free touchscreen display that’s enhanced by both the front and warm light. The e-reader is offered in three memory variants (16, 32 and 64 GB), is equipped with a USB-C port, and has the asymmetrical look of the Oasis.

Most importantly, the Scribe is the first Amazon e-paper device that supports handwriting. You can choose from two compatible pens – Basic or Premium – that come free with a chosen Kindle Scribe variant.

To make the most use of the Kindle Scribe, you will have to change your habits, routines, and – most probably – productivity tools. 

Keep reading. Here are other lists and tips to explore:

• Free ebooks for Christmas 2023: here are the top 20 downloads Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
• 12 best personalized gifts for librarians and library supporters These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
• Here are the 12 best iPhone case covers for book lovers In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
• 12 best metal accessories and home decor for book lovers Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]

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4 responses to “A fascinating history of Kindle devices and services”

[…] years ago Amazon released the first-generation Kindle. This single device successfully introduced digital reading to the mass […]

[…] interesting thing is (and we discovered it when working on the timeline of the Kindle) that three days after the launch of the Kindle Store in 2007, Follett’s novel was the most […]

[…] Amazon has been already teasing with upcoming deals on the Kindle and Fire, and some of the announced deals are now active – just in time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Kindle. […]

[…] have had to an internet reset was Amazon’s ebook self-publishing ecosystem combined with its Kindle e-reader, which debuted in 2007. But the Kindle hasn’t had a major technology upgrade since the […]

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Once upon a time, there was a man named Jack Gilbert, who was not related to me – unfortunately for me. 

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Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Which Amazon e-reader should you buy?

Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Voyage: They’re both great, but which one is right for you?

It’s fair to say that Amazon dominates the e-reader market. Yes, it does have some competition from Kobo, Nook and a few others, but the online shopping giant is still the one to beat when it comes to digital books.

To prove that point even further, we’ve pitched easily the two best e-readers on the market against each other – the Kindle Voyage and the Kindle Paperwhite .

The Voyage stands atop Amazon’s line-up, while the Paperwhite takes the mid-range spot. There’s of course a difference in price, but both devices come with really fantastic displays that impress whether your reading in the day or the night.

If you want to know which Kindle to buy, read on.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Design

Kindle Voyage: 180g, 7.6mm thick, magnesium back, PagePress buttons Kindle Paperwhite: 205g, 9.1mm thick, plastic body with soft touch back

The Kindle Voyage is definitely a step forward from the Paperwhite in design terms, though you have to really go hands-on with it to feel, rather than see, the difference.

The plastic back is gone, replaced with a premium-feeling magnesium material that’s sliced up with some sharp lines to give an angular design. This forms a rather unique design, and one we really like. The sides nestle nicely in your hands, while the slim form-factor and minimal weight (a mere 180g) make this thing a pleasure to hold.

Related: Best e-reader to buy

That’s not to say the Paperwhite is heavy. Unless you’re holding both together, you won’t notice the difference. You can hold either just like a normal book for extended periods of time without feeling any arm ache, and even if you decide to add a case they’re still perfectly holdable with one hand.

We particularly love how the display on the Voyage sits flush with the bezels rather than recessed within them, as with the Paperwhite. The obvious plus side here is you won’t get anything stuck in the corners – a small, but constant irritation we have – but it also makes it look so much sleeker.

Finally, the Voyage also attempted to reintroduce physical buttons into the Kindle line. Something, which was phased out when earlier models switched to touchscreens. Instead of proper buttons, the Voyage uses a combination of haptic feedback and page turn sensors to give you a slight vibration every time you push down on either bezel.

It’s called PagePress, and at first we found the feeling a bit odd. You’re not quite sure how hard to press down and the feedback is a little jarring, especially if you’ve been used to proper physical buttons or just tapping the display. But, we got used to it very quickly and if sacrificing the buttons and using these as a replacement helped keep the weight down, we’re all for it.

The Voyage wins out in the design stakes, that’s clear. It’s the sleekest Kindle yet and easily the best-looking e-reader on the market. From the flush display, to the magnesium back, to the ultra-thin design it just screams precision and quality. But, there’s something about the durable nature of the Paperwhite that still has us interested. You can chuck it in your bag and it’ll survive, give it to the kids and the damages seems to be kept to a minimum. For a device like this, that’s meant to be more durable than delicate, that’s a big bonus.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Screen

Kindle Voyage: 6-inch, 300ppi, micro-etched glass, adaptive front light

Kindle Paperwhite: 6-inch, 300ppi, plastic Paperwhite Carta e-paper display

The biggest upgrade to the latest Paperwhite is the display, which now matches the 300 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution that was introduced with the Voyage. This means text is far crisper and clearer, which is always going to be better for the reading experience. It’s not exactly the same as the Voyage though, which is something we’ve realised after spending a lot of time with both devices.

(Voyage display)

The text is, to our eyes anyway, certainly more vivid on the Voyage. It’s darker and has more of a ‘pop’ to it, we prefer it to the slightly duller text on the Paperwhite.

It’s also worth reiterating that the Voyage’s display is the first in the Kindle line to be constructed from a toughened glass rather than plastic. This means that it’s more resistant of scuffs, thus allowing the aforementioned sleeker design, and it’s also smoother to the touch. That’s despite the fact that the Voyage’s display has been micro-etched to avoid reflections.

The Voyage’s display also benefits from an adaptive front light that adjusts the brightness more subtly than the Paperwhite when moving to a darker environment. When you’re reading in bed the light will slowly darker as your eyes adjust, just like you’d normally see on a smartphone.

Related: iPad Air 2 review

(Voyage: left / Paperwhite: right)

Actually, the backlight in general is far better on the Voyage. The light is far more even – so you won’t get a brighter bottom half, something we’ve always found the Paperwhite – and it seems to have a wider spectrum of levels. Jack both devices up to max brightness and the Voyage far outshines the Paperwhite.

Both displays are very crisp though and this year’s Paperwhite is a massive step forward from the last iteration. The Voyage does have some extra features and better contrast, but it doesn’t outclass the Paperwhite. The latter also has access to Amazon’s brand-new Bookerly font, which improves character spacing with hyphenation, justification and ligatures. It does look really nice, but we take a guess that this will come to the Voyage via software update soon enough.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Storage and Connectivity

Kindle Voyage: 4GB on device storage, free cloud storage, 3G and Wi-Fi options

Kindle Paperwhite: 2GB on device storage, free cloud storage, 3G and Wi-Fi options

Amazon has added loads more internal storage for the Kindle Voyage. You now get 4GB, which might not sound like a lot if you’re coming from the world of smartphones and tablets, but it’s loads in the world of e-books – the figure usually given is 1,000 ebooks per 1GB of storage.

It’s also, more pertinently, around double the capacity of the Kindle Paperwhite.

Other than that, both e-readers have similar options. Both have access to Amazon’s free cloud storage, and both come in 3G and Wi-Fi-only options.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Content, Stores and Pricing

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that both tablets have identical access to Amazon’s vast ebook store. We’re talking three million ebooks, newspapers, and magazines.

Amazon’s offering is pretty much the most comprehensive in the business, especially now that it’s settled its ugly differences with some of the publishers who dared to hold out for a better deal. If you’re a Prime subscriber you’ll have access to the Lending Library, while the Kindle Unlimited service has positioned itself as a ’Netflix for books’ with all-you-can-eat reading.

Related: Nexus 9 review

Where the two devices really differ is in pricing. We’ve established that the Kindle Voyage is a much more advanced e-reader in many ways, but then you have to pay £60 more for than for the Paperwhite equivalents. Buy Now:  Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon.com from $139.99

To illustrate that, the £169 price of the Wi-Fi Voyage would get you a 3G Paperwhite. That might be worth considering if you’re on a budget and are likely to find yourself away from a Wi-Fi hotspot for much of the time.

We thought the price difference was a big factor last year, but it’s even greater this time around as the Paperwhite now packs a gorgeous display that rivals the Voyage.

Buy Now: Kindle Voyage at Amazon.com from $199.99

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Battery life

Kindle Voyage: 6 weeks

Kindle Paperwhite: 6 weeks

Both e-readers last a good spell longer than your average tablet on a single charge, as is the way with ebook readers. But, the Kindle’s switch to a sharper, brighter display has clearly taken a toll on its stamina.

Amazon quotes six weeks of life from a single charge for both Kindle Voyage and Paperwhite, that means the newly-announced Paperwhite has lost two weeks of juice from the previous model. We’d take that any day for the improved display and we have to say that six weeks of battery life is more than enough. Especially when they both only take a couple of hours to full recharge.

Related: iPad Air 2 vs Sony Xperia Tablet Z4

We haven’t had the new Paperwhite in our hands for six weeks yet, so we can’t really tell you how it’ll cope accurately. But we’ve been using it pretty solidly for the past five days and the battery indicator has barely nudged all, so that’s a good sign. If it’s anything like the Voyage, we’d say you’ll get a month of everyday use before even the idea of searching out the charger will enter your mind. Use it less frequently and yes, six weeks is very accurate.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Verdict

The Kindle Voyage is a better e-reader than the Kindle Paperwhite in almost every way. It’s got a slightly better screen with improved backlighting; a nicer, more compact, more tactile design; and double the internal storage. For these reasons it is the clear winner of this contest.

But, we’d still recommend the Paperwhite as the one that most people should buy. The Voyage seems like a luxury and if you want to splash out that extra £60, and have the ability to, then you’ll be getting the best e-reader on the market. Thing is, the Paperwhite is still a fantastic device and you don’t lose out on any ‘massive’ features by choosing it over the Voyage. Both have the same access to Amazon’s store, both have great displays and both can last well over a month without needing a recharge. If you’re an e-reader die-hard, the Voyage is the way to go. For everyone else, we’d say the Paperwhite is the perfect pick.

Max is the Editor of Trusted Reviews, and has been a mobile phone and technology specialist for over nine years. Max started his career at T3 straight after graduating from Kingston University. Max ha…

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Should Amazon release the Kindle Voyage 2?

24 August 2022 By Michael Kozlowski 22 Comments

The Kindle Voyage came out in 2014 and it features a six-inch e-ink Carta display with a resolution of 1430 x 1080. It was the first e-reader that had a 300 PPI display, which made font razer sharp. It was the first Kindle to have a flush screen and bezel design, protected by a layer of glass and also was the first e-reader to have an ambient light sensor that would automatically adjust the brightness of the screen, based on your environment. One of the major selling points was the inclusion of Page Press technology, which had capacitive buttons on the side that provided haptic feedback when pressed down to turn a page. The Voyage was one of the most popular e-readers ever, why did Amazon elect not make a second generation?

Amazon was working on a Kindle Voyage 2 sometime from 2017 to 2020. The Voyage 2 had been in development at the secretive RND facility LAB126. This is where the Kindle was originally made, in addition to other products such as the Fire Phone, Fire Tablets, Fire TV and the birthplace of Alexa. The Voyage 2 went through various prototyping phases, but never got completed. The trouble Amazon engineers faced, was how to make the Voyage 2 distinctive enough, compared to the Oasis 3 and the Paperwhite 11th generation.

The latest generation Paperwhite is a key indicator of Amazons future direction. This includes larger screen Kindles, with the latest E INK Carta 1200 e-paper technology and modern specs. This includes Bluetooth to listen to Audible audiobooks, more storage to handle these files, fast-charging, USB-C and even an ambient light sensor. You can read at night with white and amber LED lights, and Amazon packed the most lights in any Kindle to date on the 11th Gen. The Paperwhite also did not have an cellular capabilities and I got the feeling when talking with Amazon, they don’t intend on including 4G/LTE on future models.

Users liked the Voyage, it was a premium six-inch display that had so many innovations for its time, that they now become standard on pretty well every single modern ebook reader. Will Amazon make a Voyage 2? It looks doubtful, it should have come out years ago, but the development of the Oasis got in the way and Amazon has made three different generations of that model. The Voyage is not a household name, it is similar to other one and done products such as the Kindle DX, a grand experiment but ultimately is there enough room in Amazons portfolio for more devices?

Amazon currently has an entry level e-reader, the Kindle. The Paperwhite/Signature Edition is their midrange and the Oasis is their flagship. Their lineup is simple and elegant, what Kindle you choose to buy is dependent on your use case. Having another new product, might complicate things, but Amazon IS developing something new, it just depends on when it comes out.

The company recently conducted a survey with a number of hardcore Kindle users and Amazon provided two names to a future device, they were Kindle Passage and Kindle Scribe . These two names leads many to believe that Amazon is working on an e-note. Whether this will be an e-paper screen or a multipurpose tablet that has note taking functionality. It would likely be part e-reader and part e-note, similar to what Kobo is doing with the Elipsa and Sage, maybe they would even use the fabled E INK Carta 1250 screen, which only the Fujitsu Quaderno uses right now. Amazon would likely make a boatload of money selling premium templates for drawing, accessories such as a premium stylus and replacement nibs, sleep cover cases.

Suffice to say, although everyone wants a new premium six inch to come out, the Voyage 2, the brand is dead and will never comeback.

Michael Kozlowski

Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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A look back at 10 years of the Amazon Kindle

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A decade ago this month, we introduced Kindle, a device and service that together became synonymous with digital reading. Here's how Kindle—and with it, the way people read—has evolved:

• TABLE OF CONTENTS Introducing Amazon Kindle
• Introducing Amazon Kindle
• Simplifying Self Publishing
• Amazon acquires Audible
• A new Kindle that reads to you
• Read anywhere on any device
• Launching the Kindle DX
• Kindle goes global
• Kindle for Android debut
• A smaller and lighter Kindle
• Kindle for the Web
• Kindle Touch
• Kindle Owners’ Lending Library introduced
• "The Kindle we’ve always wanted to build"
• Building the Goodreads community into Kindle
• Whispersync for Voice, and Immersion Reading
• Kindle First—Exclusive Early Access to New Books
• Customers begin exploring books with Kindle Unlimited
• A new Voyage
• New Bookerly font is crafted from the ground up for digital reading
• The lightest Kindle yet
• Page Flip–A new way to hop, skim, and jump through Kindle books
• More reading with Prime
• A beloved product gets even better
• Turn your phone or tablet into a book

With its high-resolution electronic paper display and compact design, the Kindle device revolutionized reading upon its debut. In the works for more than three years, the device was meant to address a pain point at the time for our customers: digital reading just wasn't an appealing or comfortable experience. The Kindle team set out to make a product that, in many ways, aimed to go beyond what paper could offer, embedding a built-in dictionary, search functionality and wireless connectivity that made thousands of titles effortlessly accessible without syncing to a computer – a feature unique to Kindle. The original Kindle service had 90,000 books available to purchase and download. The Kindle sold out within 5.5 hours of its release on November 19.

We launched a self-publishing service, Kindle Direct Publishing —(called Digital Text Platform in 2007) on the same day as the first Kindle device. Today, hundreds of thousands of authors connect with millions of readers around the world, through their stories, thanks to this service. Self-publishing is democratizing the way authors get their books to readers, giving authors more choice and more control, and giving readers more selection than ever before.

On the heels of the Kindle launch, we ventured next into spoken word with the acquisition of Audible, which included more than 80,000 audiobooks, including titles by best-selling authors such as Stephen King and Thomas Friedman. The top design goal for the Kindle device was "to disappear in your hands—to get out of the way—so you can enjoy your reading," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said just months earlier at the November launch. Listening to books with Audible provided another way for the Kindle experience to "disappear" and let readers immerse themselves in a book and discover new ways to read.

Strong Kindle sales illustrated the positive customer reaction to Kindle, so we set out to make the customer experience even better. The Kindle 2 featured a sleeker design, 25 percent longer battery life, faster page turns, and other improvements. The catalog of available titles grew from 90,000 titles to 230,000. And with two gigabytes of memory, the Kindle 2 could store 1,500 of those titles. Continuing to push the boundaries on how readers could experience books, Kindle added a "read-to-me feature" that converted text to speech to let customers enjoy books, even when their eyes were busy.

With the launch of the free Kindle app for iPhone and iPod touch, it became even easier to read anywhere. For the first time, customers could read with Kindle on their phone—whether or not they had a Kindle device. And with new Whispersync technology, Kindle automatically saved and synchronized reading across devices, letting customers seamlessly switch between their Kindle and phone to read more every day.

With the Kindle DX, we added a new large-screen experience for readers. Later that year in an interview with Newsweek , Jeff Bezos admitted he was astonished at the success of Kindle: "Two years ago, none of us expected what has happened so far.” An updated version of the DX, with 50 percent better contrast and a lower price, followed in 2010.

Building on the mission of making every book, ever written, in any language, available in 60 seconds or less, customers around the world now had access to Kindle. Today, our customers around the world read with Kindle in more than 30 languages on their e-readers and free Kindle apps for iOS, Android, PC and Mac.

Customers have been enjoying reading with Kindle across all their devices, regardless of OS. With the free Kindle app, customers were finding it even easier to turn their phone or tablet into a book and read anytime, anywhere, on all their devices.

The Kindle device established itself as the best-selling, most wished for, and most gifted product on Amazon.com. The third generation Kindle device featured a new design that maintained the six-inch screen while reducing body size by about a fifth. The contrast was 50 percent better, page turns were 20 percent faster, and the new Kindle was 15 percent lighter. The new display made it easier to read in bright sunlight, while added storage increased the carrying capacity to 3,500 books.

With Kindle for the Web , customers could discover and start reading books right in their browser, including free instant previews of the first chapter of Kindle books with no app download or installation required. Kindle for the Web also provided bloggers and authors an easy way to promote books on their digital channels by letting visitors read a chapter without leaving their site and while also earning referral fees on sales.

In 2011, we launched the fourth-generation Kindle and Kindle Touch, featuring a touchscreen. With the devices, Amazon reached the “magical two-digit price point,” Bezos noted, at $79 and $99 respectively.

Continuing to expand ways for customers to access Kindle content, we introduced the Kindle Owners' Lending Library . For the first time, owners of Kindle e-readers with an Amazon Prime membership could choose from thousands of Kindle books to borrow and read for free.

By 2012, Kindle had been the world's best-selling e-reader for five years straight. The fifth iteration of the Kindle device, Paperwhite, was "the Kindle we've always wanted to build," Jeff Bezos said. Paperwhite's standout feature was its display, which had 62 percent more pixels, 25 percent increased contrast, and a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions. Battery life had doubled to eight weeks over the past two years. We’ve heard from couples that the Paperwhite device saved their marriage!

Spring of 2013, we acquired Goodreads, the world’s largest community of readers, that today has more than 65 million members. As part of September’s launch of the new sixth-generation Kindle Paperwhite device (a faster version with better contrast), we began incorporating Goodreads ratings, sharing, and highlights into the Kindle experience—making it easier for customers to discover and discuss books with friends.

We launched Whispersync for Voice , allowing customers to switch between reading and listening to their book across all their devices (and the Audible app) while saving their place. With Whispersync for Voice, it became easier for customers to find more time to read, seamlessly switching from reading on their Kindle before bed to listening to their book on their phone while commuting to work. At the same time, immersion reading was added to the all-new Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD family, letting customers listen to their favorite Audible audio books while simultaneously seeing the text highlighted on the page. Reading and listening together has been shown to increase the motivation to read, and has a meaningful impact on reading retention by engaging the eye and the ear simultaneously.

Continuing to innovate on behalf of readers, we launched Kindle First in 2013. Each month, Amazon Publishing editors select several titles from Kindle’s most popular categories a month ahead of their official publication date, adding a note of recommendation and a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and the authors. At launch, customers could choose one of the featured books each month for $1.99 and Prime members could make their selection for free – adding yet another benefit of Prime membership.

With the launch of Kindle Unlimited , book lovers began enjoying unlimited access to over 600,000 Kindle books, and listen to thousands of Audible audiobooks, for only $9.99 a month. The new subscription service made it easy to for customers to try a new author or genre. Kindle Unlimited also provided another way for self-published authors to make a living at their craft—in fact, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select authors have earned over $209 million in royalties in the last 12 months, just from Kindle Unlimited.

The thinnest version of the Kindle yet, Voyage was "the next big step" in the mission to "make the device disappear, so you can lose yourself in the author's world," Bezos said. In addition to measuring just 7.6 millimeters, the seventh-generation Kindle device boosted improved screen resolution, speed, and storage. A new page-turning feature, PagePress, let readers flip through a book with a custom-designed sensor that activated with a light press of the thumb.

With the launch of a new Kindle Paperwhite device in 2015, we also introduced our new Bookerly Font and advanced typography engine to help customers read faster and with less eyestrain. Bookerly, an exclusive font designed from the ground up for reading on digital screens, was inspired by the artistry of the best fonts in modern print books and was hand-crafted for great readability at any size on digital devices.

Rethinking the Kindle's design for the eighth generation of the device, we delivered the ergonomic Kindle Oasis. At 4.6 ounces and 3.4 millimeters, Oasis was the lightest and thinnest Kindle, and offered a new generation of the high-resolution 300 ppi Paperwhite display for crisp, laser-quality text.

Page Flip , a reimagined Kindle navigation experience, made it easy for readers to explore their Kindle books while always saving their place. With Page Flip, readers could easily flip back and forth between pages to reference different parts of the book while they read, whether referring back to pictures in a political memoir or flipping back and forth between a map and the current page in an epic fantasy series.

We introduced Prime Reading, which gives Prime members the ability to read as much as they like from a selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children’s books, and more – at no additional cost. Prime Reading was the latest in the growing set of reading benefits for Prime members which also includes the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and Kindle First.

Nearly 10 years after its debut, Kindle continues to innovate on behalf of readers. The new Kindle Oasis – the ninth generation of the device – launched with the largest, high-resolution Paperwhite display yet; it’s also the first waterproof Kindle. With Audible built in, customers can listen to the world’s largest library of audiobooks and easily switch between reading and listening to a professionally narrated performance on Bluetooth headphones or speakers. Its thin, light, and waterproof design allows readers to stay engaged in the author’s world in even more places than ever before.

With the all-new Kindle apps for iOS and Android, we’ve made it easier than ever to turn a phone or tablet into a book—so customers can read anytime, anywhere. The app is designed for book lovers and provides easy access to the most popular Kindle features—effortlessly moving between the pages of a book, a digital library, a personalized bookstore, and more. With the Goodreads community built into Kindle for iOS, readers can easily discover and discuss books they love with friends.

• PAGE OVERVIEW
• 1 Introducing Amazon Kindle
• 2 Simplifying Self Publishing
• 3 Amazon acquires Audible
• 4 A new Kindle that reads to you
• 5 Read anywhere on any device
• 6 Launching the Kindle DX
• 7 Kindle goes global
• 8 Kindle for Android debut
• 9 A smaller and lighter Kindle
• 10 Kindle for the Web
• 11 Kindle Touch
• 12 Kindle Owners’ Lending Library introduced
• 13 "The Kindle we’ve always wanted to build"
• 14 Building the Goodreads community into Kindle
• 15 Whispersync for Voice, and Immersion Reading
• 16 Kindle First—Exclusive Early Access to New Books
• 17 Customers begin exploring books with Kindle Unlimited
• 18 A new Voyage
• 19 New Bookerly font is crafted from the ground up for digital reading
• 20 The lightest Kindle yet
• 21 Page Flip–A new way to hop, skim, and jump through Kindle books
• 22 More reading with Prime
• 23 A beloved product gets even better
• 24 Turn your phone or tablet into a book

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Arvyn Cerézo

Arvyn Cerézo is an arts and culture writer/reporter with bylines in Book Riot , Publishers Weekly , South China Morning Post , PhilSTAR Life , the Asian Review of Books , and other publications. You can find them on arvyncerezo.com and @ArvynCerezo on Twitter.

View All posts by Arvyn Cerézo

The Amazon Kindle turns 15 this month. In the years since its launch, this nifty device has changed the publishing industry forever.

Though e-ink , a technology that powers many Kindles, is not really a new invention, Amazon saw success employing it, making ebooks much more popular than previously. The Kindle opened up opportunities for publishers and authors alike. It also became another reading option for consumers, especially students, as many libraries now loan out ebooks to their patrons. Most importantly, the Kindle changed reading habits of many people.

On the business side, the Kindle dominated every corner of the ebook industry, prompting rivals such as Kobo and Barnes & Noble to ride the train of manufacturing their own ereaders. Even then, the Kindle became a golden goose for Amazon as the device developed its own following. Today, Kindle might as well be synonymous with ebook, with its massive reach that accounts for 68% of overall ebook market .

Over the past 15 years, the Kindle never failed to show that market dominance. Amazon rolled out various iterations and variations, which kept improving every now and then. But at the same time, the Kindle had its fair share of failures and controversies.

Let’s dive into a brief history as well as the controversies, failures, and successes of the Kindle — what is considered to be Amazon’s most successful device invention so far. How has it been so successful after all these years despite the shaky state of the industry?

A Brief History of the Kindle

Three years in the making, the first-generation Kindle was launched on November 19, 2007 in New York City, which was presented by Jeff Bezos himself. It came with 90,000 titles already available, selling out in less than 6 hours . At the time, the price was a whopping $399. And back then, the device looked unappealing, with its large keyboard and a small screen. It also seemed bulky , at 10.3 ounces.

Along with the launch of the device was the introduction of Kindle Direct Publishing, the self-publishing platform for authors.

Then, a few years later, Amazon also launched iOS and Android versions of Kindle.

But tech companies being tech companies, Amazon created a walled garden: its own self-sustaining ecosystem for this device. In fact, epub, the industry-standard ebook format, was inaccessible on a Kindle until recently , which still has a catch. But during the beginnings of the Kindle, Amazon adopted the mobi format, which it acquired from Mobipocket . Recently, however, this file format has been phased out in favor of newer ones: KF8 and KFX .

The Kindle’s apparent success came along with controversies as well. In its early days, Amazon locked horns with the gatekeepers of publishing.

Iterations and Generations

The basic Kindle underwent many iterations, or so called “generations,” throughout the years. Likewise, Amazon also introduced other variations of the device, and each has their own succeeding iterations.

The Kindle 2 was an improvement to the first-generation Kindle. It still had no lights and had a keyboard and some buttons, but it had an updated design and longer battery life. Next came the Kindle DX , which looked odd. The device appeared huge and had a rounded keyboard at the bottom. Kindle 3 or the Kindle Keyboard, however, was not much different from the older versions aforementioned. It had rounded corners and still had a keyboard, but it was significantly faster.

In Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch, Amazon finally got rid of the physical keyboard. But these versions still had some keys and a cursor pad, which looked rather strange. Then came the Kindle 5, which was frankly not much different from its predecessor, but it was faster.

The basic Kindle had many iterations after that, which continued until Kindle 11 in 2021. This version is so much better, with 16 GB storage and 300 ppi display, and it looks far unrecognizable from its first inception.

Along the way, Amazon also introduced other variations of its prize possession. One of them is Kindle Paperwhite, which was first released in 2012. The device rivals the basic Kindle and already had many iterations since it first came out. The latest is the Kindle Paperwhite 5 , which was just unveiled in December 2021.

On the other hand, Kindle Voyage came out in 2014, which had a feature called PagePress that allows turning pages simply by pressing buttons. Four years later, however, it was discontinued .

In 2016, another Kindle variant was put on the market: Kindle Oasis . The device is marketed as a luxury item, and the last major iteration was released way back in 2019. However, little to no updates have been given to the device.

After all these countless product launches, Kindle is now reduced to three levels: basic Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Oasis. If you’re planning to buy your first one and unsure of which to choose, here’s a useful guide .

Controversies and Failures

As Amazon’s flagship brand, the Kindle is no stranger to controversies.

The first of such was in 2009 when Amazon remotely removed ebook copies of George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm from users’ Kindle devices. According to Amazon, the uploader of said books didn’t have the rights to publish them, and so it had them scrubbed from the Kindle store and from users’ devices. This, however, prompted a heavy backlash, as it broke the terms Amazon previously laid out.

Another such case is when a Norwegian woman had her Amazon account and all her past ebook purchases from the Kindle store wiped out. Strangely, no explanation was given to her by Amazon.

Perhaps, the biggest controversy was when Amazon went to a legal battle with the five of the then Big 6 publishers. Amazon previously controlled the prices of ebooks, setting them to a convenient $9.99. The publishers, however, wanted to wrestle control back, as their books bore the brunt of ebook’s low prices, so these publishers colluded with Apple to set their own prices . This was illegal, according to the Department of Justice. Hence, they were sued.

To this day, the pricing scheme set by Apple and the publishers remains.

But while Amazon became a wild success in the U.S. and in different parts of the world, it failed to capture the Chinese market. The local ebook market evolved, while the Kindle lagged. In China, readers had various options, and the Kindle eventually lost out on all the competition.

Successes and Dominance

Still, despite its controversies and failures, Amazon’s Kindle ereader series is considered a success, having survived and thrived in an untested industry.

Amazon hit the jackpot with the Kindle. From hardware to software department, it secured its position as the leader in the ebook business. The company successfully dominated the ebook industry, even providing the infrastructure at the outset.

Though there have been a lot of other ereader brands that popped up in the past, some flopped really hard, such as Nook and Sony. And while some brands are catching up, like Kobo, they have achieved nowhere near what Kindle has. Without Kindle , ebooks may never have taken off at all.

The brand’s success is immense that it also churned spin-off products, such as Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle Unlimited, Kindle Singles, Kindle Short Reads, Kindle Vella, etc., which are profitable on their own. Kindle Direct Publishing, in particular, is a hit among self-published authors, as they earn a living using the platform.

Fifteen years onward, the Amazon Kindle remains a top contender in the ebook industry, despite the surplus of advanced ereaders in the market and the fact that few changes to its technology have been made in recent years. As the technology improves, it’s expected to catch up. Perhaps in the next five years, Amazon would finally offer colored versions of its ereaders.

One thing’s for sure, though: The Kindle is definitely here to stay.

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Which Kindle do I have? A quick guide to identifying all of Amazon's e-readers

Published on April 16, 2024

The Amazon Kindle is arguably Amazon’s best product. The e-ink display, the long battery life, and the simple design make for excellent e-readers. Early Kindle had some confusing naming schemes, an issue that Amazon has cleaned up in recent releases. Still, many of these devices look like one another, so we’re here to help you determine which one you own. You may need to know which Kindle model to buy the proper case or other accessories or fix an issue , but how do you check which Kindle model you have? Perhaps you’re just curious, and you can’t remember. Here’s a quick and dirty guide to which Kindle you have from all the available options.

Editor’s note — This article is for Kindle e-readers. If you have a Kindle Android tablet, you can easily find your device’s name in the Settings menu.

QUICK ANSWER

Kindles running firmware 5.14 or higher can go into Settings , Device Options, and  Device Info . Your device's name should be the first thing listed. If you have a device running older firmware, you can check your Amazon account, use the serial number of the device, or look out for the physical identifiers listed below.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

Identify your Kindle with Device Info

Check your amazon account.

• Use the Kindle's serial number to identify it
• Use physical attributes to identify your Kindle

Kindle devices now list their own device name in the Device Info section, starting with firmware version 5.14. That should include all modern Kindles and some from a few years back. Here’s how to check:

• Go into the Settings menu.
• Navigate to Device Options .
• Tap the Device Info option.
• Your Kindle will display information like Wi-Fi MAC address, firmware version, and other details.
• The very first item on the list should be your device’s model. Check the photo above to see what it looks like.
• Note — The Device Info section may vary depending on your device and the firmware version.

And that’s it. You should easily be able to see your device’s name. Unfortunately, older devices don’t have this luxury, so we’ll continue with other ways to identify your device.

Your Kindle is presumably linked to your Amazon account, so one method of checking which device you have is directly with Amazon.

To do this, head to www.amazon.com/mydevices . If you’re logged in, you’ll see the general Manage Your Content and Devices page, which shows all of the digital content and physical devices linked to your account. Along the top, you can select Devices  to narrow it down. when you see your Kindle, select it to see a description of which model you have.

Use the Kindle’s serial number or model number

Once you identify your serial or model number, refer to the table below to figure out which version you own.

How to find your serial number

• Go into your Settings menu.
• Navigate to Device Options.
• Finally, go to Device Info.
• The serial number and your Wi-Fi MAC Address, firmware version, and other data should be there.
• Note — This method works for modern Kindles. The Settings menu may be slightly different on older models.

How to find your model number

The model number is printed in two places. The first is on the back of the device, where all the information is. It’s usually towards the bottom. The other place is on the original box.

Use your Kindle’s physical appearance

Finally, we can help you identify your model based on its appearance. We only recommend this if you cannot get your serial or model numbers from the settings. Most Kindles also have a model number printed on the back of the device. If yours hasn’t rubbed off, you can Google your model number to find out your exact model and generation.

If that fails you, the section below shows you how to identify your Kindle based on its physical appearance. It’s the least efficient way, but it still works.

11th Generation

• Kindle Paperwhite 5 (2021) — The Paperwhite 5 has the black Amazon swoosh on the back and “Kindle” in white letters on the front. It’s physically similar to the Paperwhite 4. The biggest difference is its ability to emit warm light from the screen. Thus, if yours has a setting to emit warm light, it’s a Paperwhite 5. Otherwise, it’s a Paperwhite 4.
• Kindle Basic 4 (2022) — The Basic 4 is part of the 11th-generation Kindle. It looks very similar to the Paperwhite 5 but with a slightly smaller display. Additionally, the text on the front of the device is the same color as the device and not white like the Paperwhite.
• Kindle Scribe (2022) — The Scribe may not be part of the 11th Generation, but we’re listing it here anyway. This one looks similar to previous Oasis devices, except the thick bezel is on the left instead of the right. It also comes with a USB-C port. Notably, it’s also the only one you can write on.

10th Generation

• Kindle Basic 3 —  The back has the Amazon arrow logo without the word “Amazon.” It is otherwise physically identical to the Basic 2 aside from size.
• Kindle Paperwhite 4 — The Paperwhite 4 looks physically identical to the Paperwhite 3, except the text on the front is white instead of black.
• Kindle Oasis 3 — The Oasis 3 is physically identical to the Oasis 2. The only differentiation, as far as we know, is the Oasis 3 can emit warm light from the screen instead of the usual backlight color of the Oasis 2. If your settings have a warm light option, it’s an Oasis 3. Otherwise, it’s an Oasis 2.

9th Generation 

• Kindle Oasis 2 — The Oasis 2 is much larger than most other models at 7 inches, with a two-button handle on the right side. The handle is thicker than the rest of the device. The back has an Amazon arrow logo with “Amazon” text written vertically rather than horizontally.

8th Generation

• Kindle Basic 2 —  The back features rounded edges, which are different than the sloped edges of the Basic 1. The front otherwise looks identical to other Basic models.
• Kindle Oasis — The original Oasis looks the same as the other models. However, the original Oasis was much smaller than the other two, which is its only defining difference.

7th Generation

• Kindle Paperwhite 3 — The Paperwhite 3 is the only Paperwhite with black text on the front. It looks strikingly similar to Basic 1. However, looking closely, you’ll notice the Paperwhite 3 has a taller screen than the Basic 1.
• Kindle Voyage — The Voyage has a unique front design, with thin, vertical lines on the side and left and right soft-touch buttons for easy page-turning.
• Kindle Basic 1 — The first Basic is very similar to the other three Basic devices. However, on the back, the edges are sloped rather than rounded; to our knowledge, it is the only e-reader in the bunch with those sloped designs.

6th Generation

• Kindle Paperwhite 2 — The second-generation Paperwhite is the only Paperwhite with a glossy black Amazon logo on the back. All future generations have engraved logos with the same material as the rest of the device. The front looks the same as basically all other Paperwhites.

5th Generation

• Kindle 5 — The fifth-gen is physically identical to the fourth generation, except this one comes in black instead of silver. They are otherwise so close that Amazon lists them together on its list of all devices .
• Kindle Paperwhite 1 — The first Paperwhite looks the same as future generations. However, the first one is the only one with the name on the back and the front. All future generations use the Amazon logo.

4th Generation

• Kindle Touch — The Touch is easy enough to identify. It’s the only one with the physical, four-line home button on the front of the device.
• Kindle 4 — The fourth-gen e-reader has the characteristic square button on the front with two circular buttons on the left and right sides. However, this one only came in silver, and the fifth-generation model only came in black.

3rd Generation

• Kindle 3 — This third-gen product is the last one that came with a full keyboard. It has four rows of buttons along with two-page turn buttons on the right side. This model also introduced the square button that would be prevalent in the fourth and fifth-generation models later on.

2nd Generation

• Kindle 2 — This one has a totally unique look. It had a five-row keyboard with two buttons on the left and five buttons on the right. It is the only Amazon e-reader with that configuration.
• Kindle DX — The DX has a larger screen than most early devices. However, its four-row keyboard is much smaller, and, as a result, the screen-to-body ratio is much larger than most, making it easy to identify.

1st Generation

• Kindle 1 — The first one is easily identifiable by its keyboard. It’s the only one with a keyboard split down the middle and separated for easier two-hand typing. Additionally, each key has a weird bend that is vastly different from all other models.

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New Kindle Getting Released in 2024 is Highly Likely

March 4, 2024 by Nathan 28 Comments

Rumors about new Kindles have started up again because the guy who’s known for accurately predicting new Apple products has predicted that Amazon will start releasing Kindles with color E Ink screens, but some people seem to be missing the point that he doesn’t predict that is going to happen until 2025.

He also predicts that color Kindles will use E Ink’s ACeP screens with actual colored E Ink pixels instead of the current Kaleido color screens that use a color filter over a regular black and white screen. That’s a pretty bold prediction considering ACeP screens still haven’t caught on at all yet. They’re supposed to have really good color quality without reduced contrast like Kaleido screens, but the refresh rate has been considered to be too slow for reading devices, with up to 1.5 seconds for quality refreshing.

If they can improve the refresh rate of ACeP screens then I could maybe see that predication coming true, but there’s also the fact that the price of color devices using ACeP screens are expected to be 40-60% higher than devices with regular black and white E Ink screens. Amazon has a long history of selling Kindles for cheap so I don’t know if that adds up, but a color Kindle Scribe could be one possibility.

Color E Ink devices seem to be more popular as eNotes than ereaders anyway, especially since most ebooks don’t benefit from color much at all. But I think there will be a point where black and white screens become obsolete if they can get color E Ink right.

I still think the odds of Amazon releasing at least one new Kindle in 2024 are very high. 2023 was only the second calendar year where Amazon didn’t release any new Kindles at all (2020 being the other year), so that almost guarantees a new Kindle will get released this year.

The Paperwhite will be turning 3 years old in October, and Amazon usually updates the Paperwhite every 3 years or so. They also just discontinued the Kindle Oasis so there’s room for another premium Kindle in the lineup.

Last week I posted about how Kobo is expected to release three new ereaders this year based on FCC paperwork, and Kobo often releases new devices at the same time that Amazon releases new Kindles.

Amazon is a lot better at hiding their FCC submissions than Kobo so we still don’t have any evidence on that front regarding new Kindles, but they almost certainly have something in the works for 2024.

What kind of new Kindle would you like to see get released this year? And are you excited about the possibility of color Kindles in 2025?

Reader Interactions

March 4, 2024 at 1:52 pm

I’d like a pure e reader with buttons and a symmetrical design. A bonus would be expandable memory and different color options for the device. What would really surprise me but I’d probably buy it in a heartbeat would be a small palm size e reader a Kindle Palma if you will without the bells and whistles of the Palma. That new color technology sounds really cool though only if it’s not exorbitantly expensive and it can be sped up without encountering a issue.

March 5, 2024 at 7:16 am

^ 100% this. I just want a Kindle with back/forward buttons and a symmetrical design. Oh, and a power button on the back like the Voyage.

March 5, 2024 at 1:20 pm

I forgot about the power button on the back that’s a nice touch I like on my Voyage. I do like the slider style from my Keyboard too though. Either one is a win for me.

March 4, 2024 at 2:02 pm

Color doesn’t interest me. Give me a kindle similar to the Voyage – lightweight and portable, really good screen, optional buttons.

March 4, 2024 at 3:59 pm

Small, warm lighted Kobo mini style Kindle. Other than that – not really excited at the news.

March 4, 2024 at 6:08 pm

All I want is a traditional shaped Kindle with page turn / page press buttons and warm light such as a Voyage 2.

March 4, 2024 at 8:49 pm

Voyage 2, mini Kindle, and new Oasis have to be the leading choices when people are asked what we would like to see. All three would be a e book addicts dream.

April 15, 2024 at 6:37 am

Yes, this is what I want as well; an updated Voyage.

March 4, 2024 at 6:19 pm

I really don’t have any particular need for a new Kindle, or a new e-Reader. But I’d consider an 8″ screen premium Kindle, should they produce one. Otherwise, happy enough with my Oasis 2 for the occasions I read on it instead of my Kobo Sage.

Color is something I’d like, but ONLY when it’s decent enough for prime time. And it would have to be reasonable in price and available on an 8″ screen. I’d not spend dramatically more to have it.

Resolution at 300ppi, good refresh/page turning, better color rendition. Until then, I can happily live without. If a particular book *needs* it as an integral part of the content, say a non-fiction book with color photographs, I’d rather read on my tablet and have *good* color than read where the color would be lackluster at best.

March 4, 2024 at 7:12 pm

The Paperwhite 5 standard I use has been a fantastic device for the past 2 years so I’m not really in the market for another kindle especially a color one. When Amazon does release a color version I’m sure it will be well made and show some good colors. If I need colors in an ebook I can use the $35.00 fire tablet. The PPI is terrible against a kindle but it gets the job done.

Now they release an 8 inch Kindle Oasis(non-color) with latest e-ink maybe I would get one on sale. I would like page turn buttons and an 8 inch would be perfect at home reading device for me.

March 5, 2024 at 9:10 am

Color? We don’t need no stinkin’ color! Last I looked, the only color in most books is the dust jacket!

March 14, 2024 at 6:40 pm

Its for the comic book market.

April 27, 2024 at 5:20 am

Eink is far from good for comics. I tried boox color eink readers for comics and were useless (for this). If you want comics than an ipad in your preffered size is the only good solution. On kindle side there is no much to improve. I think the reappear of physical buttons can be the only enhancement. Battery is good for years so no need a replaceable battery. Colors – we’re not there yet.

March 5, 2024 at 9:13 am

Buttons and an easily Replaceable battery.

March 5, 2024 at 1:18 pm

Customer replaceable battery and screen would be awesome to have.

March 6, 2024 at 1:09 am

Not too interested in a new Kindle as I have the Scribe but looking forward to Kobo’s new devices coming this year. Looking to replace my aging Kobo Aura One.

March 6, 2024 at 2:32 pm

I’m just waiting for a good deal on a scribe, and only for the screen size. The rest I’m not interested in unless it’s around $250. ..

March 7, 2024 at 12:00 am

colour font alone will not interest me to replace my existing provide Kindle.

March 8, 2024 at 5:09 pm

Acabo de comprar un oasis usado de warehouse Amazon para jubilar mi viejo Kindle de 2016 y la batería no le durá mucho. Me encantaría poder cambiar la batería por el cliente y que durara tanto como a los Kindle anteriores. Lo del color la verdad no es tan importante. Me parece más necesario que mejoren la ubicación dentro de los libros, que tenga una barra en la parte de abajo que indique en qué parte del libro estás, y una mejor gestión de vuidas y huérfanos.

March 28, 2024 at 9:55 pm

En Amazon venden varios kits de bateria y las “herramientas” que necesitas para abrir el kindle. PS qué son viudas y huerfanos? Cómo se dice en inglés?

March 10, 2024 at 12:13 pm

8 inch Oasis.

I will neither buy symmetrical readers again, nor anything smaller.

March 24, 2024 at 2:52 am

I think the rumour is incorrect. Yes, they may launch a colour Kindle in 2025, but that will be a Kaleido 3 or its next incarnation type. Gallery 3 does not seem to work well, even though it had high promises. The colours look peach instead of white, and greens are more like yellowish browns. Refresh rates were low. The only device that was launched in all of this time was from Bigme and showed the above disadvantages. Now you could think that this was just down to the way Bigme implemented things and that things would be different with a different approach from a different manufacturer. But where are they? The Pocketbook Viva was not released. The only ones that still seem to be working on one are Sharp, and there was a video about it from Ceatec. When looking at the images you still see the same effects: white looks more like a light peach, and greens look more like yellowish browns. So that shows that the issues are inherent to the technology (in its current incarnation) and are not due to some tweaks not taking place. So the rumour for me is probably due to some misinterpretation, maybe Amazon is working on a Kindle based on Kaleido 3, but somehow this was interpreted as working on a Gallery 3 type Kindle, or maybe it is a case of wishful thinking.

March 25, 2024 at 7:11 am

I kind of feel the same way about it, but by 2025 it’ll have been a couple of years since the Bigme disaster so maybe E Ink will have improved Gallery screens enough by then. The Kaleido 3 screens have improved noticeably since they first generation.

March 25, 2024 at 9:00 pm

I would like to see an Oasis-styled Paperwhite that is the same size as the current Paperwhite. I can put that in the pockets of my various cargo pants, but the real Oasis is too big.

March 27, 2024 at 6:34 pm

I want an e-reader for pdf, so 10 inch or bigger, color display, and Wacom pen.

April 1, 2024 at 7:49 pm

Like so many people, I want a kindle with buttons – for myself and my husband. He had a stroke so the physical buttons allow him to read. His Oasis is older and I am currently looking for a replacement. We enjoy purchasing our books from Kindle but that may no longer be possible.

Fingers crossed for buttons in 2024!

April 27, 2024 at 6:04 am

I have an original 2017 Kindle Oasis. It’s small with buttons and has a cover that also charges the kindle. I love it and would love to be able to replace it. It won’t last much longer. It’s easy to hold and turn pages with one hand and it’s interchangeable from hand to hand. The page flips. Amazon should bring that back! It was much better than the larger Oasis replacement. That one was too big to hold in one hand and the battery died quickly.

May 1, 2024 at 6:16 am

I also have the original Kindle Oasis Gillian. And like you, just hold on to it because there is no other that I like more. Im hopeful that Amazon releases a worthy replacement soon. How much does your battery last? Have you thought of replacing the battery of the device or the charging cover?

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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2015) review

It's a kindle. it does kindle things.

By Dieter Bohn

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There’s a new Kindle Paperwhite out, and it’s just like the old one except for a high-resolution screen. Nobody was really expecting it to happen: after all, before this update, Amazon had a pretty simple, almost Apple-esque breakdown of its Kindle e-readers. There's the low-end Kindle at $79, with a boxy body and no backlight (seriously, don't buy this one). There's the high-end Kindle Voyage with a high-contrast "micro-etched" glass screen and an adaptive light sensor at $199 (quite pricey). And then there's the Kindle Paperwhite; at $119 it lands in the sweet spot of features and price.

But the new Paperwhite upends that calculus by giving a 300-ppi screen to the midrange device without raising the price a single dollar. It was already our pick for the best e-reader you can buy , and now it's doubly so.

Unless you are incredibly finicky about the technology of your e-reader, there's just not much reason to spend the extra $80 to get the Voyage. The Voyage gives you improved contrast, quasi-button zones for turning pages, an adaptive backlight, and 12 percent less weight than other Kindles, but I don’t really think those things add up to being worth the extra cost. Plus, all three Kindles are functionally identical; the basics of the Kindle are the same across the entire lineup.

And the basics of the Kindle are really well established by now. Amazon has been steadily increasing the feature set over the years without letting any of those new bits get in the way of the Kindle's "one job" of undistracted reading. The latest software update, which will come to all three Kindles in the coming weeks, brings a new font and better text layout that’s more readable. You still can't left-justify the text, but the line spacing and hyphenation is much more sensible now. It’s a good update, though I do think that Amazon is being a little over-aggressive at trying to get you to sign up for Kindle Unlimited.

Left: 2013 Kindle Paperwhite. Right: 2015 Kindle Paperwhite.

The screen on the new Paperwhite is simply lovely. It's still a plastic, capacitive touch screen, but the sharper text is much easier on the eyes. If I'm being finicky I could point out that it has slightly less contrast than the Voyage and the backlight seems to have just a slightly bluer tint than the last Paperwhite. But even pointing out these incredibly subtle differences feels like I'm straining to offer distinctions where no meaningful differences exist. If you already have a Kindle, you really don't need to upgrade to the Paperwhite.

And that's the hardest part about reviewing the Kindle Paperwhite: it's a single-use gadget that achieves its single-use quite well. This is Amazon's game to screw up, and it hasn't. How do you even review a Kindle without getting into the weeds of typography or measuring screen brightness in terms of nits (quite literally nit picking)?

I could wade into the old battle of paper vs. dedicated e-readers vs. tablets, but we all know the story there. I'm on record as a person who thinks paper is a superior technology to ebooks for some uses: academics and long-term archiving, to name two. I sometimes wish that the Paperwhite was a little better for note-taking and could serve as a more general purpose device in the way a tablet can. I could even dig into the fact that I still feel like Amazon makes me feel like I'm renting access to the books I buy on Kindle because everything is laden with DRM and lives inside Amazon's slightly unkempt walled garden for books. I could go on an extended rant about how putting DRM on a book is probably the most pernicious thing we could do to future humans who will want to understand our culture.

I could do all of those things, but the truth is that Kindles are nice and this particular Kindle is the nicest one yet for the price. They're good for reading books as long as you understand that you're accepting Amazon's rules for doing that. Once you get that, the Kindle is limited, you can accept or reject those limitations as you will. My proclivities and preferences tell me to reject them, but I don’t: I’m a heavy Kindle user, and I’m happy to have a device that makes reading easier for me. I have 244 books in my library now, and I’ve read nearly all of them.

So yes, this is a short review. It's a Kindle. It does Kindle things. The Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people by a wide margin.

Photography by Sean O'Kane.

All image comparisons set with the same font (Caecilia) since Bookerly isn't yet available for the 2013 Kindle Paperwhite. The new Kindle Paperwhite won't ship with the software update to start, and Amazon says it will be coming to all three Kindle models in the coming weeks.

Left: 2013 Kindle Paperwhite. Middle: Kindle Voyage. Right: 2015 Kindle Paperwhite.

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NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft finally phones home after 5 months of no contact

On Saturday, April 5, Voyager 1 finally "phoned home" and updated its NASA operating team about its health.

NASA's interstellar explorer Voyager 1 is finally communicating with ground control in an understandable way again. On Saturday (April 20), Voyager 1 updated ground control about its health status for the first time in 5 months. While the Voyager 1 spacecraft still isn't sending valid science data back to Earth, it is now returning usable information about the health and operating status of its onboard engineering systems. 

Thirty-five years after its launch in 1977, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space . It was followed out of our cosmic quarters by its space-faring sibling, Voyager 2 , six years later in 2018. Voyager 2, thankfully, is still operational and communicating well with Earth. 

The two spacecraft remain the only human-made objects exploring space beyond the influence of the sun. However, on Nov. 14, 2023, after 11 years of exploring interstellar space and while sitting a staggering 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, Voyager 1's binary code — computer language composed of 0s and 1s that it uses to communicate with its flight team at NASA — stopped making sense.

Related: We finally know why NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped communicating — scientists are working on a fix

In March, NASA's Voyager 1 operating team sent a digital "poke" to the spacecraft, prompting its flight data subsystem (FDS) to send a full memory readout back home.

This memory dump revealed to scientists and engineers that the "glitch" is the result of a corrupted code contained on a single chip representing around 3% of the FDS memory. The loss of this code rendered Voyager 1's science and engineering data unusable.

The NASA team can't physically repair or replace this chip, of course, but what they can do is remotely place the affected code elsewhere in the FDS memory. Though no single section of the memory is large enough to hold this code entirely, the team can slice it into sections and store these chunks separately. To do this, they will also have to adjust the relevant storage sections to ensure the addition of this corrupted code won't cause those areas to stop operating individually, or working together as a whole. In addition to this, NASA staff will also have to ensure any references to the corrupted code's location are updated.

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—  Voyager 2: An iconic spacecraft that's still exploring 45 years on

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On April 18, 2024, the team began sending the code to its new location in the FDS memory. This was a painstaking process, as a radio signal takes 22.5 hours to traverse the distance between Earth and Voyager 1, and it then takes another 22.5 hours to get a signal back from the craft. 

By Saturday (April 20), however, the team confirmed their modification had worked. For the first time in five months, the scientists were able to communicate with Voyager 1 and check its health. Over the next few weeks, the team will work on adjusting the rest of the FDS software and aim to recover the regions of the system that are responsible for packaging and returning vital science data from beyond the limits of the solar system.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.

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• Robb62 'V'ger must contact the creator. Reply
• Holy HannaH! Couldn't help but think that "repair" sounded extremely similar to the mechanics of DNA and the evolution of life. Reply
• Torbjorn Larsson *Applause* indeed, thanks to the Voyager teams for the hard work! Reply
• SpaceSpinner I notice that the article says that it has been in space for 35 years. Either I have gone back in time 10 years, or their AI is off by 10 years. V-*ger has been captured! Reply

Admin said: On Saturday, April 5, Voyager 1 finally "phoned home" and updated its NASA operating team about its health. The interstellar explorer is back in touch after five months of sending back nonsense data. NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft finally phones home after 5 months of no contact : Read more

evw said: I'm incredibly grateful for the persistence and dedication of the Voyagers' teams and for the amazing accomplishments that have kept these two spacecrafts operational so many years beyond their expected lifetimes. V-1 was launched when I was 25 years young; I was nearly delirious with joy. Exploring the physical universe captivated my attention while I was in elementary school and has kept me mesmerized since. I'm very emotional writing this note, thinking about what amounts to a miracle of technology and longevity in my eyes. BRAVO!!! THANK YOU EVERYONE PAST & PRESENT!!!

• EBairead I presume it's Fortran. Well done all. Reply

SpaceSpinner said: I notice that the article says that it has been in space for 35 years. Either I have gone back in time 10 years, or their AI is off by 10 years. V-*ger has been captured!

EBairead said: I presume it's Fortran. Well done all.

• View All 13 Comments

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