Amazon has released a new update for its latest Kindle e-reader. The 4.1.0 update, which is available for free, offers users a number of improvements.

The popular £89 e-reader will get a higher contrast font that the company claims will make reading feel more authentic and closer to a paper-book experience.

The new firmware also offers parental controls, allowing parents to limit what their children can access on the experimental web browser, the Kindle store and the device's archived items.

The update will also allow the Kindle to handle books with complex layouts and Kindle Format 8, as well as children's books and comic books with Kindle Text Pop-Up and Kindle Panel View. Using the latter, customers can read comic books panel by panel.

The firmware update, which is not available for Kindle Touch or Kindle Keyboard devices, can be downloaded from Amazon's website.

Recent rumours have suggested that Amazon is preparing to introduce both a new e-reader and a 10in Kindle Fire tablet in the coming months.