Amazon launched the first Kindle e-reader in 2007.
Amazon introduced the original Kindle in the United States on November 19, 2007. The device was designed to let customers buy, download, and read digital books over a cellular connection without needing a computer. Amazon marketed this connected reading experience as a way to carry a large library in a single device.
The first Kindle had a six-inch electronic-paper display, a physical keyboard, and free wireless access to Amazon’s Kindle Store through Whispernet. Its launch helped establish dedicated e-readers as an important extension of digital publishing and online retail.
The Kindle is sometimes confused with Amazon’s Fire tablet line. Kindle e-readers use electronic paper and are primarily designed for reading, while Fire tablets use color displays and support broader tablet functions such as video, apps, and web browsing.