Amazon Kindle#Kindle Paperwhite .282nd Generation.29

In 2004, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos instructed the company's employees to build the world's best electronic reader before Amazon's competitors could. Amazon originally used the codename Fiona for the device.[https://www.theverge.com/2014/12/17/7396525/amazon-kindle-design-lab-audible-hachette Inside the secret lab where Amazon is designing the future of reading] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922195339/https://www.theverge.com/2014/12/17/7396525/amazon-kindle-design-lab-audible-hachette |date=September 22, 2017 }} The Verge, 2014

Branding consultants Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma devised the Kindle name. Lab126 asked them to name the product, and they suggested "kindle", meaning to light a fire.{{cite web| url = http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kindle| title = Online Etymology Dictionary: kindle| access-date = May 1, 2012| archive-date = October 7, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171007165905/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kindle| url-status = live}} They felt this was an apt metaphor for reading and intellectual excitement.{{cite web| url = http://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2008/12/how-the-kindle-got-its-name.html| title = How the Kindle got its name| author = Friedman, Nancy| date = December 9, 2008| access-date = April 5, 2012| publisher = nancyfriedman.typepad.com| archive-date = November 23, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201123014557/https://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2008/12/how-the-kindle-got-its-name.html| url-status = live}}

Kindle hardware evolved from the original Kindle introduced in 2007 and the Kindle DX (with its larger 9.7" screen) introduced in 2009. The DX remained the only non-6" E Ink Kindle device until the 2017 introduction of the Oasis 2. The range included early generation devices with a keyboard (Kindle Keyboard), devices with touch-sensitive, lighted, high-resolution screens (Kindle Paperwhite), early generations of a tablet computer with the Kindle app (Kindle Fire), and low-priced devices with a touch-sensitive screen (Kindle 7). However, the Kindle e-reader has often been a narrow-purpose device for reading rather than being multipurpose hardware that might create distractions while reading. Active Content support was introduced in 2010 only to be dropped from new Kindle devices in late 2014. After the first three generations, the Kindle Fire tablet branding was changed to Amazon Fire in 2014; this name change reflected their wider capabilities as an Android-derived tablet. Other later developments include devices with larger E Ink displays such as the Kindle Oasis 2 (2017) at 7" and the Paperwhite 5 (2021) at 6.8", as well as a device with a 10.2" screen and Wacom stylus support called the Kindle Scribe (2022). In 2022 Amazon also introduced the 11th gen Kindle with a 300 PPI display, ending the use of the 6" 167 PPI display that had been on every basic Kindle since 2007. In 2024 Amazon introduced the first color E Ink Kindle, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition.

Amazon has also introduced Kindle apps for use on various devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2010/05/18/18readwriteweb-kindle-for-android-is-coming-24445.html|work=The New York Times|title=Kindle for Android Is Coming|first=Sarah|last=Perez|date=May 18, 2010|access-date=February 24, 2017|archive-date=January 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122090720/http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2010/05/18/18readwriteweb-kindle-for-android-is-coming-24445.html|url-status=live}} Amazon also has a cloud reader to allow users to read e-books using modern web browsers.[https://read.amazon.com/ Kindle Cloud Reader] Amazon.com.

{{Main|Amazon Kindle devices}}

Kindle devices support dictionary and Wikipedia look-up functions when highlighting a word in an e-book. The font type, size and margins can be customized. Kindles are charged by connecting to a computer's USB port or to an AC adapter. Users needing accessibility due to impaired vision can use an audio adapter to listen to any e-book read aloud on supported Kindles, or those with difficulty in reading text may use the Amazon Ember Bold font for darker text and other fonts may too have bold font versions.

The Kindle also contains experimental features such as a web browser that uses NetFront based on WebKit.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200137070 |title=Accessing Basic Web |work=Amazon.com|author= | access-date=November 22, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071122235006/http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200137070| archive-date= November 22, 2007 | url-status= live}} The browser can freely access the Kindle Store and Wikipedia on 3G models while the browser may be limited to 50 MB of data per month to websites other than Amazon and Wikipedia,{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200505470&#intwhisp |title=Using Wireless Outside the United States |website=Amazon |access-date=August 10, 2012 |archive-date=February 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225085814/http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200505470&#intwhisp |url-status=live }} Other possible experimental features, depending on the model are a Text-to-Speech engine that can read the text from e-books and an MP3 player that can be used to play music while reading.

The Kindle's operating system updates are designed to be received wirelessly and installed automatically during a period in sleep mode in which Wi-Fi is turned on.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_1-1?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200774090 |title=Kindle Software Updates |work=Amazon.com |access-date=November 27, 2009 |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924110605/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_1-1?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200774090 |url-status=live }} A user may install firmware updates manually by downloading the firmware for their device and copying the file to the device's root directory.[https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=ya_kindle_sb_swupdates?nodeId=200529680&_encoding=UTF8 Amazon.com Help: Fire & Kindle Software Updates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403035315/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=ya_kindle_sb_swupdates?nodeId=200529680&_encoding=UTF8 |date=April 3, 2017 }} Amazon.com Retrieved 22 February 2016. The Kindle operating system uses the Linux kernel with a Java app for reading e-books.[http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/05/19/oracle-gave-amazon-a-discount-on-java-to-keep-android-off-the-paperwhite-wait-what/ Oracle Gave Amazon a Discount on Java to Keep Android Off the Paperwhite – Wait, What?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521161516/http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/05/19/oracle-gave-amazon-a-discount-on-java-to-keep-android-off-the-paperwhite-wait-what/ |date=May 21, 2016 }} The Digital Reader May 19, 2016

Amazon initially offered a Personal Documents Service to add content to a user's Kindle which only worked via email. Documents were sent directly to the Kindle via WhisperSync. Later expansions added cloud library features and content management.{{cite web | url=https://dearauthor.com/ebooks/managing-personal-documents-on-the-kindle/ | title=Managing Personal Documents on the Kindle | website=dearauthor.com | date=October 16, 2011 | access-date=April 3, 2023 | archive-date=April 3, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403015631/https://dearauthor.com/ebooks/managing-personal-documents-on-the-kindle/ | url-status=live }} The modern service is called Send to Kindle and is available through various means such as email, website, app, or browser extension. It allows the user to send files such as EPUB, PDF, HTML pages, Microsoft Word documents, GIF, PNG, and BMP graphics directly to the user's Kindle library.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle |title=Send to Kindle |work=Amazon.com |access-date=April 3, 2023 |archive-date=April 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403015633/https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle |url-status=live }} When Amazon receives the file, it converts the file to Kindle File Format and stores it in the user's online library (called "Your Content" by Amazon). Content added via Send to Kindle is added to the user library as Personal Documents by default, but some Send to Kindle interfaces allow users to send a document to a specific device and skip adding it to the library. The Send to Kindle service's personal documents can be accessed by all Kindle hardware devices as well as iOS and Android devices using the Kindle app.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_pdoc_main_short_us?nodeId=200767340 |title=Help: Kindle Personal Documents Service |website=Amazon |access-date=2012-10-10 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125031356/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_pdoc_main_short_us?nodeId=200767340 |url-status=live }}

Until August 2022, in addition to the document types mentioned above, this service could be used to send unprotected and original version only .mobi/.azw files to a user's Kindle library.{{cite web| url=https://michaelcavacini.com/2022/05/04/amazon-kindle-will-support-epub-books-abandoning-mobi-format/| title=Amazon Kindle Will Support EPUB Books, Abandoning MOBI Format| author=Michael Cavacini| website=michaelcavacini.com| date=2022-05-04| accessdate=2022-05-04| archive-date=May 4, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504113326/https://michaelcavacini.com/2022/05/04/amazon-kindle-will-support-epub-books-abandoning-mobi-format/| url-status=live}}

Sending the file is free if downloaded using Wi-Fi, but, prior to 2021,{{cite web| url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G7H6AASHTERXBKNV| title=2G and 3G E-Reader Network Support FAQ| work=Amazon.com| accessdate=2022-05-04| archive-date=December 16, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216160530/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G7H6AASHTERXBKNV| url-status=live}} cost $0.15 per MB when using Kindle's former 3G service.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600 |title=Reading Personal Documents on your Kindle |work=Amazon.com |access-date=November 22, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071121151410/http://amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600| archive-date= November 21, 2007 | url-status= dead}}

{{Main|Kindle File Format}}

The first Kindle could read unprotected Mobipocket files (MOBI, PRC), plain text files (TXT), Topaz format books (TPZ) and Amazon's AZW format.

The Kindle 2 added native PDF capability with the version 2.3 firmware upgrade.{{cite web|url= http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1358968&highlight=|title= Amazon Extends Battery Life of Newest Kindle by 85 Percent and Adds Native PDF Reader|work= News Release|publisher= Amazon|access-date= November 21, 2009|archive-date= August 7, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130807170444/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1358968&highlight=|url-status= live}} The Kindle 1 could not read PDF files, but Amazon provides experimental conversion to the native AZW format,{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600 |title=Reading Personal Documents on Your Kindle |pages="How to Use Your Kindle" section |work=Amazon.com |year=2007 |author= |access-date=November 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122135039/http://amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600& |archive-date=November 22, 2007 |url-status=live |df=mdy }} with the caveat that not all PDFs may format correctly.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00154JDAI |title=Amazon.com: Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation): Kindle Store |author=Amazon |publisher=Amazon |year=2009 |access-date=March 7, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090224012555/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00154JDAI| archive-date=February 24, 2009| url-status= live}} The Kindle 2 added the ability to play the Audible Enhanced (AAX) format. The Kindle 2 can also display HTML files.

The fourth and later generation Kindles, Touch, Paperwhite (all generations), Voyage and Oasis (all generations) can display AZW, AZW3, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, and PRC files natively. HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP are usable through Amazon's conversion service. The Keyboard, Touch, Oasis 2 & 3, Kindle 8 & 9, and Paperwhite 4 can also play Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX). The Kindle (7, 8 & 9), Kindle Paperwhite (2, 3, 4 & 5), Voyage and Oasis (1, 2 & 3) can display KFX files natively. KFX is Amazon's successor to the AZW3 format.

Kindles cannot natively display EPUB files. However, at least two methods allow viewing the content of EPUB formatted content on Kindles:

1. Specialized software like Calibre allows EPUB or some other unsupported files to be converted to one of the supported file formats.{{cite news|last=Sorrel|first=Charlie|title=How To Strip DRM from Kindle E-Books and Others|url=https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/01/how-to-strip-drm-from-kindle-e-books-and-others/|access-date=4 August 2012|newspaper=Wired.com|archive-date=March 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316081052/http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/01/how-to-strip-drm-from-kindle-e-books-and-others|url-status=live}}
2. Kindles can be jailbroken to allow third-party software, such as [https://koreader.rocks/ KOReader] which does support EPUB, to be installed.{{Cite web|last=Wang|first=Ada|title=How to Read EPUB on Kindle Paperwhite|url=http://www.epubor.com/how-to-read-epub-on-kindle-paperwhite.html|access-date=2020-09-23|website=Epubor.com|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008164726/https://www.epubor.com/how-to-read-epub-on-kindle-paperwhite.html|url-status=live}}

In late April 2022, Amazon announced that Send to Kindle would support EPUB, beginning in late 2022.{{cite news |last=Kozlowski |first=Michael |url=https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/the-amazon-kindle-will-support-epub-in-late-2022 |title=The Amazon Kindle will support EPUB in late 2022 |work=Good E Reader |date=2022-04-30 |accessdate=2022-05-04 |archive-date=May 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504105242/https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/the-amazon-kindle-will-support-epub-in-late-2022 |url-status=live }}

An e-book may be downloaded from Amazon to several devices at the same time, as long as the devices are registered to the same Amazon account. A sharing limit typically ranges from one to six devices, depending on an undisclosed number of licenses set by the publisher. When a limit is reached, the user must remove the e-book from some device{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200505560&#remove |title=Help: Organizing Your Kindle Content on |website=Amazon |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805143457/http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200505560&#remove |url-status=live }} or unregister a device containing the e-book{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200375710#yourkindle |title=Help: Managing Your Kindle on |website=Amazon |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810102408/http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200375710#yourkindle |url-status=live }} in order to add the e-book to another device.

The original Kindle and Kindle 2 did not allow the user to organize books into folders. The user could only select what type of content to display on the home screen and whether to organize by author, title, or download date. Kindle software version 2.5 allowed for the organization of books into "Collections" which behave like non-structured tags/labels: a collection cannot include other collections, and one book may be added to multiple collections. These collections are normally set and organized on the Kindle itself, one book at a time. The set of all collections of a first Kindle device can be imported to a second Kindle device that is connected to the cloud and is registered to the same user; as the result of this operation, the documents that are on the second device now become organized according to the first device's collections. There is no option to organize by series or series order, as the AZW format does not possess the necessary metadata fields.

{{Main|X-Ray (Amazon Kindle)}}

X-Ray is a reference tool that is incorporated in Kindle Touch and later devices, the Fire tablets, the Kindle app for mobile platforms and Fire TV. X-Ray lets users explore in greater depth the contents of a book, by accessing preloaded files with relevant information, such as the most common characters, locations, themes, or ideas.{{cite web |url= http://blog.laptopmag.com/video-amazon-kindle-touchs-x-ray-reference-tool-makes-ereading-easier |title= Video: Amazon Kindle Touch's X-Ray Reference Tool Makes eReading Easier |last1= Butler |first1= Kenneth |date= Sep 28, 2011 |website= laptopmag.com |access-date= 5 September 2013 |archive-date= May 17, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130517172547/http://blog.laptopmag.com/video-amazon-kindle-touchs-x-ray-reference-tool-makes-ereading-easier |url-status= live }}

Users can bookmark, highlight, and search through content. Pages can be bookmarked for reference, and notes can be added to relevant content. While a book is open on the display, menu options allow users to search for synonyms and definitions from the built-in dictionary. The device also remembers the last page read for each book. Pages can be saved as a "clipping", or a text file containing the text of the currently displayed page. All clippings are appended to a single file, which can be downloaded over a USB cable.{{cite web |url=http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/digital/fiona/general/Kindle_User_Guide.pdf |title=Kindle User Guide |access-date=February 7, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090206085600/http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/digital/fiona/general/Kindle_User_Guide.pdf| archive-date= February 6, 2009 | url-status= live}} Due to the TXT format of the clippings file, all formatting (such as bold, italics, bigger fonts for headlines, etc.) is stripped from the original text.

On July 18, 2011, Amazon began a program that allows college students to rent Kindle textbooks from three different publishers for a fixed period of time.Larry Dignan, ZDNet. "[https://www.zdnet.com/article/amazon-launches-kindle-textbook-rentals/ Amazon launches Kindle textbook rentals] ." July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011.

Kindle devices may report information about their users' reading data that includes the last page read, how long each e-book was opened, annotations, bookmarks, notes, highlights, or similar markings to Amazon.{{cite web|title=Amazon Kindle Terms of Use|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?&nodeId=200506200|work=Amazon.com|access-date=8 September 2013|date=2012-09-06|archive-date=February 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228062433/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200506200&|url-status=live}} The Kindle stores this information on all Amazon e-books but it is unclear if this data is stored for non-Amazon e-books.{{cite web|last=Cohn|first=Cindy|title=2010: E-Book Buyer's Guide to E-Book Privacy|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/11/e-reader-privacy-chart-2012-update|work=Electronic Frontier Foundation|access-date=8 December 2013|date=2012-11-29|quote=Stores last page read and may store annotations, highlights, markings, etc.|archive-date=October 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018230708/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/11/e-reader-privacy-chart-2012-update|url-status=live}} There is a lack of e-reader data privacy — Amazon knows the user's identity, what the user is reading, whether the user has finished the book, what page the user is on, how long the user has spent on each page, and which passages the user may have highlighted.[http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/02/fifty_shades_of_grey_and_the_paradox_of_e_reader_privacy.html The Fifty Shades of Grey Paradox] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315051611/http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/02/fifty_shades_of_grey_and_the_paradox_of_e_reader_privacy.html |date=March 15, 2015 }}. Slate. Feb 13, 2015.

{{Main|Kindle Store}}

File:Kindle 3 by Jleon.jpg subscribed on a Kindle Keyboard]]

Content from Amazon's Kindle Store is encoded in Amazon's proprietary Kindle formats (.azw, .kf8 and .kfx). In addition to published content, Kindle users can also access the Internet using the experimental web browser, which uses NetFront.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y27P3M |title=Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology: Kindle Store |website=Amazon |access-date=March 19, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110501081447/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y27P3M| archive-date= May 1, 2011 | url-status= live}}{{cite web|url=http://gl.access-company.com/news_event/archives/2007/20071127_kindle/|title=NetFront Browser Gives Amazon Kindle Customers On-Device Access to Information-Rich Websites like Wikipedia.org|access-date=July 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718224322/http://gl.access-company.com/news_event/archives/2007/20071127_kindle/|archive-date=July 18, 2014|url-status=dead}} Users can use the Kindle Store to access reading material using the Kindle itself or through a web browser to access content. The store features Kindle Unlimited for unlimited access to over one million e-books for a monthly fee.[https://www.amazon.com/s/rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A!133141011%2Cn%3A154606011%2Cp_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A9045887011 Amazon.com: Kindle Unlimited: Kindle Store] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125031340/https://www.amazon.com/ |date=January 25, 2022 }} search results, retrieved 29 May 2016

Content for the Kindle can be purchased online and downloaded wirelessly in some countries, using either standard Wi-Fi or Amazon's 3G Whispernet network.{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015T963C | title=Kindle Wireless Reading Device – 2nd Generation | website=Amazon | access-date=August 14, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100621193040/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015T963C| archive-date=June 21, 2010| url-status= live}} Whispernet is accessible without any monthly fees or a subscription,{{cite web|url=https://amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200127480&#whispernet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122184806/http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200127480&#whispernet|archive-date=November 22, 2007|title=What is the Amazon Whispernet wireless feature and how does it work?|website = Amazon|access-date=December 30, 2009}} although fees can be incurred for the delivery of periodicals and other content when roaming internationally beyond the customer's home country. Through a service called Whispersync, customers can synchronize reading progress, bookmarks, and other information across Kindle hardware and other mobile devices.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000301301|title=Kindle for iPhone home page|website=Amazon|access-date=December 30, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110501081643/http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000301301| archive-date=May 1, 2011| url-status= live}}{{cite web|url=http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20090303/that-was-fast-kindle-meet-the-iphone/?reflink=ATD_yahoo_ticker|title=That Was Fast: Kindle, Meet the iPhone.|last=Kafka|first=Peter|access-date=December 30, 2009|archive-date=April 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430181456/http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20090303/that-was-fast-kindle-meet-the-iphone/?reflink=ATD_yahoo_ticker|url-status=live}} The Kindles that only can access Whispernet via the 3G network had that network turned off in December 2021 due to the carriers retiring 3G.{{cite web | last=Campbell | first=Ian Carlos | title=Amazon's older Kindles will start to lose their internet access in December | website=The Verge | date=July 28, 2021 | url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/28/22598747/kindle-3g-network-shutdown-e-readers-no-internet | access-date=August 22, 2021 | archive-date=August 22, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822222401/https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/28/22598747/kindle-3g-network-shutdown-e-readers-no-internet | url-status=live }}

For U.S. customers traveling abroad, Amazon originally charged a $1.99 fee to download e-books over 3G while overseas, but later removed the fee. Fees remain for wireless 3G delivery of periodical subscriptions and personal documents, while Wi-Fi delivery has no extra charge.{{cite web|title=Traveling with Your Kindle|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200375590&#intservice|website=Amazon.com|access-date=17 September 2015|archive-date=January 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112194200/http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200375590&#intservice|url-status=live}}

In addition to the Kindle Store, content for the Kindle can be purchased from various independent sources such as Fictionwise and Baen Ebooks. Public domain titles are also obtainable for the Kindle via content providers such as Project Gutenberg, The Internet Archive and the World Public Library. In 2011, the Kindle Store had more than twice as much paid content as its nearest competitor, Barnes & Noble.{{cite web|last=King|first=Sammy|title=Survey of Kindle, Nook, iPad, Sony and OverDrive eBook Store Collection Size|url=http://www.ebookreaderguide.com/2011/03/13/kindle-nookcolor-ipad2-sony-overdrive-which-ebookstore-has-most-ebook-titles/|publisher=eBookReaderGuide.com|access-date=March 13, 2011|archive-date=May 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513034105/http://www.ebookreaderguide.com/2011/03/13/kindle-nookcolor-ipad2-sony-overdrive-which-ebookstore-has-most-ebook-titles/|url-status=live}}

Public libraries that offer books via OverDrive, Inc. can also choose to lend titles for the Kindle and Kindle reading apps in the US via Libby.url=https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/switchtolibby Books can be checked out from the library's own site, which forwards to Amazon for the completion of the checkout process. The Libby app stores user account and library details during set up and can send content to the users Amazon account at the time of checkout. Amazon then delivers the title to the Kindle for the duration of the loan, though some titles may require transfer via a USB connection to a computer. If the book is later checked out again or purchased, annotations and bookmarks are preserved.{{cite web|title=Amazon.com: Public Library Books for Kindle|website=Amazon|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000718231|access-date=September 11, 2013|archive-date=September 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907051241/http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000718231|url-status=live}}

{{anchor|Kindle applications}}

Amazon released the Kindle for PC application in late 2009, available for Microsoft Windows systems.{{cite news|last=Slattery |first=Brennon |title=Kindle for PC Released, Color Kindle Coming Soon? |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/181810/kindle_for_pc_released_color_kindle_coming_soon.html |access-date=December 2, 2010 |newspaper=PC World |date=November 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028193553/http://www.pcworld.com/article/181810/kindle_for_pc_released_color_kindle_coming_soon.html |archive-date=October 28, 2010 |url-status=live }} This application allows ebooks from Amazon's store or personal ebooks to be read on a personal computer, with no Kindle device required.{{Citation | url = https://arstechnica.com/software/news/2009/11/kindle-for-pc-adds-flexibility-but-not-a-whole-lot-more.ars | title = Kindle for PC adds flexibility, but not a whole lot more | first = Jacqui | last = Cheng | date = November 10, 2009 | journal = Ars Technica | access-date = June 14, 2017 | archive-date = May 8, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120508113759/http://arstechnica.com/software/news/2009/11/kindle-for-pc-adds-flexibility-but-not-a-whole-lot-more.ars | url-status = live }} Amazon released a Kindle for Mac app for Apple Macintosh & OS X systems in early 2010.{{cite web|last= Miller|first= Ross|title= Kindle for Mac now finally available|url= https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/18/kindle-for-mac-now-finally-available/|work= Engadget|publisher= AOL|access-date= December 2, 2010|date= March 18, 2010|archive-date= June 3, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100603000716/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/18/kindle-for-mac-now-finally-available/|url-status= live}} In June 2010, Amazon released the Amazon Kindle for Android. Soon after the Android release, versions for the Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad) and BlackBerry OS phones were available.{{cite news|last=Bilton|first=Nick|title=Amazon Releases Kindle App for Android Phones|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/amazon-kindle-app-now-available-for-android/?pagemode=print|access-date=December 2, 2010|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 28, 2010|archive-date=April 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426055339/http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/amazon-kindle-app-now-available-for-android/?pagemode=print|url-status=live}} In January 2011, Amazon released Kindle for Windows Phone.{{cite web| title= Amazon release Kindle for Windows Phone 7 | url = http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/news/61175-amazon-kindle-metro-windows-phone-7.htm | work = PC in pact| date = November 11, 2019 }} In July 2011, Kindle for HP TouchPad (running webOS) was released in the U.S. as a beta version.{{cite news | url = http://blog.palm.com/palm/2011/07/now-you-can-curl-up-with-a-good-book-or-two-or-three-or-950000-on-your-touchpad.html | title = Now you can curl up with a good book (or two, or three, or 950,000) on your TouchPad | date = July 18, 2011 | publisher = Palm | access-date = August 2, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110722080152/http://blog.palm.com/palm/2011/07/now-you-can-curl-up-with-a-good-book-or-two-or-three-or-950000-on-your-touchpad.html | archive-date = July 22, 2011 | url-status = dead }} In August 2011, Amazon released an HTML5-based webapp for supported web browsers called Kindle Cloud Reader.{{cite web | url = https://techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/kindle-cloud-reader/ | title = Amazon's Answer To Apple's Terms: A Web-Based Kindle Cloud Reader – Brilliant On PC, Better On iPad | publisher = TechCrunch | date = August 9, 2011 | access-date = August 18, 2011 | archive-date = August 13, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110813030326/http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/kindle-cloud-reader/ | url-status = live }} In 2013, Amazon has expressed no interest in releasing a separate Kindle application for Linux systems; the Cloud Reader can be used on supported browsers in Linux.{{cite web |url=http://ostatic.com/blog/kindle-cloud-reader-opens-up-options-for-linux-and-ipad-users |title=Kindle Cloud Reader Opens Up Options for Linux and iPad Users |publisher=Ostatic.com |date=2013 |access-date=2014-05-12 |archive-date=May 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224148/http://ostatic.com/blog/kindle-cloud-reader-opens-up-options-for-linux-and-ipad-users |url-status=live }}

On April 17, 2014, Samsung announced it would discontinue its own e-book store effective July 1, 2014 and it partnered with Amazon to create the Kindle for Samsung app optimized for display on Samsung Galaxy devices. The app uses Amazon's e-book store and it includes a monthly limited selection of free e-books.{{cite news| work= TechCrunch| title= Samsung and Amazon Team Up For Custom Galaxy Kindle E-Book App| author= Lunden, Ingrid| date= April 17, 2014| url= https://techcrunch.com/2014/04/17/samsung-and-amazon-team-up-for-custom-galaxy-kindle-e-book-app/| access-date= June 25, 2017| archive-date= July 6, 2017| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170706084326/https://techcrunch.com/2014/04/17/samsung-and-amazon-team-up-for-custom-galaxy-kindle-e-book-app/| url-status= live}}

In June 2016, Amazon released the Page Flip feature to its Kindle applications that debuted on its e-readers a few years previously.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/345652/amazon-page-flip-lets-you-easily-skim-through-ebooks|title=Amazon 'Page Flip' Lets You Easily Skim Through Ebooks|access-date=August 24, 2017|archive-date=July 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715213017/https://www.pcmag.com/news/345652/amazon-page-flip-lets-you-easily-skim-through-ebooks|url-status=live}} This feature allows the user to flip through nine thumbnails of page images at a time.

{{Main|Kindle Direct Publishing}}

Concurrently with the release of the first Kindle device, Amazon launched Kindle Direct Publishing, used by authors and publishers to independently publish their books directly to Kindle and Kindle Apps worldwide.{{cite web |url=http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/11/27/why-kindle-will-change-the-world.aspx |work=Motley Fool |title=Why Kindle Will Change the World |first=Rick Aristotle |last=Munarriz |date=November 27, 2007 |access-date=November 27, 2007 |archive-date=November 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129193625/http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/11/27/why-kindle-will-change-the-world.aspx |url-status=live }} Authors can upload documents in several formats for delivery via Whispernet and charge between $0.99 and $200.00 per download.

In a December 5, 2009 interview with The New York Times, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed that Amazon keeps 65% of the revenue from all e-book sales for the Kindle;{{Cite news

| last = Solomon | first = Deborah | author-link = Deborah Solomon

| title = Questions for Jeffrey P. Bezos: Book Learning | work = The New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/magazine/06fob-q4-t.html | date = December 6, 2009 | access-date =December 22, 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110329124104/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/magazine/06fob-q4-t.html| archive-date=March 29, 2011| url-status= live}} the remaining 35% is split between the book author and publisher. After numerous commentators observed that Apple's popular App Store offers 70% of royalties to the publisher, Amazon began a program that offers 70% royalties to Kindle publishers who agree to certain conditions.{{cite web |author=Henry Blodget |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-amazon-fires-torpedo-at-book-industry-launches-70-kindle-royalty-option-2010-1 |title=Amazon Fires Missile At Book Industry, Launches 70 percent Kindle Royalty Option |publisher=Businessinsider.com |date=January 20, 2010 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-date=January 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122163924/http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-amazon-fires-torpedo-at-book-industry-launches-70-kindle-royalty-option-2010-1 |url-status=live }} Some of these conditions, such as the inability to opt out of the lendability feature, have caused some controversy.{{cite web|last=Blue|first=Violet|title=Piracy witch hunt downs legit e-book lending Web site|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57489696-93/piracy-witch-hunt-downs-legit-e-book-lending-web-site/|publisher=Cnet|access-date=10 August 2012|year=2012|archive-date=August 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810062112/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57489696-93/piracy-witch-hunt-downs-legit-e-book-lending-web-site/|url-status=live}}

On January 21, 2010, Amazon announced the release of its Kindle Development Kit (KDK).{{cite web |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1377349&highlight= |work=Amazon.com |title=Amazon Announces Kindle Development Kit—Software Developers Can Now Build Active Content for Kindle |date=January 21, 2010 |access-date=January 21, 2010 |archive-date=October 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004081429/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1377349&highlight= |url-status=live }} KDK aims to allow developers to build "active content" for the Kindle, and a beta version was announced with a February 2010 release date. A number of companies have already experimented with delivering active content through the Kindle's bundled browser, and the KDK gives sample code, documentation and a Kindle Simulator together with a new revenue sharing model for developers.{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Alex|title=Amazon to launch app store for Kindle e-reader|url=http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/20100126/amazon-launch-app-store-kindle-ereader.htm|access-date=December 28, 2010|newspaper=International Business Times|date=January 26, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719005235/http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/20100126/amazon-launch-app-store-kindle-ereader.htm|archive-date=July 19, 2012|url-status=dead}} The KDK is based on the Java programming language's Personal Basis Profile packaged Java APIs.

{{As of|2014|5}}, the Kindle store offered over 400 items labeled as active content.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/b?node=2534114011|title=Products tagged with kindle active content|website=Amazon|access-date=May 18, 2014|archive-date=January 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125031341/https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Games-Active-Content/b?ie=UTF8&node=2534114011|url-status=live}} These items include simple applications and games, including a free set provided by Amazon Digital Services.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Amazon%20Digital%20Services|title=Amazon.com: Amazon Digital Services: Kindle Store|publisher=Amazon|date=May 2012|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318022931/https://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Amazon%20Digital%20Services|url-status=live}} As of 2014, active content is only available to users with a U.S. billing address.

In October 2014, Amazon announced that the Voyage and future e-readers would not support active content because most users prefer to use apps on their smartphones and tablets, but the Paperwhite first-iteration and earlier Kindles would continue to support active content.[http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/27/amazon-drops-support-kindle-active-content-kindle-voyage/ Amazon Drops Support for Kindle Active Content From the Kindle Voyage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505212543/http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/27/amazon-drops-support-kindle-active-content-kindle-voyage/ |date=May 5, 2016 }} The Digital Reader, October 27, 2014.

Specific Kindle device sales numbers are not released by Amazon; however, according to anonymous inside sources, over three million Kindles had been sold as of December 2009,{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/01/29/3-million-amazon-kindles-sold-apparently/|title=3 Million Amazon Kindles Sold, Apparently|date=January 29, 2010|last=Arrington|first=Michael|publisher=TechCrunch|access-date=April 18, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100417185238/http://techcrunch.com/2010/01/29/3-million-amazon-kindles-sold-apparently/| archive-date= April 17, 2010 | url-status= live}} while external estimates, as of Q4-2009, place the number at about 1.5 million.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=486|title=Updating Kindles sold estimate: 1.49 million|date=December 26, 2009|last=Radcliffe|publisher=ZDNet|first=Mitch|access-date=December 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101203210/http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=486|archive-date=January 1, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, estimates are ranging around four million, as of mid-2010.{{cite news|last=Wilhelm|first=Alex|title=How Many Kindles Have Been Sold?|url=https://thenextweb.com/us/2010/07/29/how-many-kindles-have-been-sold/|access-date=December 2, 2010|newspaper=The Next Web|date=July 29, 2010|archive-date=December 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206051421/http://thenextweb.com/us/2010/07/29/how-many-kindles-have-been-sold/|url-status=live}}

In 2010, Amazon remained the undisputed leader in the e-reader category, accounting for 59% of e-readers shipped, and it gained 14 percentage points in share.Mark Walsh, mediapost.com. "[http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=147627 Kindle, Nook Gain In E-Reader Race] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430170301/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=147627 |date=April 30, 2011 }}." March 29, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011. According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study from March 2011, sales for all e-book readers worldwide reached 12.8 million in 2010; 48% of them were Kindles.[http://www.idc.com/about/viewpressrelease.jsp?containerId=prUS22737611§ionId=null&elementId=null&pageType=SYNOPSIS Nearly 18 Million Media Tablets Shipped in 2010 with Apple Capturing 83 percent Share; eReader Shipments Quadrupled to More Than 12 Million.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113234949/http://www.idc.com/about/viewpressrelease.jsp?containerId=prUS22737611§ionId=null&elementId=null&pageType=SYNOPSIS |date=November 13, 2012 }} Press release by IDC, 10. March 2011. In the last three months of 2010, Amazon announced that in the United States its e-book sales had surpassed sales of paperback books for the first time.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12305015 |title=Amazon Kindle e-book downloads outsell paperbacks |work=BBC News |date=January 28, 2011 |access-date=May 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424213443/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12305015 |archive-date=April 24, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

In January 2011, Amazon announced that digital books were outselling their traditional print counterparts for the first time ever on its site, with an average of 115 Kindle editions being sold for every 100 paperback editions.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/218039/amazon_kindle_book_sales_soar.html|title=Amazon Kindle Book Sales Soar|date=January 27, 2011|access-date=January 28, 2011|archive-date=January 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128165741/http://www.pcworld.com/article/218039/amazon_kindle_book_sales_soar.html|url-status=live}} In December 2011, Amazon announced that customers had purchased "well over" one million Kindles per week since the end of November 2011; this includes all available Kindle models and also the Kindle Fire tablet.Alistair Barr: [http://www.itnews.com.au/News/284854,amazon-touts-one-million-per-week-kindle-sales.aspx Amazon touts 'one million per week' Kindle sales.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108013606/http://www.itnews.com.au/News/284854,amazon-touts-one-million-per-week-kindle-sales.aspx |date=January 8, 2012 }} 19. December 2011. IDC estimated that the Kindle Fire sold about 4.7 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011.{{cite news|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/handheld/232800453|title=iPad Mini: 6 Reasons Apple Must Do It|author=Thomas Claburn|work=InformationWeek|date=April 7, 2012|access-date=April 13, 2012|archive-date=April 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409150724/http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/handheld/232800453|url-status=live}} Pacific Crest estimated that the Kindle Fire models sold six million units during Q4 2012.{{cite web |author=Jay Yarow |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-kindle-fire-sales-estimates-2012-12 |title=Amazon Kindle Fire Sales Estimates |publisher=Business Insider |date=2012-12-19 |access-date=2013-08-28 |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127083624/http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-kindle-fire-sales-estimates-2012-12 |url-status=live }}

Morgan Stanley estimates that Amazon sold $3.57 billion worth of Kindle e-readers and tablets in 2012, $4.5 billion in Kindle device sales in 2013 and $5 billion in Kindle device sales in 2014.{{cite web |url=http://allthingsd.com/20130812/amazon-to-sell-4-5-billion-worth-of-kindles-this-year-morgan-stanley-says/?mod=obinsite |title=How Big Is Amazon's Kindle Business? Morgan Stanley Takes a Crack – Jason Del Rey – Commerce |publisher=AllThingsD |date=2013-08-12 |access-date=2014-04-15 |archive-date=March 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306070153/http://allthingsd.com/20130812/amazon-to-sell-4-5-billion-worth-of-kindles-this-year-morgan-stanley-says/?mod=obinsite |url-status=live }}

Amazon claims that their sales had reached a decade-long high before the announcement of the 2024 models.{{ cite web | url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/amazon-unveils-kindle-devices-sales-144837001.html | date=2024-10-16 | title=Amazon unveils new Kindle devices after sales hit decade high }}

Working Kindles in good condition can be sold, traded, donated or recycled in the aftermarket. Due to some Kindle devices being limited to use as reading device and the hassle of reselling Kindles, some people choose to donate their Kindle to schools, developing countries, literacy organizations, or charities.{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/25/tech/gaming-gadgets/used-electronics/ |title=How to sell or get rid of your old gadgets |work=CNN |date=December 26, 2012 |access-date=March 2, 2016 |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307213540/http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/25/tech/gaming-gadgets/used-electronics/ |url-status=live }} "The Kindle Classroom Project" promotes reading by distributing donated Kindles to schools in need.{{cite web| url=http://iserotope.com/kindle-classroom-project/| title=The Kindle Classroom Project| date=September 3, 2013| access-date=December 25, 2014| archive-date=December 26, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226001553/http://iserotope.com/kindle-classroom-project/| url-status=live}} Worldreader and "Develop Africa" ships donated e-readers to schools in developing countries in Africa for educational use.{{Cite web|title = Worldreader – Empower the World to Read, Give Reading|url = http://www.worldreader.org/|website = Worldreader|access-date = 2015-11-27|language = en-US|archive-date = March 3, 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200303054705/https://www.worldreader.org/|url-status = live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.developafrica.org/donate_your_kindle_or_ereader_children_or_schools_africa|title=Develop Africa|access-date=December 25, 2014|archive-date=December 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226001109/http://www.developafrica.org/donate_your_kindle_or_ereader_children_or_schools_africa|url-status=live}} "Project Hart" may take donations of e-readers that could be given to people in need.[http://projecthart.org/ Project Hart] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418231221/https://projecthart.org/ |date=April 18, 2016 }} Retrieved 28 March 2016.

First generation Kindles have risen in value as a collectors item in recent years. Several factory sealed first generation Kindles have sold for between $200 and $600 in 2024 and 2025.{{cite web|url= https://www.ebay.com/itm/135573789971?_skw=kindle+1st+generation&itmmeta=01JNC8YJY3XKDR48DHXR1B3N89&hash=item1f90d3dd13:g:3twAAeSwwdhnuklh&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1cJMQCWkBfDa3caQrxfDeTLvf3z9HAgO5TjHEc8vnBJ2R76i72NwDdGtlykdQoIrTqaAQ37o7w%2BPzJHWuGcn0J7v5mtWeju7nCm0s7d3fJLHzW5yTzkf5NpChqOnhR5eOhSku7bvhq5YNRbTiIBgrk7WilfwCe%2BlcmM6lSoagUKaHqcFfJGgLWwuqKSmqkB4rf2MxGRnEeXf%2B9SGdalriE3tDEVINcmYglu3ppBKavYDq7LxjNa4fkaKpFEtSVtdk7efyUWKintfBAXgdyha4JEsr%2BJeIOxND46pZbErSff8Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6Kv-oirZQ |website=eBay.com|title=Sold|access-date=March 2, 2025}}

Whether in good condition or not, Kindles should not be disposed of in normal waste due to the device's electronic ink components and batteries. Instead, Kindles at the end of their useful life should be recycled. In the United States, Amazon runs their own program, 'Take Back', which allows owners to print out a prepaid shipping label, which can be used to return the device for disposal.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200197550|website=Amazon.com|title=Take Back|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=October 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001060231/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200197550|url-status=live}}

On July 17, 2009, Amazon withdrew from sale two e-books by George Orwell, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, refunding the purchase price to those who had bought them, and remotely deleted these titles from purchasers' devices without warning using a backdoor after discovering that the publisher lacked rights to publish these books. The two books were protected by copyright in the United States, but they were in the public domain in Canada, Australia and other countries. Notes and annotations for the books made by users on their devices were left in a separate file but "rendered useless" without the content to which they were directly linked.{{cite news | last = Stone | first = Brad | title = Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle | newspaper = The New York Times | page = B1 | date = July 18, 2009 | quote = While the copyright on “1984” will not expire until 2044 in the United States, it has already expired in other countries, including Canada, Australia and Russia. Web sites in those countries offer digital copies of the book free to all comers. | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html | author-link = Brad Stone (journalist) | access-date = February 24, 2017 | archive-date = April 10, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100410001949/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html | url-status = live }} The move prompted outcry and comparisons to Nineteen Eighty-Four itself: in the novel, books, magazines, and newspapers in public archives that contradict the ruling party are either edited long after being published or destroyed outright; the removed materials go "down the memory hole", the nickname for an incinerator chute used in 1984.{{Citation | first = George | last = Orwell | title = 1984 | chapter = Part One, Chapter 4}} Customers and commentators noted the resemblance to the censorship in the novel, and described Amazon's action in Orwellian terms. Ars Technica argued that the deletion violated the Kindle's terms of service, which stated in part:{{cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/amazon-sold-pirated-books-raided-some-kindles.ars |title=Why Amazon went Big Brother on some Kindle e-books |work=Ars Technica |date=July 17, 2009 |access-date=July 19, 2009 |archive-date=July 20, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720060850/http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/amazon-sold-pirated-books-raided-some-kindles.ars |url-status=live }}

{{Blockquote |Upon your payment of the applicable fees set by Amazon, Amazon grants you the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy of the applicable Digital Content and to view, use and display such Digital Content an unlimited number of times, solely on the Device or as authorized by Amazon as part of the Service and solely for your personal, non-commercial use.}}

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said that the company is "changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers' devices in these circumstances."{{cite web |last=Fried |first=Ina |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10290047-56.html |title=Amazon says it won't repeat Kindle book recall – CNet News |publisher=News.cnet.com |date=July 17, 2009 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-date=June 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617035241/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10290047-56.html |url-status=live }} On July 23, 2009, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos posted on Amazon's official Kindle forum an apology about the company's handling of the matter. Bezos said the action was "stupid", and that the executives at Amazon "deserve the criticism received".[http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/amazon-chief-says-erasing-orwell-books-was-stupid/ "Amazon Chief Says Erasing Orwell Books Was 'Stupid'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726115923/http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/amazon-chief-says-erasing-orwell-books-was-stupid/ |date=July 26, 2009 }}, The New York Times, July 23, 2009

On July 30, 2009, Justin Gawronski, a US high school senior, and Antoine Bruguier, a US engineer, filed suit against Amazon in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Bruguier argued that Amazon had violated its terms of service by remotely deleting the copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four he purchased, in the process preventing him from accessing annotations he had written. Gawronski's copy of the e-book was also deleted without his consent, and found Amazon used deceit in an email exchange. The complaint, which sought class-action status, asked for both monetary and injunctive relief.{{cite news |url=http://www.prnewschannel.com/pdf/Amazon_Complaint.pdf |title=Plaintiff's Complaint in Justin GAWRONSKI and A. BRUGUIER v. Amazon.com, Inc |publisher=PR News Channel |date=July 30, 2009 |access-date=August 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310223947/http://www.prnewschannel.com/pdf/Amazon_Complaint.pdf |archive-date=March 10, 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Fowler |first=Geoffrey A. |date=July 30, 2009 |title=Lawsuit: Amazon Ate My Homework |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/07/30/lawsuit-amazon-ate-my-homework/ |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=August 4, 2017 |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726112756/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/07/30/lawsuit-amazon-ate-my-homework/ |url-status=live}} The case was settled on September 25, 2009, with Amazon agreeing to pay $150,000 divided between the two plaintiffs, on the understanding that the law firm representing them, Kamber Edelson, "will donate its portion of that fee to a charitable organization".{{cite web |url=http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/09/amazon_settles_lawsuit_over_deleted_1984.html |title=Amazon settles lawsuit over deleted Kindle copy of '1984' |publisher=Tech flash |date=September 30, 2009 |access-date=March 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424165344/http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/09/amazon_settles_lawsuit_over_deleted_1984.html |archive-date=April 24, 2011 |url-status=dead}} In the settlement, Amazon also provided wider rights to Kindle owners over its e-books:

{{Blockquote | For copies of Works purchased pursuant to TOS granting "the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy" of each purchased Work and to "view, use and display [such Works] an unlimited number of times, solely on the [Devices]... and solely for [the purchasers'] personal, non-commercial use", Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the U.S. unless (a) the user consents to such deletion or modification; (b) the user requests a refund for the work or otherwise fails to pay for the work (e.g., if a credit card issuer declines payment); (c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or (d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer, the operation of a device or network used for communication (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within an e-book on a device).{{Citation |url=http://assets.bizjournals.com/cms_media/pdf/KindleCase1.pdf?site=techflash.com |title=KindleCase1 |newspaper=The Business Journals |publisher=American City Business Journals |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519094718/http://assets.bizjournals.com/cms_media/pdf/KindleCase1.pdf?site=techflash.com |archive-date=2016-05-19}}}}

On September 4, 2009, Amazon offered all affected users a choice of restoring of the deleted e-books or receiving an Amazon gift certificate or check for {{Currency|30|US|linked=no}}.{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2009 |title=Amazon.com Offers to Replace Copies of Orwell Book |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/technology/companies/05amazon.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=February 24, 2017 |archive-date=November 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105065711/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/technology/companies/05amazon.html |url-status=live}}

In December 2010, Amazon removed three e-books written by Selena Kitt, along with works by several other self-published erotic fiction authors, for "offensive" content regarding consensual incest that violated Amazon's publishing guidelines. Kitt stated her opinion this Amazon policy was selectively applied to some books but not others that feature similar themes. For what Amazon describes as "a brief period of time", the books were unavailable for redownload by users who had already purchased them. This ability was restored after it was brought to Amazon's attention; however, no remote deletion took place.{{Citation | url = https://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/12/amazons-latest-kindle-deletion-erotic-incest-themed-fiction.ars | title = Amazon's latest Kindle deletion | newspaper = Ars Technica | date = December 15, 2010 | access-date = June 14, 2017 | archive-date = May 3, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120503234712/http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/12/amazons-latest-kindle-deletion-erotic-incest-themed-fiction.ars | url-status = live }}

In October 2012, Amazon suspended the account of a Norwegian woman who purchased her Kindle in the United Kingdom, and the company deleted every e-book on her Kindle. Amazon claimed that she had violated their terms of service but did not specify what she had done wrong.{{Citation | url = https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/amazons-remote-wipe-of-customers-kindle-highlights-perils-of-drm/ | title = Remote Wipe of Customer's Kindle Highlights Perils of DRM | newspaper = Wired | date = October 22, 2012 | access-date = March 5, 2017 | archive-date = March 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140314102450/http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/amazons-remote-wipe-of-customers-kindle-highlights-perils-of-drm | url-status = live }} After the woman contacted the media, Amazon restored her account and her purchased e-books.{{Citation | url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2012/10/22/how-amazon-can-make-your-kindle-content-vanish-and-not-give-you-a-reason-why/ | title = How Amazon Can Make Your Kindle Content Vanish – And Not Give You A Reason Why | newspaper = Forbes | date = October 22, 2012 | access-date = August 24, 2017 | archive-date = February 11, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180211072743/https://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2012/10/22/how-amazon-can-make-your-kindle-content-vanish-and-not-give-you-a-reason-why/ | url-status = live }}{{Citation | url = https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/oct/22/amazon-wipes-customers-kindle-deletes-account | title = Amazon wipes customer's Kindle and deletes account with no explanation | newspaper = The Guardian | place = UK | date = October 22, 2012 | access-date = December 13, 2016 | archive-date = January 4, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170104134742/https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/oct/22/amazon-wipes-customers-kindle-deletes-account | url-status = live }}{{Citation | url = http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-f1C6626211 | title = You don't own your Kindle books, Amazon reminds customer | work = NBC News | date = October 24, 2012 | access-date = October 4, 2014 | archive-date = October 6, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141006114851/http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-f1C6626211 | url-status = live }}

Computer programmer Richard Stallman criticized the Kindle,{{Cite web|url=http://www.datamation.com/osrc/article.php/3737586/Richard-Stallman-Live-and-Unplugged.htm|title=Richard Stallman, Live and Unplugged|publisher=Datamation|author=James Maguire|date=March 31, 2008|access-date=September 4, 2015|archive-date=September 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914091216/http://www.datamation.com/osrc/article.php/3737586/Richard-Stallman-Live-and-Unplugged.htm|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2013/08/06/hactivist-richard-stallman-takes-on-proprietary-software-saas-and-open-source/|title=Hacktivist Richard Stallman takes on proprietary software, SaaS and open source|publisher=Gigaom|date=August 6, 2013|access-date=September 4, 2015|archive-date=July 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729172807/https://gigaom.com/2013/08/06/hactivist-richard-stallman-takes-on-proprietary-software-saas-and-open-source/|url-status=live}} citing Kindle terms of service which can censor users, which require the user's identification, and that can have a negative effect on independent book distributors; he also cited reported restrictions on Kindle users, as well the ability for Amazon to delete e-books and update software without the users' permission.{{Cite web|url=http://www.itworld.com/article/2933562/operating-systems/don-t-call-it-linux-and-other-things-that-tick-off-richard-stallman.html#slide5|title=Don't call it Linux! And other things that tick off Richard Stallman|publisher=IT World|author=Phil Johnson|date=June 11, 2015|access-date=September 4, 2015|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910194108/http://www.itworld.com/article/2933562/operating-systems/don-t-call-it-linux-and-other-things-that-tick-off-richard-stallman.html#slide5|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://opensourceforu.efytimes.com/2012/03/rms-interview-richard-stallman-freedom-android-amazon-facebook-steve-jobs/|title=An Interview with Richard Stallman on Freedom, Android, Amazon, Facebook, Steve Jobs…|publisher=Open Source For U|author=Diksha P Gupta|date=March 19, 2012|access-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914053154/http://opensourceforu.efytimes.com/2012/03/rms-interview-richard-stallman-freedom-android-amazon-facebook-steve-jobs/|archive-date=September 14, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Since 2012, Amazon has sold e-books in China and later began selling the Kindle e-book readers from 2013 onwards. Amazon had also announced that it has sold several million Kindles in the country and that China became the world's biggest regional market for the Kindle in 2016. However, it was reported that Chinese consumers prefer using their smartphones over e-readers, notwithstanding competition from Tencent, Alibaba, JD.com and Douban, each with their own e-book readers or marketplaces. Domestically developed e-book readers from brands like Xiaomi, iReader and Onyx Boox also offer added competition to the Kindle.{{Cite web|last=Kozlowski|first=Michael|date=2018-08-14|title=Amazon sold several million Kindle e-readers in China|url=https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-sold-several-million-kindle-e-readers-in-china|access-date=2022-01-11|website=Good e-Reader|language=en-US|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111094946/https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-sold-several-million-kindle-e-readers-in-china|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2022-01-04|title=A Kindle shortage is fueling the theory that Amazon is leaving China|url=https://kr-asia.com/a-kindle-shortage-is-fueling-the-theory-that-amazon-is-leaving-china|access-date=2022-01-11|website=KrASIA|language=en|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111051232/https://kr-asia.com/a-kindle-shortage-is-fueling-the-theory-that-amazon-is-leaving-china|url-status=live}} In 2022, Amazon announced it had stopped selling its Kindles to distributors in China and stated the online bookstore service would shut down in China on June 30, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-02 |title=Amazon's Kindle to end its China e-book service next year |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3180170/amazons-kindle-close-its-china-e-book-service-next-year-following |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=June 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602155119/https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3180170/amazons-kindle-close-its-china-e-book-service-next-year-following |url-status=live }}

On January 4, 2022, a Kindle shortage was reported on Amazon's JD.com flagship store. Only the Kindle 10 had remained available for sale while other models like the Paperwhite, Oasis and Kids Edition had become out of stock. On the same day, It was announced that Amazon had also shut its Tmall flagship store, after having already closed its Kindle flagship store on Taobao earlier in October 2021.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-04|title=Amazon Kindle closes shop on Tmall as some question its future in China|url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3162102/amazon-kindle-closes-flagship-store-alibabas-tmall-raising-questions|access-date=2022-01-11|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111091948/https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3162102/amazon-kindle-closes-flagship-store-alibabas-tmall-raising-questions|url-status=live}} These led to speculation that Amazon was planning to exit the Chinese market altogether, although an official Amazon representative responded that they remain committed to serving Chinese consumers and they can continue to purchase the Kindle through offline and third-party online retailers.

In June 2022, Amazon announced that it will shut down its Kindle bookstore in China and starting July 2023 Kindle users can no longer purchase online books in the country. However, existing customers could still download previously bought titles until June 2024.{{Cite web |author=Michelle Toh |title=Amazon is closing its Kindle store in China |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/03/tech/amazon-closing-kindle-store-china-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-06-12 |website=CNN |date=June 3, 2022 |archive-date=June 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612063657/https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/03/tech/amazon-closing-kindle-store-china-intl-hnk/index.html |url-status=live }}

Also in June 2022, self-published authors protested against Amazon's e-book return policy; whenever an e-book return is made, royalties originally paid to the author at the time of purchase are deducted from their earnings balance, leaving authors with negative balances.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/06/27/1107109243/amazon-kindle-ebook-return-policy|author=Deanna Schwartz|date=June 27, 2022|title=Authors are protesting Amazon's e-book policy that allows users to read and return|work=NPR|access-date=June 29, 2022|archive-date=June 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629195745/https://www.npr.org/2022/06/27/1107109243/amazon-kindle-ebook-return-policy|url-status=live}}

{{Timeline of Kindle models}}

• Comparison of e-book readers
• Comparison of tablet computers
• Barnes & Noble Nook
• Kobo eReader
• Sony Reader
• Kindle Direct Publishing

{{Reflist|35em}}

{{Prone to spam|date=October 2012}}

{{Wikibooks|1=Directing Technology/Kindle}}

{{Commons category|Amazon Kindle}}

• {{Citation|url=http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/11/19/1/a-conversation-with-amazon-com-ceo-jeff-bezos |format=video |first=Charlie |last=Rose |type=interview |title=CEO Jeff Bezos about the Kindle |date=November 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122133140/http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/11/19/1/a-conversation-with-amazon-com-ceo-jeff-bezos |archive-date=November 22, 2007 }}.
• {{Citation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09TIJk0vSRg |format=video |type=interview |title=Charlie Rose interviews Jeff Bezos about the original Kindle on the day of the initial launch.|date=November 20, 2007 }}
• {{Citation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAo0IfOCevA |format=video |type=interview |title=Charlie Rose interviews Jeff Bezos about the Kindle Keyboard (3rd generation Kindle).|date=July 29, 2010 }}

{{Amazon}}

{{E-book digital distribution platforms}}

{{Ebooks}}

{{Linux devices}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Amazon (company) hardware

Category:Dedicated ebook devices

Category:Linux-based devices

Category:Mobile virtual network operators

Category:Proprietary hardware

Category:Products introduced in 2007

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Category:Textbook business