If you're purchasing a device primarily for reading, an important consideration is the screen technology. Unlike devices with LCD screens, Kindle e-readers use the latest generation of Electronic Ink ("E Ink") technology – E Ink Pearl – designed specifically to deliver clearer, sharper text that makes reading for extended periods of time more comfortable.
Lose Yourself in Your Reading
The most elegant feature of a physical book is that it disappears while you're reading. Immersed in the author's world and ideas, you don't notice a book's glue, the stitching, or ink. Our top design objective is to make Kindle disappear — just like a physical book — so you can get lost in your reading, not the technology.
Ergonomic Design
Kindle is easy to hold and read. We designed our e-reader with long-form reading in mind. When reading for long periods of time, people naturally shift positions and often like to read with one hand. Kindle's page-turning buttons are located on both sides, allowing you to read and turn pages from any position.
Precise 5-Way Controller
Kindle has an easy-to-use 5-way controller, enabling precise on-screen navigation for selecting text to highlight or looking up words. No on-screen fingerprints.
Never Gets Hot
Unlike a laptop, Kindle never gets hot so you can read comfortably as long as you like.
The most elegant feature of a physical book is that it disappears while you're reading. Immersed in the author's world and ideas, you don't notice a book's glue, the stitching, or ink. Our top design objective is to make Kindle disappear — just like a physical book — so you can get lost in your reading, not the technology.
Ergonomic Design
Kindle is easy to hold and read. We designed our e-reader with long-form reading in mind. When reading for long periods of time, people naturally shift positions and often like to read with one hand. Kindle's page-turning buttons are located on both sides, allowing you to read and turn pages from any position.
Precise 5-Way Controller
Kindle has an easy-to-use 5-way controller, enabling precise on-screen navigation for selecting text to highlight or looking up words. No on-screen fingerprints.
Never Gets Hot
Unlike a laptop, Kindle never gets hot so you can read comfortably as long as you like.
Wireless Capability
Built-In Wi-Fi
Kindle automatically detects nearby Wi-Fi networks at school, home, or your favorite café. At a hotel or café that requires a password? Simply enter the password and connect to the network. Once you have added a Wi-Fi network, Kindle will automatically connect to that network the next time you're near the hotspot.
Free Access at AT&T Hotspots
Enjoy free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots across the U.S. for shopping and downloading Kindle content — no AT&T registration, sign-in, or password required.
Kindle automatically detects nearby Wi-Fi networks at school, home, or your favorite café. At a hotel or café that requires a password? Simply enter the password and connect to the network. Once you have added a Wi-Fi network, Kindle will automatically connect to that network the next time you're near the hotspot.
Free Access at AT&T Hotspots
Enjoy free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots across the U.S. for shopping and downloading Kindle content — no AT&T registration, sign-in, or password required.
Adjustable Text Sizes, Font Choices Kindle has eight adjustable font sizes to suit your reading preference. You can increase the text size of your favorite book or periodical with the push of a button. If your eyes tire, simply increase the font size and continue reading comfortably. Kindle also has three font styles to choose from – all optimized and hand-tuned to provide the best reading experience.
Custom Fonts
Kindle uses hand-built, custom fonts and font-hinting to make words and letters more crisp, clear, and natural-looking. Font hints are instructions, written as code, that control points on a font character's line, improving legibility at small font sizes where few pixels are available. Hinting is a mix of aesthetic judgments and complicated technical strategies. We've designed our proprietary font-hinting to optimize specifically for the special characteristics of electronic ink.
Faster Page Turns
Kindle now has faster page turns. We've done this by fine-tuning Kindle's proprietary waveform, the series of electronic pulses that move black and white electronic ink particles to achieve an optimal display of images and text.
Support for Non-Latin Characters
Kindle supports the display of non-Latin characters, so you can read books and documents in the translation that's right for you. Kindle displays Cyrillic (such as Russian), Japanese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Korean characters, in addition to Latin and Greek scripts.
Full Image Zoom
Images and photos display crisply on Kindle and can be zoomed to the full size of the screen.
Rotate Between Portrait and Landscape Mode
Switch between portrait and landscape orientation to read maps, graphs and tables more easily.
Real Page Numbers
Easily reference and cite passages or read alongside others in a book club or class with real page numbers. Using the computing fabric of Amazon Web Services, we've created algorithms that match specific text in a Kindle book to the corresponding text in a print book, to identify the correct, “real” page number to display. Real page numbers are available on tens of thousands of our most popular Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store that have matching print editions. Page numbers are displayed when you push the menu button.
Carry and Read Your Personal Documents
Kindle makes it easy to take your personal documents with you, eliminating the need to print. You and your approved contacts can e-mail documents - including Word, PDF and more - directly to your Kindle and read them in Kindle format. Your personal documents will be stored in your Kindle library on Amazon and ready to download conveniently anywhere at any time. You can add notes, highlights and bookmarks, which are automatically synchronized across devices along with the last page you read using our Whispersync technology.
You can read your PDFs in their native format, view them in landscape mode, or zoom in up to 300% to view small print and detailed tables and graphics. You can also convert your PDF document to the Kindle format so that it reflows like a regular Kindle book. Learn more
Custom Fonts
Kindle uses hand-built, custom fonts and font-hinting to make words and letters more crisp, clear, and natural-looking. Font hints are instructions, written as code, that control points on a font character's line, improving legibility at small font sizes where few pixels are available. Hinting is a mix of aesthetic judgments and complicated technical strategies. We've designed our proprietary font-hinting to optimize specifically for the special characteristics of electronic ink.
Faster Page Turns
Kindle now has faster page turns. We've done this by fine-tuning Kindle's proprietary waveform, the series of electronic pulses that move black and white electronic ink particles to achieve an optimal display of images and text.
Support for Non-Latin Characters
Kindle supports the display of non-Latin characters, so you can read books and documents in the translation that's right for you. Kindle displays Cyrillic (such as Russian), Japanese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Korean characters, in addition to Latin and Greek scripts.
Full Image Zoom
Images and photos display crisply on Kindle and can be zoomed to the full size of the screen.
Rotate Between Portrait and Landscape Mode
Switch between portrait and landscape orientation to read maps, graphs and tables more easily.
Real Page Numbers
Easily reference and cite passages or read alongside others in a book club or class with real page numbers. Using the computing fabric of Amazon Web Services, we've created algorithms that match specific text in a Kindle book to the corresponding text in a print book, to identify the correct, “real” page number to display. Real page numbers are available on tens of thousands of our most popular Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store that have matching print editions. Page numbers are displayed when you push the menu button.
Carry and Read Your Personal Documents
Kindle makes it easy to take your personal documents with you, eliminating the need to print. You and your approved contacts can e-mail documents - including Word, PDF and more - directly to your Kindle and read them in Kindle format. Your personal documents will be stored in your Kindle library on Amazon and ready to download conveniently anywhere at any time. You can add notes, highlights and bookmarks, which are automatically synchronized across devices along with the last page you read using our Whispersync technology.
You can read your PDFs in their native format, view them in landscape mode, or zoom in up to 300% to view small print and detailed tables and graphics. You can also convert your PDF document to the Kindle format so that it reflows like a regular Kindle book. Learn more
Dictionary and Search
Built-In Dictionary with Instant Lookup
Come across a word you don't know? Kindle includes The New Oxford American Dictionary with over 250,000 entries and definitions for free. Kindle lets you instantly lookup the definition without ever leaving the book – simply select the word with the cursor and the definition will automatically display at the bottom of the screen.
Search Wikipedia and the Web
Kindle makes it easy to find what you're looking for. Just enter a word or phrase and Kindle will search every instance across your Kindle library, in the Kindle Store, on Wikipedia, or the Web using Google search. Check your country
Come across a word you don't know? Kindle includes The New Oxford American Dictionary with over 250,000 entries and definitions for free. Kindle lets you instantly lookup the definition without ever leaving the book – simply select the word with the cursor and the definition will automatically display at the bottom of the screen.
Search Wikipedia and the Web
Kindle makes it easy to find what you're looking for. Just enter a word or phrase and Kindle will search every instance across your Kindle library, in the Kindle Store, on Wikipedia, or the Web using Google search. Check your country
Notes and Sharing
Bookmarks and Annotations
Add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book, with a virtual keyboard that appears just when you need it. And because Kindle ebooks are digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes. You can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use. You'll never need to bookmark your last place in the book, because Kindle remembers for you and always opens to the last page you read.
Popular Highlights
See what millions of Kindle readers think are the most interesting passages in your books. If several other readers have highlighted a particular passage, then that passage will be highlighted in your book along with the total number of people who have highlighted it. View details
Share Meaningful Passages
Share your passion for books and reading with friends, family, and other readers around the world by posting meaningful passages to social networks like Facebook and Twitter directly from Kindle, without leaving the page. Want to post or tweet about a great new novel or newspaper article? When you highlight or create a note in your book or periodical, you can easily share it with your social network. Help your network of family and friends discover new authors and books.
Public Notes
Share your notes and see what others are saying about Kindle books. Any Kindle user – including authors, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere – can opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community. Learn more
Lend Your Books
Lend eligible Kindle books to other Kindle or Kindle app users. Each eligible book can be lent once for a period of 14 days. Not all books are lendable — the publisher or rights holder determines which titles are enabled for lending.
Add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book, with a virtual keyboard that appears just when you need it. And because Kindle ebooks are digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes. You can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use. You'll never need to bookmark your last place in the book, because Kindle remembers for you and always opens to the last page you read.
Popular Highlights
See what millions of Kindle readers think are the most interesting passages in your books. If several other readers have highlighted a particular passage, then that passage will be highlighted in your book along with the total number of people who have highlighted it. View details
Share Meaningful Passages
Share your passion for books and reading with friends, family, and other readers around the world by posting meaningful passages to social networks like Facebook and Twitter directly from Kindle, without leaving the page. Want to post or tweet about a great new novel or newspaper article? When you highlight or create a note in your book or periodical, you can easily share it with your social network. Help your network of family and friends discover new authors and books.
Public Notes
Share your notes and see what others are saying about Kindle books. Any Kindle user – including authors, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere – can opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community. Learn more
Lend Your Books
Lend eligible Kindle books to other Kindle or Kindle app users. Each eligible book can be lent once for a period of 14 days. Not all books are lendable — the publisher or rights holder determines which titles are enabled for lending.
Public Library Books
Customers can check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle or free Kindle reading app. Learn more
Customize Your Kindle
Choose Your Language
You can customize your Kindle with the language you prefer. You can set your default language on Kindle to English (US and UK), German, French, Spanish, Italian, or Brazilian Portuguese.
Organize Your Library
Organize your Kindle library into collections, or categories, to easily access any book you are looking for. You can add an item to multiple collections to make organizing and finding titles even easier. For example, you can add the same book to your "History" and "My Favorite Authors" collections.
Password Protection
With password protection functionality, you can choose to lock your Kindle automatically when not in use.
You can customize your Kindle with the language you prefer. You can set your default language on Kindle to English (US and UK), German, French, Spanish, Italian, or Brazilian Portuguese.
Organize Your Library
Organize your Kindle library into collections, or categories, to easily access any book you are looking for. You can add an item to multiple collections to make organizing and finding titles even easier. For example, you can add the same book to your "History" and "My Favorite Authors" collections.
Password Protection
With password protection functionality, you can choose to lock your Kindle automatically when not in use.