Kindle DX: Amazon’s First Big-Screen Kindle and What to Buy Now

The kindle dx was Amazon’s first big-screen Kindle, launched in 2009 with a 9.7-inch E Ink display for PDFs, textbooks and newspapers. Here is what it offered, what happened to it, and which large-screen Kindle to buy instead today.

Quick answer: The Kindle DX went on sale on June 10, 2009 for $489, with a 9.7-inch E Ink screen, auto-rotate, a built-in PDF reader and free 3G. It has long been discontinued, and its 3G store access stopped working in December 2021. If you want a large-screen Kindle today, look at the Kindle Scribe family.

Kindle DX features in 2009

When Amazon announced it in May 2009, the Kindle DX was the next generation of the Kindle 2 wireless reading device, with a much larger screen, new features and a higher price. We wrote about it the day pre-orders opened. Its headline features were:

• 9.7-inch E Ink screen (the Kindle 2 had 6 inches) that read like real paper, with 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images.
• Auto-rotate from portrait to landscape as you turned the device, so you could view full-width maps, graphs, tables and web pages.
• Built-in PDF reader for personal and work documents.
• 4GB storage for up to 3,500 books (compared to 1,500 on the Kindle 2).
• Free 3G wireless to download books anywhere, with no monthly fees, no contracts, no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots and no PC required.

At launch the Kindle Store offered more than 275,000 books plus top newspapers, magazines and blogs. The Kindle DX cost $489 when it shipped, while the Kindle 2 sold for $359 at the time.

What happened to the kindle dx?

Amazon followed up with an international version in January 2010 and the Kindle DX Graphite in July 2010, with better contrast and a lower $379 price. After that the big-screen Kindle line went quiet. For years the DX remained the only Kindle with a screen larger than 6 inches, until the 7-inch Kindle Oasis arrived in 2017.

If you still own one, it can display books already stored on it. But the Kindle DX relied on 3G to reach the Kindle Store, and that access was shut down in December 2021 when carriers retired 3G networks. Getting new books onto it today means copying compatible files over USB.

Best big-screen Kindle alternative today

The modern successor to the DX idea is the Kindle Scribe, a 10.2-inch E Ink Kindle that lets you read and also write notes with a pen. According to the official specs:

• Kindle Scribe (2022, refreshed 2024): 10.2-inch, 300 ppi display, with a pen included for notes and markup on books and PDFs.
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (2025): an 11-inch model that adds a color E Ink display.

You can browse the current Kindle Scribe models on Amazon. If a smaller screen is fine, the regular Kindle e-readers are lighter and cost less.

Want a large E Ink screen for notes rather than Kindle books? Compare our review of the reMarkable 2 paper tablet. And whichever Kindle you choose, see how to download free Kindle books legally.

FAQ

When was the Kindle DX released?

The Kindle DX was released on June 10, 2009, priced at $489. The Kindle DX Graphite followed on July 1, 2010.

How big was the Kindle DX screen?

It had a 9.7-inch E Ink screen with 16 shades of gray, compared to 6 inches on the Kindle 2.

Does the Kindle DX still work?

It can still show books stored on it, but its 3G connection to the Kindle Store stopped working in December 2021, so new books must be copied over USB.

Which Kindle has the largest screen now?

The Kindle Scribe family, with a 10.2-inch screen, and the 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

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