Online retailer Amazon has announced it is to begin selling a new version of its Kindle e-reader worldwide.

The firm released its original Kindle, which is designed to allow users to read electronic books and newspapers, last October. It is now making a larger version, the Kindle DX, available to consumers in over 100 countries for just under US$500.

A report from Reuters said the device would be ready to ship by January 19. It has 9.7 inch screen with around 2.5 times the surface area of the original Kindles and space for up to 3,500 books.

Amazon said on Christmas day, sales of e-books outstripped the number of physical books purchased for the first time ever. The company has also been keen to shout about strong sales as far as the Kindle is concerned, but so far has refused to provide figures to back up its claims.

Ian Freed, vice president of Amazon Kindle, told Reuters the new design has been well received.

He said: “On a global basis customers love the 6 inch device and we know in the U.S. that customers are also loving the 9.7 Kindle DX.”