Amazon launches updated Kindle Touch

Amazon today announced it would be launching its Kindle Touch devices in the UK.

The next generation of Amazon e-readers are available for pre-order today and will begin shipping on 27 April.

Priced at 109 for the Kindle Touch and 169 for the Kindle Touch 3G, the e-readers have undergone several updates.

The most obvious change is the touch interface, fitted with an advanced electronic ink display. The screen reads like a page in a book, with no glare even in bright sunlight.

Amazon has added an touch feature called EasyReach, designed to enhance the comfort of the reader. With EasyReach there is no need to swipe the screen to turn the page, simply tap-to-turn, making it possible to read with one hand.

The Kindle Touch also claims to enhance the reading experience with a feature called "X-Ray." Readers can tap the page to search the entire book for pages 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.

Both the Kindle Touch and The Kindle Touch 3G are fitted with free Wi-Fi. However, with the Kindle 3G, Amazon provides and pays for the high-speed network, so there is no need to search or pay for internet access on-the-go.

Another feature that perhaps sets the Kindle Touch apart from other e-readers is the access to Amazon's cloud storage facilities. Books purchased in the Kindle store are automatically stored in Amazon's cloud for free. These books can be re-downloaded wirelessly at any time so Kindle owners wont have to worry about losing their libraries.

Kindle books can be read on the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PCs, Macs, and other Android-based devices thanks to Amazon's "Buy once, Read everywhere" mantra.

The Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are equipped with several other new features, including a two-month battery life, massive storage capabilities up to 3,000 books access to Amazon's Kindle Library featuring thousands of bargain priced and free books, and Whispersync technology, which syncs Kindle to other android devices automatically.

"Customers continue to choose Kindle because they love the world-class reading experience, the vast selection of Kindle books available at great prices, and the convenience of downloading their books in just 60 seconds," Jorrit Van der Meulen, vice president of Kindle for Amazon in Europe said.

"We continue to see that people read more with Kindlereaders in the UK buy an average of four times the number of books they purchased prior to owning a Kindle. With the launch of Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G we expect to see this reading renaissance continue."