Amazon Kindle Touch Announced By Jeff Bezos: See The New Kindles (PHOTOS)

This entry has been updated. See photos below

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, onstage at a press event in New York City on Wednesday, gave eager onlookers a taste of the company's new line of Kindle devices.

The first, the Kindle Touch, is priced at $99 and will feature a black-and-white e-Ink display together with a touchscreen. (See photos below)

This ereader will go on sale starting November 21 together with a $149 3G version of the Kindle Touch. Pre-orders of both devices will start on September 28.

The $149 device is described by Amazon as its "top of the line Kindle ereader," and offers the same features as the Kindle Touch, though with the added bonus of 3G capabilities. Amazon touted a new "X-Ray" feature that will be available in the Kindle Touch: "With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers," Amazon wrote in a statement.

And there's more.

A $79 non-touch Kindle will also be available for pre-order starting September 28. Bezos predicts that Amazon will move "many millions of these." According to Engadget, this device features navigation buttons, weighs "under six ounces" and measures "18 percent smaller than the Kindle 3." What's the difference between the new Kindle and the old Kindle? An Amazon press release said the new Kindle is "30 percent lighter at just 5.98 ounces, 18 percent smaller, and turns pages 10 percent faster."

AllThingsD's Peter Kafka reports that all these new Kindles will feature "special offers" advertisements and purchasing an ereader without ads will cost more--add $30 to the pricetag for the base Kindle, and $40 to the Kindle Touch," Kafka tweeted after the event had concluded.

Amazon also took the wraps off its new tablet, the Kindle Fire, which will sell for $199 and run a modified version of the Google Android operating system. The device will be ready to ship on November 15.

The company then previewed its custom browser, Amazon Silk, which was designed with the Fire in mind.

Check out our live blog for photos and details from Amazon's big event. See some pictures of the new devices below.

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Comments

[samuraifrog37]

12:06 AM on 10/01/2011

God all mighty; stop already !!!

[Bruce Langsdon]

10:13 AM on 09/29/2011

I think the touch screen and e-ink are a good combination. E-ink is much easier on the eyes when you want to read for extended periods.

[InvectiveMouth]

09:47 PM on 09/28/2011

Fire? It will end up in ashes!

[NotMcCain]

08:17 PM on 09/28/2011

I've never understood the excitement over iPad. Overpriced (hugely), clunky, and...no. Flash. (for $500-$800? Crazy.)

I think this tablet is a game-changer.

[InvectiveMouth]

09:48 PM on 09/28/2011

It's an iPad thing...you can't understand it...or you can't afford it...whatever it is...

[Rod Redux]

08:44 AM on 09/29/2011

I have an ipad2, and while I like it, it is clunky. I do not take it out of the house because of its size. I've tried a couple 7 inchers, but no one has matched apple on its smooth interface and ease of use. If amazon can match that, it has a winner.

[xzwq]

02:49 PM on 09/28/2011

Spend $149 on actual books, and you have something that'll last longer than any piece of gadgetry.

[MSchlagel]

05:11 PM on 09/28/2011

Please stop being so smug about this. I am partially sighted. If that Kindle did not exist or a tablet, I would not be able to read at any price. Gadgets have a place and a use that I'm certain youu would recognize if your first recourse was something beyond mere flippancy.

[StinkyPete0279]

08:46 PM on 09/28/2011

Let me guess, you're one of those people that brags about not having a television.

[rhaug]

02:14 PM on 09/28/2011

Apple already sells a small tablet computer. It is called iPod Touch. It is cheaper, more convenient, has more functionality (camera, face time, browser, apps, etc.) than the new amazon fire. An iPod Touch with a phone is called iPhone. The iPad is positioned between the iPhone and the MacAir. I expect that the MacAir will eventually have a touch screen, support apps and replace low end consumer laptops. Ultimately the iMac will have a touch screen and support apps as well.

[studentdeb]

04:18 PM on 09/28/2011

I imagine that the new Kindle Fire is for those folks who either have a limited budget, or who simply don't like Apple products. I fit into both those categories. I will be trying the new Fire.
I buy a lot of merchandise from Amazon as I get free prime membership, and I am vastly impressed by their willingness to accept returns, fix mistakes and issue refunds smoothly and quickly. They no doubt will be much more reasonable about repairs and returns than other manufacturers are, so I will be happy to try out the tablet.

as far as buying real books is concerned, I do, and I love them. But I am a student and often take my studying on the go. It will be a lot easier to study while my car is being repaired, or while I wait at the Dr's office, with a small device like this, rather than a couple of five pound textbooks. These devices definitely have usefullness.

[deluk]

04:53 PM on 09/28/2011

I've got an iPod touch, too small to be a regular book reader, and this article is about book readers, not Android or Apple tablets.

[NotMcCain]

02:31 AM on 09/29/2011

I think it's about tablets because Amazon Fire is branching out from Kindle and becoming an actual tablet. It is going to be very competitive with iPad, imo. Very.