Since launching the Kindle in 2010, now two years later Amazon has released some surprising statistics. The retail giant now sells more ebooks than both paperback and hardback print editions combined.

Interestingly, Amazon stated that UK customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. But what makes this even more surprising is that in the US it took just under four years to reach this same landmark – so to reach this stage in two years shows the huge support for Kindle in the UK market.

For every 100 print books sold, 114 ebooks are purchased. Kindle customers have a choice between the Kindle, Kindle Touch, with 3G and of course the original Kindle Keyboard 3G, all featuring electronic ink displays which “reads like real paper with no glare”. There is one notable exception however, of which still has not hit UK shores; the Kindle Fire; Android based Kindle tablet with colour touchscreen.

What is perhaps unsurprising with the current phenomenon surrounding her, the current top selling author is EL James, writer of the “Fifty Shades…” series. With her combined print and Kindle sales she is now the #1 bestselling author of all time at Amazon UK, having sold over 2 million Kindle books in just four months. Perhaps reading Fifty Shades of Grey on a Kindle is a little more discreet than the paper back with that all distinguishable cover when in public!

With surging ebook sales, Amazon has also stated that Kindle readers purchase 4x as many books as they did prior to owning a Kindle, yet this does not stop them from purchasing print books as well.

© TEKCORE UK LTD. 2012

Source: Amazon

Via: Mashable