A Kindle is an e-reader with an e-ink screen that downloads books over Wi-Fi from Amazon and is easy to read, even in sunlight.
Display
A Kindle uses e-ink, which reflects light like paper, so it’s easy to read in sunlight and uses little battery. It uses charged particles in microcapsules that move to form text.
Getting books
Connect to Wi-Fi (or cellular on some models), then buy or borrow from Amazon, the Kindle Store, Kindle Unlimited or your library via Libby.
Battery
Lasts weeks, because the screen only uses power when changing pages.
Features
Adjustable font size, built-in dictionary, backlight and storage for thousands of books.
History
Amazon launched the first Kindle in November 2007.
Formats
Supports AZW3, KFX, MOBI, PDF, and EPUB via Send to Kindle.
Models
Kindle, Paperwhite, Oasis, Scribe.
Warm light
Reduces eye strain at night.
Display
Kindle e-readers use E Ink, an electronic paper display. Millions of tiny microcapsules contain black and white pigment particles with opposite charges. Applying an electric field moves the particles up or down, forming text and images. The screen reflects ambient light like paper, so it is easy to read in sunlight, and does not flicker. It uses power only when the page changes. Resolution is 300 pixels per inch on newer models.
Getting books
Books are bought from the Kindle Store on Amazon, and sent to the device over Wi-Fi (some older models used a free cellular connection). Public domain books are available for free from Project Gutenberg, and library books can be borrowed via Libby and OverDrive with a library card. Kindle Unlimited is a subscription with over a million titles for about $11.99 a month, and Prime Reading is included with Amazon Prime. You can also send your own documents by email.
Battery
Kindles last weeks on a charge, usually 6 to 12 weeks at 30 minutes of reading a day with Wi-Fi off, thanks to the low-power screen. Charging with USB-C takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Features
- Adjustable font size and style, margins and line spacing.
- Built-in dictionary, translation and Wikipedia lookup.
- Highlights, notes and bookmarks synced to your Amazon account.
- Whispersync, which syncs reading position across devices and apps.
- X-Ray, showing characters and terms in a book.
- Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth.
- Waterproof rating (IPX8) on the Paperwhite and Oasis models.
History
The first Kindle launched on November 19, 2007, at $399, and sold out in 5.5 hours. Amazon has since sold tens of millions of devices. The Kindle Paperwhite, introduced in 2012, added a backlight, and the Kindle Scribe, launched in 2022, added a stylus for writing notes.
Formats
Kindle supports its own formats (AZW3, KFX), plus MOBI, PDF, TXT, DOC, DOCX, HTML, and, since 2022, EPUB through the “Send to Kindle” service. Older Kindles do not read EPUB natively.
Models
- Kindle (basic): 6-inch, about $110.
- Kindle Paperwhite: 6.8-inch, waterproof, adjustable warm light, about $160.
- Kindle Oasis: 7-inch, discontinued in 2024.
- Kindle Scribe: 10.2-inch with a pen, about $340.
Warm light
Newer models have an adjustable warm light that shifts the screen from white to amber for evening reading, which can be easier on the eyes.
E ink details and battery
Kindle e-readers use electronic paper (E Ink), where tiny charged black and white pigment capsules move up or down when voltage is applied, forming text that is visible without a backlight and uses power only when the page changes. This is why one charge lasts weeks, with Amazon rating battery life of up to 6 to 12 weeks at 30 minutes a day depending on model. The first Kindle launched in November 2007 at 399 USD. Modern models have 6 to 7 inch displays with 300 pixels per inch, built in adjustable lights and waterproof ratings of IPX8 on the Paperwhite. Books are downloaded over Wi-Fi from the Kindle Store, and Amazon supports formats including AZW3, MOBI, PDF and TXT, and the Send to Kindle service converts EPUB files. Amazon discontinued older MOBI uploads in 2022 in favor of EPUB. Library books from OverDrive and Libby can be borrowed on Kindle in the US.
Based on data from Amazon device documentation and E Ink Holdings
