Welcome to Kindle Compared

We have put together a Kindle comparison so you can easily see the differences between all the current Amazon e-readers that are available to buy. We take a look at the original device and how things have evolved over the years. Our Kindle comparison chart should help you easily see the differences between each model.

Kindle Comparison Chart - Side by Side Compare Kindles

It's Complicated - The Evolution

When the original Amazon Kindle was launched in 2007 it was quite straightforward which device to buy. The choice was limited to one.

It was truly a ground breaking device. Lightweight. Durable. Thin. You could playback audio books using headphones. Enough space to store 200 non illustrated books, with the option to install more memory should you fill it. Add to this an amazing battery life in a device that was only 6 inches tall, and you have a winner.

The true game changer however was the screen. For the first time you could read a book on an electronic device without straining your eyes. It became an instant hit, selling out in five and a half hours. It took Amazon five months to replenish their stock, as a result it never shipped outside the United States.

When the original Kindle launched in 2007. It was simple. There was only one.

The 2014/15 Amazon Family

Fast forward five or six years. Amazon has launched the fifth generation of the Kindle ereader, a tablet called the Fire, a TV and a phone. Improvements along the way means more features, a greater number of devices, but that now leaves Amazon with six devices, under the Kindle brand.

This is great progress from a company that started out selling books. It shows a company investing and moving with the times. However, it introduces a layer of complexity for the customers of Amazon that hopefully we can help you solve.

TV, Phone, ereader and Tablet. It's confusing but we can help!

How to choose a the right one?

I am guessing you know what a TV and phone is so there is no need to go over those. They are under the Amazon brand and come with an app. So from here on in lets just deal with the tablet and the ereader. The first thing that you need to decide is whether or not you want a tablet or an ereader. To find out the difference, then check out our ereader vs tablet blog post.

The basics are this, an ereader is just for reading books. A tablet lets you do more like check emails, go on the internet and use Apps like Facebook and Twitter.

To put it simply - an ereader is solely for reading books. The Fire tablet lets you do more.

Once you have decided what you want you must now decide on the following:

Ereader Considerations

Do you need 3G?
Which model of ereader do you need?
Which ereader has the best screen?
Which ereader comes with a light?
How does the Kindle compare with other ereaders?

Tablet Considerations

Do you need 3G?
What size screen do you need on my tablet?
How much storage space do you need on your tablet?
Can I read ebooks on my tablet?
What else can I do on my tablet?
How does it compare with other tablets on the market?

Best ereader

THE PAPERWHITE

Amazons best selling ereader and for a good reason

Having spent a considerable amount of time reviewing various different ereaders, you can see my Kindle Voyage Review, then I have to say that the Kindle Paperwhite right now gets my vote as the best ereader. It’s no coincidence that it’s Amazon’s best selling ereader, there is a good reason for that.

Out of the three ereaders that Amazon currently makes, the entry level Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Voyage, the Kindle Paperwhite has the perfect balance between cost and features. The Kindle is fine for the occasional beach holiday and the Kindle Voyage is priced at the same level as Amazon’s the Kindle Fire HD 10, which is full on tablet.

The future for Amazon

The company hasn't just evolved in terms of manufacturing their own devices. Since 2011, when Amazon acquired the DVD rental come online streaming company LoveFilm, they have moved into the realms of becoming a content creator.

This puts the online retailer into a very unique position. They not only manufacturer the devices that people can to consume other peoples content, those devices can be used to consume Amazon content. ​

They have produced numerous shows over the years, from comedies like Alpha House, to dramas like Bosch and Hand of God. Right now there is only Netflix that are producing content in a similar way, that aren't what you would call a traditional media company.

Amazon don't just create TV shows though, they also have their own music streaming service to rival that of tech giants Apple and Spotify. Again putting them streets ahead of their competitors.​

It's simple to see that they are creating a supply chain for a digital area that no other rival can match at the moment. What this means is we are seeing the cost of the hardware to consume this content, continually drop in price. This can only be good news for the consumer. As Amazon is able to make more of it's profits from it's own content, rather than selling other people's content like books. As the content creator they make the most money. The supply chain is owned by them, as they have a massive database of customers to promote to and as we can see from the number of devices that they have made. They consumer portables are owned by them. They truly own every part of this market, making them a prime candidate to become the largest technology company in the world.