The Amazon Kindle (2026) delivers several meaningful updates for Amazon’s popular e-reader. And while these upgrades make for a more pleasant reading experience, they come at a steeper price for this entry-level model.

Unlike the Amazon Kindle (2024) and prior iterations, the new Kindle features a flush display for a streamlined look, similar to the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft. Like those two higher-end models, you can upgrade to a Kindle with an aluminum design. The power button is now on the right-hand side of the device instead of at the bottom.

This is certainly one of the best Kindles, but it’s not perfect. The main sticking point is the new $149 asking price — which is a lot for an e-reader without adjustable warm light. The new plastic design no longer feels cheap, but even that doesn’t make the $40 price bump easier to swallow. And if you want the aluminum version, prepare to pay $189.

If you’re brand-new to Kindles and want to see what they’re all about, the asking price might be worth it, since it still delivers a fantastic e-reading experience and a robust digital library. However, if you own an older model, you won’t miss much by skipping this iteration. Find out more in my full review of the Kindle (2026).

Amazon Kindle (2026) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The new entry-level Kindle model, now featuring a more flush display, a new power button location, and an optional aluminum design.
• Who is it for? For those with very old Kindles or who want an aluminum Kindle.
• What does it cost? The new Kindle (2026) starts at $149 on Amazon. This model has 16GB of storage and is lockscreen ad-supported — which you can remove for an extra $20. The $189 aluminum model isn’t ad-supported and packs 32GB of storage.
• What do we like? We like the streamlined, uniform design, easy portability, sharp 6-inch display, and the optional aluminum design.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the $50 price hike and the lack of adjustable warm light.

Amazon Kindle (2026) review: Specs

Amazon Kindle (2026) review: The ups

There’s a lot to like about the new Kindle, including its sharp, flush display, streamlined, portable design, snappy interface, and long battery life.

Streamlined design

The new Kindle has been streamlined with more rounded edges and a slightly thinner profile. The most immediate difference is that the display is now flush with the bezels, so there’s no longer a gap between them. Thanks to these changes, the Kindle now appears closer to the Paperwhite and Colorsoft, just smaller.

This Kindle has a plastic chassis, but it feels more premium thanks to its slightly rougher texture and rigidity. That “hollow” sound you’d experience when tapping the tablet’s back is completely gone. The bezels are generally the same size as before, especially the larger bottom one where you’d generally place your thumb when reading.

The other big change is that the power button has been repositioned from the bottom to the right-hand side. The Kindle Scribe also has its power button in the same location, so it’s good to see this and the other new Kindles follow suit. Not accidentally pressing the power button is a huge game-changer, and I’m glad Amazon finally fixed it.

My review unit came in the new Ube color, which is a fancy name for purple. Graphite (or black) is good for a more traditional look, but I’m a fan of Ube since it gives the Kindle some flair.

I also tested the aluminum model, and it's my favorite to hold because it feels like a smartphone. This model weighs slightly more than the non-aluminum model, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable to hold even over long periods.

Sharp display

Aside from the flush design, the display is virtually identical to the previous one, with its 6-inch size and 300ppi resolution. This resolution matches that of the larger Kindles, so you still get a reading experience that’s pleasing and easy on the eyes.

There’s no adjustable warm light (more on that later), but as before, you can turn the brightness up fairly high or turn it off completely. But whether you read with the front lights on or off, the black text on white backgrounds looks sharp and defined. The same is true in dark mode. If you find it hard to read, you can always go into a book’s settings to adjust the font size, font type, line spacing, and more.

There’s a slight drawback for comic book fans. Unless you have excellent vision or don’t mind pinching and zooming, you’re going to have a hard time reading your favorite stories on this device due to the 6-inch screen. Manga, with its larger panels and often fewer dialogue balloons, fares a bit better, but the Kindle is best for reading standard text.

Lastly, while Amazon advertises that the Kindle has a glare-free display, that’s not entirely accurate. Don’t get me wrong, you get significantly less glare on this device than you would on a tablet with a glossy display. However, if you’re under direct sunlight, you’ll still see a diffuse glare. If that happens, you’ll need to adjust your viewing angle to compensate for the glare—or find a nice shaded area.

Long battery life

One of the best things about Kindles is their epic battery life, and this one is no different. Amazon says you can get 6 weeks of battery life on this device. While I haven’t used it long enough to test that claim, I expect this Kindle will last just as long on a single charge as older models I’ve used.

To get the 6 weeks of battery Amazon touts, you’ll need to shut off wireless, read about 30 minutes per day, and keep the backlight at 13. If you’re an avid reader, then you’ll likely read for much longer per day. You might also want to bump up the brightness. This will drain the battery faster, but you’ll likely still get a good two or three weeks before you need to recharge.

As for me, I read about an hour on a weekday and about two to three hours a day on the weekend, with the backlight off and Wi-Fi enabled. I’ve used the Kindle for about a week, and the battery is around 83%, down from 95% when I began reading. Doing the math, it’ll likely be a few more weeks before I have to recharge, which is awesome.

Excellent Kindle experience

If you’re familiar with Kindles, then you’ll be at home here, as it’s largely the same experience as before.

On the Home page, you’ll see a list of all the books you’re currently reading or have recently purchased from Amazon’s site or your Kindle. Directly below that is a “Top Picks For You” section that features books similar to those in your library. The same is true for the top Kindle Unlimited and other sections further down. For the most part, the recommendations are pretty spot on.

The Kindle's dropdown menu is the main hub for enabling settings such as airplane mode, Bluetooth, sync, brightness, and dark mode. You can also jump to the settings page from here. In the settings menu, you can view device information and wireless settings, but don't expect the kind of robust settings menu found on the best phones.

You get more options when you’re actually reading a book, as I mentioned before. Beyond those, you can skip to specific chapters, highlight words or sections, get dictionary definitions, and more. The dictionary feature is especially handy when reading old books with unfamiliar words.

Kindle store and Goodreads integrations are present, and they’re a nice way to easily purchase your next read or update friends on your book progress (respectively). Some aren’t fond of Goodreads, but it’s one of my favorite social platforms—and a good way to track how many books I’ve read each year.

Amazon Kindle (2026) review: The downs

Though I’m a big fan of the Kindle, it has some flaws worth discussing.

Steeper asking price

One of the entry-level Kindle’s main selling points was its relative affordability. While the new Kindle isn’t exorbitantly priced, it still stings that it costs $40 more than the previous model.

I can’t say the higher asking price won’t be worth it to everyone, as the upgrades do make for a better e-reader. However, as much as I appreciate the new chassis, repositioned power button, and flush display, they’re not essential — especially if you’re happy with the Kindle you own.

Amazon always has Kindle sales, especially during Black Friday or its own Amazon Prime Day events. So my advice is to wait for one of those times if you’re considering buying a new Kindle.

No warm light option

People weren’t happy that previous basic Kindles lacked adjustable warm light like the Paperwhite and Colorsoft. I always forgave this due to the Kindle’s relative affordability. However, at the new $149 sticker price, I think this should have been standard.

If you’re like me and mostly read with the Kindle’s lights off while sitting by an external light source, then you won’t miss adjustable warm light. But if you need a front-lit screen to help you read and you’re trying to minimize your exposure to blue light, you might be frustrated that you don’t have the warm light option.

Amazon Kindle (2026) review: Verdict

The basic Kindle is now more like its larger siblings, which is both a blessing and a curse. The flush display and sturdy design make it feel more premium. Objectively, this is the finest Kindle yet. However, those upgrades come at a cost, which puts the once super-affordable Kindle closer in price to the Paperwhite and Colorsoft — though those are also more expensive than before.

That said, if the price doesn’t deter you and you want a top-of-the-line basic Kindle, you won’t go wrong with this model. This is especially true if you splurge on the $189 aluminum model. If you’re using a Kindle that’s half a decade old, or if you’re brand-new to the Kindle ecosystem, you’ll be impressed by what this small wonder offers.

Amazon’s Kindle lineup has become the de facto e-reader option, packing a ton of eye-friendly tech into a slim chassis for those looking to read on their commute, in direct sunlight, or anywhere in between.

And, as you’d expect on Prime Day, a handful of Kindles are seeing significant price cuts. However, there's a small catch in that Amazon just refreshed its Kindle lineup with a new batch of e-readers for 2026. (You can check out our Kindle 2026 preorders page for more buying info). Here are my top deals on the previous-gen Kindles along with what you need to know about the new tablets.

Quick Links

• shop all last-minute October Prime Day deals
• Kindle (2024): was $149 now $103
• Kindle Paperwhite (2024): was $199 now $149
• Kindle Colorsoft (2024): was $289 now $189

Best Kindle Deals

New Kindles are coming

It's worth noting that there are brand new Kindle models for 2026. However, they're not on sale for Prime Day and all of the previous-gen models are great value buys at their current discounted pricing.

The all-new Kindle 2026 ($149) is even thinner than its predecessors and comes with a six-inch display. Amazon says the idea is to be able to slide it into your pocket more easily, and we can see it.

Meanwhile, the new Paperwhite 2026 ($249) is thinner and lighter than the previous model. The waterproof e-reader also features an adjustable warm light for comfortable reading at any hour. It sports the highest contrast ratio in a Kindle Paperwhite — delivering deep blacks, crisp text, and images that pop off the screen.

Finally, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 ($289) sports a completely redesigned display. It packs micro-deflectors that minimize stray light and improve uniformity. There's also an ultra-thin optical coating in the display stack improves clarity. But it’ll set you back $289 — that’s the kind of budget usually reserved for a more general, all-purpose tablet.

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When my phone’s screen isn’t large enough for the task at hand, I often reach for a tablet instead. However, unless you charge yours religiously every night, picking one up usually means finding a dead battery and a digital paperweight.

Over the years, I’ve tested many of the best tablets — from a compact, gaming-focused slate to a massive 14-inch one that felt more like a clipboard than something you could easily slide into a bag. Yet of all the devices I’ve used, only one ever solved the constant battery-drain dilemma.

With its magnetic charging dock, I really felt like Google's Pixel Tablet set a new standard that other companies would follow. Boy, was I wrong. Not only did Google recently discontinue the Pixel Tablet, but I've yet to see another manufacturer attempt a similar always-charged dock setup.

If you can’t keep a device permanently docked, the next best solution is a low-power, simplified approach that simply refuses to die. After testing out TCL's full-featured NXTPAPER tablets, I recently got my hands on the new TCL Note A1. Unlike those general-purpose slates, this one is built entirely around reading, writing, and taking notes with its included T-Pen Pro stylus.

After using the Note A1 for the past three weeks, it’s become the only tablet I reach for at my desk — and the one I slip into my backpack whenever I leave the house. If you’ve had your eyes on a productivity-focused slate from reMarkable, Boox, or even Amazon’s Kindle Scribe, here’s why the TCL Note A1 deserves a spot on your shortlist.

A display-first approach

The Note A1 that TCL sent over for me to check out arrived in a single box split in two. While the larger half held the tablet itself along with a stylus, some extra pen tips, and a charging cable, the smaller half held a magnetic flip cover.

Right from the start, I knew I was dealing with a very different type of tablet thanks to the quote printed on the inside of its box: “Knowledge grows by piling up facts, wisdom shines through simplicity.” I couldn’t sum up the design philosophy behind the Note A1 better myself.

At 10.24 x 7.74 x 0.22 inches, this 11.5-inch tablet gives you plenty of screen space to work with in an incredibly slim package. Meanwhile, at 500 grams or just over a pound, the Note A1 is designed to be easy to carry and take with you anywhere — because you never know when inspiration will strike.

Instead of going with thin bezels all the way around, the one on the left side of the device is a bit larger at roughly three-quarters of an inch wide, just like on the original Kindle Scribe. The larger size makes the device easier to hold in your left hand while you write, but that extra space is also used to house a home button with a built-in fingerprint scanner.

This is a bit different from the rest of TCL’s NXTPAPER tablets that lack a fingerprint scanner, but I found it to be a welcome addition — just like the one integrated into the power button on my NXTPAPER 70 Pro phone.

When you look around the sides of the Note A1, you won’t find much. There’s a power button on the top left, and then on the bottom right, there’s a USB-C port for charging. Given it wasn’t designed as a media consumption device like a lot of other tablets, there isn’t a physical volume rocker.

If you’re wondering why the USB-C port isn’t centered, I suspect this probably has to do with TCL’s optional keyboard case. When attached, you can plug a charging cable in cleanly on the bottom right without having it hanging awkwardly from the middle of the device. It’s a small but well-thought-out touch.

Around back, the Note A1 has small, circular magnets wrapped in soft-touch plastic on three of its corners along with a 13 MP rear camera and a trio of pogo pins for connecting the keyboard case. The tablet’s case is made from aerospace-grade aluminum, and in addition to letting you quickly snap on a cover, these round magnets prevent the back of the device from getting scratched.

TCL definitely went with a less-is-more approach with some parts of the Note A1, but the company didn’t skimp on its specs either. Powered by an older but very efficient MediaTek Helio G100 processor, the tablet ships with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Despite being less than a quarter inch thick, the Note A1 still packs an 8,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging. The display is the star of the show, though, and instead of an E-Ink screen, it’s equipped with an 11.5-inch NXTPAPER Pure display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and my personal favorite, matte anti-glare glass.

After adding my fingerprint and going through the rest of the setup process, it was time to see what the Note A1 was capable of.

Not your typical tablet

Instead of completely reinventing the wheel, TCL took many of the best aspects of its NXTPAPER tablets and incorporated them into the Note A1.

While you can’t switch between modes and instantly go from full color to black and white like with other NXTPAPER devices, you still get that matte, paper-like quality from the tablet, which makes reading ebooks and documents a very satisfying experience that’s also easy on the eyes.

The Note A1 isn’t entirely black and white, either. There are hints of color throughout its UI, and you can look at photos or watch YouTube videos like you would on any other tablet. Speaking of the display, it's flicker-free and buttery smooth thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. You won’t see any of the typical lag you do on an E-Ink screen here.

Besides its lack of volume buttons, the one thing that made me instantly realize the Note A1 isn’t just your typical tablet occurred the instant I turned it on for the first time. Instead of going to your standard Android home screen, the device’s main page is actually for notes. You can view all of your existing notes and documents or create new ones with a tap on the plus icon.

The Note A1 is powered by Android, and once you dive into the settings menu, this is immediately apparent. However, the Android version wasn’t listed there, and tapping on the build number didn’t unlock developer options like it does on other Android devices.

It did take me a bit to get used to, but now that I’ve become accustomed to the Note A1’s Android skin, I actually wouldn’t mind seeing it on one of TCL’s next Android phones. At a time when people are installing custom launchers to fight doom-scrolling, the company did an excellent job of equipping this tablet with a distraction-free UI.

Just like with its other recent tablets and phones, you also get access to all of TCL’s AI tools for transcription, translation, and more, but you can turn them off if you want. One AI feature I particularly liked is Inspiration Circle. When you long-press the button on the T-Pen Pro stylus, you can then circle a note or file to add it to a dedicated Inspiration Space.

In practice, this works a lot like the Essential Key and Essential Space on newer Nothing phones. It’s worth noting that if you do decide to use TCL’s AI features, many of them are handled locally on the Note A1, while more demanding ones are carried out over the cloud through a partnership with Microsoft Azure.

Although the Note A1 comes with Microsoft’s apps like Edge and Outlook pre-installed, you can download Google apps or pretty much any other app you like from the Play Store, unlike on reMarkable’s E-Ink tablets.

Just note that your mileage will vary from app to app. For instance, while I could download, log in, and use Reddit, I kept getting an error message that I was using an incorrect version of X when I tried to launch it. You can also sideload Android apps, but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you know what you’re doing and what you’ve downloaded for security reasons.

I tried reading a few graphic novels uploaded as PDF files right from the Note A1’s home screen, and while it worked, I just couldn’t get it to save my place. Then, after downloading and installing CDisplayEx, I was able to read Resident Alien and other digital comics with ease. In fact, they looked great on the Note A1’s 11.5-inch, 3:2 screen.

I’m sure there’s even more I can do with TCL’s latest tablet. However, after three weeks of taking notes, reading ebooks and graphic novels, checking my Gmail and Slack messages, and reading the news, I’m very impressed with the Note A1 and its simpler, more streamlined Android skin.

A tablet worth keeping handy

As I normally do when testing out a new tablet, I kept it right at the ready on my desk. Surprisingly, though, while I’d be constantly recharging other tablets, the Note A1’s battery life continued to wow me during the time I spent using it as my daily driver.

Over the course of three weeks, it never ran out of battery and flat-out died. In fact, after leaving it untouched for a few days, the lowest I saw its battery get was 30%.

Even now, as I’m writing this late on Friday, after charging it on Tuesday before heading out to take pics, it’s still at 70% battery life. In addition to its extra-large 8,000 mAh battery, I think a big part of its lengthy battery life comes down to how the Note A1 enters Standby Mode when not in use for extended periods.

Now, would I recommend this tablet for watching YouTube videos and playing games? Absolutely not, as one of the best cheap tablets would be better for the former, while a more powerful device like the RedMagic Astra 2 would be a better fit for the latter. You can certainly watch videos on the Note A1, but your fingers need to be quick on the draw to pull down its Quick Settings menu since you don’t have physical volume controls after all.

Instead, I think this tablet is a great fit for those who want something simpler that’s easy on the eyes while also being incredibly thin and light — without the premium price you’d pay for an iPad Air. The Note A1 is exactly what its name implies: a handy device that comes with a stylus in the box for taking notes, brainstorming, and jotting down ideas.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus and this budget tablet is easily my iPad killer
• I use these 3 tricks with all my tablets so they don’t just feel like a bigger phone
• I got tired of having a bad remote play experience so I used Wi-Fi 7 and this powerful gaming tablet to fix it for good

Amazon just launched a new basic Kindle for $149. Thinner and lighter, this model features a new edge-to-edge color chassis and a more flush 6-inch display. Amazon also says it opens books 30% faster than the previous Kindle. Like I said when I went hands-on with Amazon’s new Kindles, it’s not just a simple refresh.

The new basic Kindle has a lot going for it, but you're arguably getting a better value with a bundle for the 2024 model. While the new Kindle costs $149 for the device alone, Amazon is currently selling a Kindle Essentials Bundle that includes a fabric cover and the e-reader for $125 — a savings of 38%.

Again, the new Kindle seems like an excellent upgrade, but you might not need it. Here’s why.

• shop all early October Prime Day deals

Why the older Kindle is still worthwhile

The 2024 Kindle is largely a refresh of the 2022 model, with the same design and core features. This 6-inch e-reader features a 25% brighter front light, sharper contrast, and a matcha green color.

This 6-inch e-reader is an ideal companion for leaving the house or going on a trip because it’s small enough to fit comfortably in most pockets. Its compact, lightweight design also makes it easy to hold for longer periods, even compared to its cousins, the 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft.

The display is another highlight. Though it lacks color temperature adjustment, it’s just as sharp and clear as the display on the more expensive Kindle models. Beyond novels, it’s also great for reading manga or black-and-white comic books, as the drawings look crisp on the 300ppi display.

You also get long-lasting battery life. Amazon claims the Kindle can last up to 6 weeks, but that’s only if you keep the backlight level low, turn off wireless, and only read for 30 minutes a day. In my experience, with the backlight off, wireless on, and about an hour of reading a day, the Kindle’s battery dropped to around 70% in two weeks. Needless to say, this Kindle has strong endurance and won’t suddenly run out of battery.

The new Kindle is a nice upgrade

The new Kindle isn’t revolutionary, but it has meaningful upgrades meant to deliver a better overall reading experience. If you’re brand-new to the best Kindles, this is arguably the device to start with. (Check out our 2026 Kindles preorders page for a rundown of all the new models).

This base model starts with 16GB of storage and includes lock screen ads. It comes in two colors: Ube and Graphite. Beyond new colors, the chassis has been redesigned with a more flush display, giving the e-reader a more uniform look. This also makes this Kindle appear closer to the Paperwhite and Colorsoft, both of which have flush displays.

Performance-wise, Amazon says the new Kindle is 30% faster than before. During my hands-on time with the device, I certainly felt a difference when I scrolled through the pages of a digital novel. The days of the basic Kindle feeling extremely sluggish are officially over.

The 6-inch display is largely the same as before, but because it’s now more flush, text appears clearer and sharper. The 300ppi display ensures that everything, even black-and-white images, looks crisp and clear.

If you want to upgrade to premium, there’s a $189 aluminum model with 32GB of storage and no ads. This e-reader supports magnetic accessories, such as covers, and comes in Alpine Sky and Seaglass Green. Thanks to its aluminum build, holding this Kindle feels similar to holding a smartphone. Yes, it's pricey, but it’s pretty great.

Bottom line

Based on what I’ve seen, the new Kindle seems like a worthwhile upgrade. However, if you want your cash to go a bit further for a device that still delivers the same excellent Kindle experience, the Kindle Essentials Bundle for $125 is hard to top!

Given how the October Prime Day event starts next week and runs from October 6 through October 7, it’s possible we’ll see even deeper discounts. But if you don’t want to wait, I say take advantage of this Kindle bundle deal now.

Amazon is refreshing its Kindle lineup ahead of next week's October Prime Day celebration. The new Kindles have been redesigned from the ground up and feature welcome upgrades like thinner builds, 30% faster page turning, and an optional aluminum chassis design.

The new lineup includes the 6" Kindle (16GB, $169), 7" Kindle Paperwhite (16GB, $199), 7" Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB, $249), 7" Kindle Colorsoft (16GB, $289), 7" Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32GB, $319), and the 6" Kids Kindle (16GB, $179).

We went hands-on with the new Kindles and found the upgrades to be genuinely useful, even though the previous-gen models were already near-perfect e-readers. The faster page turning was particularly noteworthy and we also like the assortment of new colors.

Unfortunately, the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Colorsoft are now pricier than their predecessors, but we're hoping they'll be discounted during next week's Prime Day sale. (Alternatively, these previous-gen Kindles are all on sale ahead of October Prime Day).

The basic Kindle and Kids Kindle are now available to purchase. The rest of the models won't ship till October 28. Here's how to buy each new e-reader or secure your Kindle preorder for the holiday season, plus how to save with the first bundle deals.

Quick Links

• shop all early Prime Day deals
• 6" Kindle (16GB): buy now for $169
• 7" Kindle Paperwhite (16GB): preorder for $199
• 7" Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB): preorder for $249
• 7" Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): preorder for $289
• 7" Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32GB): preorder for $319
• 6" Kids Kindle (16GB): buy now for $179

Kindles

Kindle preorders

Accessories

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Amazon’s new Kindle lineup isn’t just a simple refresh; the company’s famous e-readers pack a slew of new, long-awaited updates. These include thinner and lighter builds, aluminum chassis variants, and a repositioned power button. While the new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Colorsoft are now pricier, the upgrades are meaningful.

I got to check out the new Kindles firsthand during a recent event and was impressed by what I saw. Updating Kindles can be tricky as the devices are darn near perfect e-readers already, but some of the additions do make for a more pleasing reading experience. I’ve been an avid Kindle user for the better part of a decade, so the upgrades are certainly worth getting excited about.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new Kindles.

Price and availability

Amazon is releasing three new Kindles, with the basic Kindle available right now, and the Paperwhite and Colorsoft arriving on October 28 — right in time for the busy holiday season.

The entry-level 6-inch Kindle starts at $149, comes with 16GB of storage, and includes lock screen ads. The aluminum model starts at $189, packs 32GB of storage, and is ad-free. It also supports magnetic accessories, such as covers. The entry-level model comes in Ube and Graphite colors, while the aluminum version comes in Alpine Sky Aluminum and Seaglass Green.

Next up is the 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite, which now starts at $199 with 16GB of storage and ads. The $249 Signature Edition features an aluminum chassis, 32GB of storage, an auto-adjusting light sensor, and a built-in accelerometer. It replaces standard Qi wireless charging with a pogo pin dock system, but you can also charge it via the USB-C port. The starting color is Graphite, and the aluminum colors are Graphite and Seaglass Green.

Last but not least is the 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft, which starts at $289 with 16GB of RAM. Like the other models, there will also be an aluminum model, which will cost $319 and pack 32GB of storage. Colors are the same as the Paperwhite, though the aluminum also comes in Fig instead of Seaglass Green.

Expect new accessories as well. This includes the $34 Kindle Click, which works with all the new models and current-generation Kindles. It has assignable page forward/backward buttons and a dedicated volume-style wheel for brightness controls. And for Kindle Oasis fans, the $79 Page-Turn Button Case (exclusive to Signature Series devices) features physical, tactile page-turn buttons directly on the case bezel.

Hands-on with the new Kindles

All of the new Kindles are now thinner and lighter than their respective predecessors. You won’t notice that at a glance, but when I held the new basic Kindle against the previous model, the difference wasn’t stark but certainly noticeable. The aluminum versions are naturally heavier, but not by much. Thanks to the new design, you should be able to read more comfortably for longer.

Each model comes with an assortment of new colors, engineered so the device’s color doesn’t bleed onto the display. That’s why prior Kindles had black bezels that absorb light. Books now open about 30% faster on the base Kindle, and I noticed the difference right away since I use Kindles so much. Your smartphone still refreshes faster, but I appreciate the speedier page turns.

Except for the basic Kindle, the Paperwhite and Colorsoft are both fully waterproof (IPX8). So if you want to read in the bath, you can do so without worrying about the Kindle falling into the water.

The aluminum models are my favorites since they feel like holding a smartphone (which Amazon deliberately wanted). Even the basic Kindle feels more premium thanks to its smooth, sturdy aluminum chassis. That’s not to say the non-aluminum models feel bad to hold, but the aluminum Kindles just step things up. I typically keep Kindles in cases, but I might not with the aluminum models.

Speaking of cases, there are the standard Kindle cases that the e-reader slots into. They’re also color-coded to the Kindle’s specific color, which is a nice touch. The ones I liked most were the new magnetic cases for the aluminum models, since they magnetically snap into place.

The biggest game-changer for me is the power button, which, like with the Kindle Scribe, is now located on the right-hand side instead of at the bottom. Many users like me have long asked for this, since accidentally turning the Kindle off has always been frustrating. You might not think this is a big deal, but trust me, it absolutely is.

Outlook

Kindles are my favorite way to read novels, so I’m glad Amazon keeps improving a device that is already excellent at what it does. The aluminum models look and feel great, and I love the repositioned power button. Again, I’m not enamored with the higher prices, but it’s hard to complain much thanks to these upgrades.

We’ll have full reviews of the new Kindles for you soon, so stay tuned!

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested the Kindle Scribe — and it will be hard going back to the Paperwhite
• Find the best Kindle for you with our quick quiz
• How to read library books for free on your Kindle or other e-reader

Kindles are one of those coveted items that rarely go on sale — so you can imagine my excitement when I spotted Amazon offering discounts on several of the popular e-readers ahead of October Prime Day.

I haven’t spotted any deals on standalone Kindles just yet, but Kindle bundles are currently up to 42% off. Plus, all three Kindle Kids models are also discounted, making this a particularly good time to shop if you’re buying for a young reader.

One of the best deals for adults is on the Kindle Colorsoft Essentials Bundle, which is just $201 (was $346) and includes a protective case and a charger. Similarly, you can also grab the Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle (16 GB) for just $125 (was $161).

If you're in the marker for a new Kindle this fall, now is the perfect time to snap one up with a markdown. Keep scrolling to see my favorite Kindle deals.

Quick Links

• shop all early Prime Day deals
• Kindle Kids: was $179 now $122
• Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle (16 GB): was $161 now $125
• Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16 GB): was $229 now $169
• Kindle Colorsoft Essentials Bundle (16GB): was $346 now $201
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Bundle (32GB): was $276 now $203
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was $299 now $209
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft Essentials Bundle (32GB): was $789 now $569

Kindle Deals

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Prime Big Deal Days — AKA October Prime Day — is just a week away. However, Amazon is already offering a ton of early deals. If you've been waiting to grab a Kindle on sale, the wait is finally over!

Right now you can get up to £170 off Kindles. There's pretty much no better time of year to curl up with a good book, so make sure to pick up these deals while you can!

Keep scrolling to see my favorite Kindle deals. I also recommend checking out our Amazon promo codes.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon deals
• Kindle (16 GB): was £149 now £94
• Kindle Kids (16 GB): was £159 now £99
• Kindle Colorsoft (16 GB): was £259 now £144 [Lowest price ever!]
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was £274 now £179
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (32GB): was £569 now £399

Kindle deals

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Over the weekend, Amazon quietly raised prices for nearly all of the devices the company makes, including the Echo Dot, Kindle Paperwhite and Fire TV Stick HD. It's the latest in a series of price increases that have hit nearly every company. You can guess what's to blame.

Amazon's new prices vary in amount, with at least one device seeing a 60% increase; the company cited the ongoing RAM crisis and component inflation. First spotted by Fortune, some of the company's cheaper devices appear to be the most affected.

Here's what the new prices look like:

The Echo Dot saw the largest increase up 60% and $30, from $49 to $79, while the higher-tier Echo Show 11 is also getting a $30 hike from $219 to $249.

Additionally, the 16GB Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite saw hikes, going from $109 to $149 and $159 to $199, respectively. The Fire TV Stick HD only saw a $5 hike from $34 to $39 and the 4K Max rose from $59 to $84.

Surprisingly, the Amazon-owned Ring lineup of doorbells and security cameras didn't get more expensive.

An Amazon spokesperson told Tom's Guide, "After absorbing these increases for as long as we could, we recently adjusted pricing across our product lines." She noted that "significant" increases in memory and component costs led to the decision.

Still a cheaper option

In some cases, despite the price hikes, Amazon's devices might still be the cheaper option. Unfortunately, that's because everything else also got more expensive this year.

In July, Roku bumped prices on its streaming devices, with the Roku hitting $150 and the entry-level Roku Streaming Stick now at $40, up from $30.

Kindles might be more expensive than similar rival options like the Nook GlowLight 4, which comes with 32GB of memory for $149.

The Echo Dot, though, remains cheaper than the Google Home Speaker, which starts at $99, though the gap is only $20 now.

Amazon Devices: Outlook

At the moment, only the Fire tablets seem to be unaffected — in fact, they’re the only devices currently on sale, but this could be due largely to the fact that it’s back to school season.

For years, Amazon’s Echo smart home speakers have been the company’s trojan horse to get its voice assistant in homes across the world. Given that Alexa+ is available on virtually every Amazon Echo device, the company may have calculated that it’s saturated the market enough so that adoption of Alexa+ wouldn’t be affected by any potential loss in sales.

Still, the timing is curious, as the company also announced last week that Alexa+ would be available, free of charge, to its newest Fire TV devices. That means if you have a current-generation Amazon Fire TV Stick, the Fire TV Cube, or Amazon Ember smart TV, you can get the full version of Amazon’s AI-enabled assistant without needing a Prime account, or paying $19.99 per month.

Regardless of whether you want Alexa+, more than ever it’s worth waiting until Black Friday or Prime Day to purchase one of Amazon’s devices (sadly, the new sale price may be the old regular price). If you don’t want to wait that long, some third-party retailers are still offering the original price. For example, you can still find the Amazon Echo Dot for $49 at Target and Home Depot.

More from Tom's Guide

• My 12-year-old noticed a missing Amazon shopping feature — so I tried to build it with AI
• 9 best Amazon Prime perks you're paying for but probably not using
• Amazon has a hidden button that connects you with a real customer service agent — here's where to find it

Priced at $629, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is one of the best e-readers you can buy. We called it the "Cadillac of Kindles" because it has a crisp 11-inch screen that's capable of displaying your books in black and white or color and includes a stylus with a built-in eraser tool.

For a limited time, Best Buy has the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft on sale for $479. It's one of my favorite Best Buy Black Friday in July sales this week and an excellent way to get Amazon's premium Kindle for less.

In our Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review, we said Amazon's premium tablet is well-suited for anyone who expects to read and write a lot and likes to do so in color. We were hesitant about its high price, but now that it's on sale it's a great Kindle we recommend for just about anything.

We love the large e-paper display that makes reading documents and comic books easier than on any other Kindle. It also gives you enough room to work on documents while opening the expandable margin to take notes. There's also an included stylus (Kindle Premium Pen) that comes with the Colorsoft, which magnetically attaches to the side of the device. It has a screen-sensitive rear end you can use to "erase" what you've written, as well as a shortcut button on the side you can customize to your liking.

Even on sale, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is still an expensive purchase. However, if you're a Kindle fan who's already used to working within Amazon's ecosystem and want the added option to write, doodle, and read in color — Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is for you.

“It’s been a while since I properly sat down and read a book.” A sentence I said, and probably many of you have uttered in the age of short-form content. With the $419 Boox Go 10.3 Gen II and 25,000 miles worth of flights in two weeks, I’ve got the chance to lose myself in many good reads.

Did this e-reader hold up to the Kindle Scribe? Kind of — it depends on what your priorities are. If it’s a high-quality reading experience, Boox is the way to go.

The screen has fantastic sharpness and contrast that makes the text pop off the screen; the soft, evenly spread backlighting makes it easier on the eyes for late-night reading.

But more than that, this tablet runs Android 15, which, beyond the Play Store’s selection of reading apps, makes it far more open to different eBook file formats. Way more open than you’d find on any Kindle! Throw in stellar battery life, and you’re onto a winner.

However, if you really want to take advantage of all that note-taking capability, that’s where the Kindle wins out. Not to say the Boox doesn’t allow you to doodle — there’s a stylus and a touchscreen, after all. But the supplied pen tip feels a little awkward to drag across the screen, and the slight latency, paired with ghosting when taking notes, can create a disconnect between your hand and the paper that your brain takes a beat to process.

So it very much depends on what your goals are with an e-reader like this. For me, someone who leans more toward reading with a casual side order of jotting things down, the Boox is more than enough and a global daily driver I was happy to have in my daily carry.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: Cheat sheet

• What is it? This is an e-reader/notetaking tablet hybrid.
• Who is it for? This one's for the bookworms and daily jotters/doodlers.
• What does it cost? The standard model without a backlight costs $419, and you'll pay an extra $30 for the Lumi model with illuminated screen.
• What do we like? This is a featherweight, premium-feeling ereader in the hand with a great battery life, super sharp display with even backlighting, and Android 15 gives you a far more open experience than you'd find on a Kindle.
• What don't we like? The writing experience isn't quite as good as you'd find on the Scribe, and that internal power can be a little slow to open apps and books.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: Specs

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: The ups

The first leg was a big one — Heathrow to Taipei. Keeping yourself entertained with a short attention span is tricky, but popping open a good book on the Boox seemed to be the key to watching the hours fly by.

A good-looking read

Let’s start with the hardware, which feels great in the hand thanks to its metallic construction and that nicely textured fabric case. At around 360g and 4.6mm thin, it’s a featherweight with evenly distributed weight across its body. And yet, it still feels durable enough to be stashed in an airplane seatback pocket or chucked into your backpack.

Throw in the longevity of that 3,700 mAh cell giving me a full week of use easily, and it’s a worry-free device from most angles.

Display looks like a page of a book

Now for the display. That 10.3-inch monochrome panel sports 300 pixels-per-inch, which really brings out the crispness of text in whatever you’re reading. Throw in a decently deep contrast ratio, too, and that brings real definition to each character on that page or image in a web article.

And when the refresh rate needs to be upped for things like web browsing or drawing, it does so at a respectable rate. It may not be LCD or OLED levels of fluid, but it's fluid enough for the essentials.

Quality-wise, this is up there with what the Kindle Scribe can provide — especially when you loop in that nice even Lumi backlighting. It sucks that you’ve got to pay an additional $50 for this feature, but for those bookworm night owls or those on long-haul flights, that glow is just right.

Android 15 opens the door

Let’s be real — books aren’t the only thing you want to read on an e-reader. There are also textbooks, short stories, PDFs, web articles, and more. On top of that, all of these different types of reading can come in all sorts of file formats.

On a Kindle, you can absolutely find backdoors to force files onto it, but in general, you’re locked down to Kindle books for reading and a few very specific avenues. However, the Boox is running Android 15 in all its glory.

That means the Play Store for different reading/content consumption apps. But most importantly, that means compatibility with pretty much every file format for text and image. The Boox software is a cinch to use, so you can easily upload a file to your reader via a desktop browser.

It was a dream scenario to upload all of my press releases ahead of Computex 2026 and circle the key points with my pencil — all on the same device I could tuck into Lord of the Rings or read the latest longform reporting or biographies too.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: The downs

Juicing it back up to full, it was time for my next two big flights — one over the Pacific to LAX, and a final hop back to London. Reflecting on my time doodling notes, reading away and browsing Android on this slate, I did remind myself of a couple of key frustrations.

A bit sluggish

Inside, you’ve got an octa-core CPU running at 2.4GHz with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is just enough to avoid too many problems.

However, it can be slow on startup, and if you try to stretch it to app downloads (thanks to Android 15), you may run into some issues and slowdowns. Especially on startup, rendering the book or opening anything takes a short while, and it seems to chug into gear.

Once it's all warmed up, responsiveness does come back, but in the clutch moments where you’re trying to get something up fast, it can get frustrating.

Penmanship is lacking

Then let’s turn our attention to the note-taking experience, which I’d consider just about fine for my uses. If you’re just a casual jotter, what I’m about to talk about won’t be a massive issue. But if you want to use this more than casually, you’ll feel the pain points here.

The surface of the screen causes friction with this wider pen tip that, at best, can feel like you’re dragging the pen more than writing with it, and at worst, the sound is mildly like nails on a chalkboard.

And there’s a small bit of latency. Not game-breaking in and of itself, but paired with some ghosting of the lines you lay down, it can create a disconnect between your brain and the page, making writing things down a start-and-stop experience.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: Bottom line

And as I finally touched down at London Heathrow, I felt more enlightened after my time with the Boox Go 10.3 Gen II. I could’ve gone down a content wormhole that would’ve strained my attention span, or I could’ve read a book. Ultimately, I made a good decision for my mind with a damn good device.

Obviously, there are considerations based on how you will use this. If you want a better balance between a reader and a note-taking workhorse, the Kindle Scribe is definitely better on the notation side, with more responsive performance.

However, if you only need to jot things down casually and want a better, more open reading experience for uploading all your content, this is a well-built, long-lasting way to go.

The best Kindles have been my primary way to read books for the better part of a decade. Thanks to Amazon’s e-reader, I’ve read more books in the past seven years than in the nearly four decades prior. Not only is the device easy to hold and read on, but its integration with the Kindle app and store gives me more books than I could read in a single lifetime.

Though I adore my Kindles, I don’t read comic books on them. Even after the introduction of the Kindle Colorsoft, which finally let me read comics in color, I still can’t bring myself to read comics full-time on Amazon's hardware. Why? Because, as a lifelong comic book fan, I get a much better experience on the best iPads. Here’s why.

Display size

Digital comic apps like Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe Infinite offer a guided view mode that zooms in on individual panels and text. This can be immersive, especially for those new to the medium. While guided mode works as advertised, I prefer seeing an entire comic page rather than breaking it up piece by piece.

On the base Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite, you almost have to use guided mode because of their small screens. For comics, I prefer reading on the iPad Pro. The 13-inch model’s screen is slightly larger than a physical comic book page. Not only do single pages look fantastic, but double-page spreads look incredible when you rotate the tablet to landscape orientation.

Another problem with using guided view or pinch-to-zoom on Kindles is the device’s low refresh rate. This causes the e-reader to lag and flash to clear previous image artifacts (ghosting). While this has improved with the latest Kindle models, the refresh rate is still sluggish compared to iPads, which handle panning and zooming instantly and smoothly.

Returning to screen size, the Kindle Scribe features a roomier 10.2-inch display. While that’s still smaller than the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air models, it’s a good size for reading full comic book pages. There’s a specific reason I don’t use the Scribe for traditional color comics (which I’ll cover next), but for black-and-white manga, it’s legitimately great. However, since I don’t read much manga, that point is mostly moot for me.

When it comes to reading single pages and double-page spreads of a traditional American comic book, the iPad is simply the way to go.

Colorsoft is still too muted

The Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft are arguably the best color e-readers out there right now. If you mainly read traditional novels, having full-color book covers, maps, and other design elements is a nice perk. Naturally, comics are in color on these devices, but there is one major drawback—the hues are decidedly muted.

In fairness, muted colors can sometimes be preferable. For instance, if you’re reading older comics printed before the late ‘90s, the e-reader screen delivers an experience closer to reading them on original newsprint, which is much duller than the glossy paper used today. If you’re a comic purist who doesn’t like how vibrant classic comics look on modern paper or on an iPad, you might actually prefer the Colorsoft's presentation.

With all that said, I want my comics, classic and modern, to look as bright and bold as possible, which is why I prefer the iPad's display. Again, the color Kindles do a decent job, but the presentation is far too washed out for my tastes.

Ecosystems and storage

iPads give you access to excellent dedicated comic reader apps like Panels and Chunky, along with major subscription platforms like Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe Infinite, and Shonen Jump. Conversely, Kindles mostly confine you to Amazon’s storefront, Comixology, and Kindle Unlimited. Sideloading your own files can also be a chore.

On that note, if you have a large library of digital comic files (.CBR, .CBZ, and high-res PDFs), you’re going to hit a storage cap much faster on a Kindle than on an iPad. Apple’s tablets offer storage tiers up to 1TB and can easily connect to cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud to offload your libraries. Kindles top out at 64GB of storage on the Scribe and don’t natively support common comic book formats without converting the files first.

Bottom line

Don't get me wrong — Kindles still hold the crown for battery life and portability. Throwing a lightweight Paperwhite into a bag for a week-long trip without needing to pack a charger is fantastic, and it remains my go-to choice for novels.

But while Kindles are perfectly serviceable for most everyday reading, I get a much richer experience reading comics on the iPad. With a larger display for viewing full layouts, bolder colors, and seamless performance, I'll choose Apple's tablet for my graphic novels every single time.

More from Tom's Guide

• First OLED iPad mini tipped for October launch — here's why I'm excited (and worried)
• We've tested the best tablets for entertainment and productivity, and these are the 8 I recommend right now
• iPadOS 27 hands-on preview: Siri AI and all the big features

I don’t think anyone is purposely trying to spend more time on their smartphone these days. Instead, we’re all trying to use them less, even as social media algorithms, vertical videos, and online shopping conspire to draw us back in. I’m just as guilty as anyone — but I may have finally found a way to keep my doomscrolling at bay. All it took was a teensy, tiny e-reader.

Now I’ll admit, I was caught up in an endless scroll through YouTube Shorts when I first discovered Xteink’s X4. This small, surprisingly simple, single-use device immediately captured my attention. A few days later, Amazon Prime Day was in full swing. While looking for deals to cover, it popped up right in my feed, on sale no less.

I’m no stranger to trying out new devices. Just like with the Playdate handheld, I decided to buy an Xteink X4 ($70, Amazon) just to experience this now-viral gadget for myself. I’m glad I did. It wasn’t just a fun piece of tech to play around with; it actually got me reading again, albeit in small spurts when I normally would have been scrolling.

Here’s what it’s been like using a tiny, open-source, barebones e-reader for a week — and why it just might be the missing puzzle piece to break your endless scroll.

Trading smarts for buttons

Unlike one of the best Kindles or even TCL’s NXTPAPER tablets, Xteink designed the X4 to be as simple as possible. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, and you can’t even read in the dark since there’s no backlight. Instead, you’re getting an incredibly simple e-reader that’s for reading and nothing else. Heck, you can’t even make annotations or look up unfamiliar words using a built-in dictionary.

At 4.49 x 2.72 x 0.23 inches, the X4 is an incredibly small device. Sure, it’s slightly bigger than its predecessor, the X3, but compared to a modern day smartphone, it’s light as a feather at just 74 grams. Unlike many of the best smartphones, you actually get a few accessories in the box, including a microSD card reader for your computer, a screen protector, and a few magnetic rings in case, like me, you’re not using an iPhone. Surprisingly, it also comes with a microSD card pre-installed. Even at 16GB or 32GB, this is still more than enough space for thousands of ebooks.

Given the lack of a touchscreen, the X4 relies on a series of physical buttons on the front and sides to navigate. Underneath the screen, you'll find navigation buttons used to scroll through the menus on the home screen or flip pages while reading. Then on the right side, in addition to another dedicated set of page-turn buttons, there’s a sleep button and a recessed reset button sitting right above the device’s microSD card slot.

The left side of the X4 is button-free. Instead, it houses a USB-C charging port, a tiny LED charging indicator light, and a lanyard loop cutout. Meanwhile, the top and bottom edges of the device are completely bare.

That initial YouTube video I saw was impressive enough to convince me to pick up my own X4, but after holding it in my hands, I’m even more impressed with its simple, understated design. With my unboxing out of the way, it was time to power the X4 on, load up some ebooks and start reading.

A page at a time

Now with the X4, you won’t be heading to Amazon's Kindle Store or another ebook shop on the device itself to load up some books. Instead, this is a BYOB — bring your own books — situation. You can certainly buy your own ebooks and put them on the X4 if they’re in the EPUB format. However, you can also download free ones and load them onto the device.

I read through all of the classics available from Project Gutenberg back when I first started e-reading on my old iPod touch. However, one of my favorite modern sci-fi authors, Cory Doctorow, also offers several of his novels for free under Creative Commons licenses. So I downloaded the novel Eastern Standard Tribe to try re-reading it on the X4 along with one of his books I hadn’t read yet, Makers.

From there, I just copied the EPUB files onto the X4’s included microSD card, powered the device on, and I was good to go. Since I had a medical appointment downtown, I decided to bring the X4 with me to do a bit of reading in the waiting room. Once that was done, I took it outside to see how well its 4.3-inch screen handled direct sunlight. It did so surprisingly well, remaining perfectly legible even in direct glare.

Since my wife and I were already downtown and planned on cooking Korean BBQ at home this weekend, we swung by H Mart to pick up all the ingredients we needed. Just for fun, I pulled the X4 out while we grocery shopped to see if I could squeeze in a few paragraphs here and there. On the compact screen, those paragraphs turned into pages incredibly fast, and before I knew it, I was a full chapter in.

A trip to H Mart is always a good excuse to pick up your favorite ramen alongside a bowl or two of flavors you haven’t tried before. While my wife browsed through some of the more outrageous options, I woke up the X4 and got back to reading. While you can’t read at night unless you get one of those old-school, clip-on reading lights, this little e-reader was incredibly clear under the harsh, overhead lights of a supermarket.

Before I knew it, we were at the register checking out and I had made serious progress in my book. That’s really the beauty of the X4. Since it isn’t bogged down with loads of extras, it wakes up from sleep instantly. There is nothing to distract you; one second it's in sleep mode, and the next, you’re right back into the paragraph where you left off.

Magnetic to a point

Now, before you rush out and pick up an Xteink X4 after watching a vertical video like I did, there are some limitations you need to be aware of. Yes, the device itself is magnetic and you can attach it to the back of your smartphone to bring this tiny e-reader everywhere you go. However, your mileage can — and likely will — vary.

For instance, in the video I watched, the person filming had the X4 attached perfectly to their phone. Since I’m still daily driving a Nothing Phone 2, I borrowed my wife’s iPhone 14 Pro Max to test this out. As you can see, the X4 does magnetically attach to her phone, but not in the way you’d think.

On that older Pro Max model, it only attaches sideways, which is less than ideal for slipping both devices into your pocket. I tried this with a standard iPhone 15 later on, and it aligned perfectly. Surprisingly, just like with the Google Pixel Tablet, I was also able to stick my X4 directly onto the front of my fridge without any modifications. Then again, you do get a two-pack of adhesive magnetic rings in the box, so regardless of what phone you use, you should be able to make things work.

Besides the lack of a backlight, the other big limitation is the X4’s stock software. Fortunately, there’s a very easy fix for that. The community that’s sprung up around this tiny e-reader has created its own custom firmware called CrossPoint, which drastically improves the reading experience. Flashing it onto my device took less than five minutes. Afterward, I even went back onto my computer and loaded some custom wallpapers onto the SD card. Let me know in the comments below if you’d like a step-by-step walkthrough on how to install CrossPoint and customize the X4.

There is an X4 Pro on the horizon that adds a touchscreen, but for me, that defeats the purpose of this tiny e-reader’s charm. I like not accidentally turning pages. The tactile, analog feeling of pressing a physical button to flip to the next page is something I’m sure users of older Kindles still miss to this day.

At its $70 full price — or the $55 discounted price I paid — the Xteink X4 is an absolute steal that could very well reignite your love for reading just like it did for me. Just don’t go into it expecting a tiny Kindle Scribe, and I bet you’ll be incredibly pleased with this little, single-purpose device too.

• I asked Perplexity for a reading list — and it outperformed every book app I use
• I tested the brand-new Kindle Colorsoft 2026 — and it’s still the King of e-readers
• I tried the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus and this budget tablet is easily my iPad killer — here’s why

As smartphones have gotten bigger and bigger, you might find yourself wondering if you even need a tablet anymore. With a standard 10-inch tablet, you’re not really getting that much more screen real estate, but that couldn’t be further from the truth with the TCL NXTPAPER 14.

It sports a massive 14.3-inch display, and when turned sideways to watch a movie or a TV show, the device feels more like a portable monitor than a tablet. Then in portrait mode, I really felt like I was holding a clipboard in my hand in the best kind of way.

What really sets the TCL NXTPAPER 14 apart from the best iPads and other tablets though is its display. With the push of a button on the side, you can switch between three viewing modes: Regular Mode, Color Paper Mode and Ink Paper Mode.

With Ink Paper Mode enabled, the NXTPAPER 14 transforms from a standard Android tablet into a black and white slate that offers a reading experience on par with one of the best Kindles but supersized. Doing so also helps save battery life, but with a 10,000 mAh battery under the hood, finding a charger isn’t something you’re going to have to worry about all that often.

Having tried both the NXTPAPER 14 and the smaller yet more powerful NXTPAPER 11 Plus, one thing I really like about TCL’s unique tablets is that they come with a case and a stylus right in the box. You don’t get a screen protector, but I wouldn’t use one with a NXTPAPER device anyways since their matte displays feel great under your fingertips. The stylus recharges via USB-C and attaches to the included case magnetically so you don’t have to worry about misplacing it.

Not the only NXTPAPER

If you haven’t figured it out by now, this super-sized tablet is part of TCL’s wider NXTPAPER ecosystem. Sure, there are other NXTPAPER tablets, but there are also smartphones that come equipped with this same display tech to make reading a lot easier on your eyes. At the same time, you also won’t have to worry about glare when you’re outside since their matte screens aren’t reflective at all.

If the NXTPAPER 14 is a bit too big for your hands — or your use case — don’t worry, as you can still find plenty of great deals on the rest of TCL’s NXTPAPER devices right now.

Quick Links

• TCL NXTPAPER 11 Gen 2: was $249 now $179 @ Amazon
• TCL NXTPAPER 60 XE: was $284 now $229 @ Amazon
• TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus: was $369 now $259 @ Amazon
• TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro: was $329 now $299 @ Amazon
• TCL NXTPAPER 14: was $469 now $369 @ Amazon
• TCL Note A1: was $599 now $549 @ Amazon

NXTPAPER tablet and phone deals

Amazon Prime Day is the absolute best time to buy one of the company’s popular Kindle devices, and that remains true for the latest sales event. You can’t go wrong with any Kindle, but one particular model is especially enticing.

Right now, the Kindle Colorsoft is just $159 on Amazon. That’s the standard price of the Kindle Paperwhite, or $35 more than that e-reader’s current discounted price. While the latter delivers a clearer image overall, it’s purely a black-and-white e-reader, whereas the Colorsoft’s name tells you what it’s all about.

The Kindle Colorsoft is the best color e-reader, and my preferred device for reading digital books. If you’re a bookworm, you don’t want to miss out on this deal. Here’s why.

In my Kindle Colorsoft review, I called the company’s first color Kindle a winner and the Kindle I’ve always wanted. One of the best parts is that you don’t just have to read color text, like comic books, to take full advantage of Colorsoft’s display. While the Paperwhite does a better job of displaying black-and-white text thanks to its stronger contrast, the Colorsoft’s monochrome performance remains strong.

Other features include an 8-week battery life, IPX8 water resistance, 16GB of storage, and the aforementioned paper-like display, which delivers a more book-like experience than the glossy, smooth touchscreen displays on tablets and smartphones.

Naturally, since this is an Amazon device, you instantly get full access to the Kindle library. This includes any digital book you’ve bought from the Kindle Store or through the $12 a month Kindle Unlimited subscription. If you devour a lot of books a month, Kindle Unlimited can start paying for itself fast.

I love the various Kindles I use, but the Kindle Colorsoft is the most comfortable to use for everyday reading. If you’re looking to upgrade from a non-color Kindle, this is your chance!

I still remember the first time I laid eyes on one of TCL’s NXTPAPER tablets at a mall in Taiwan. What caught me off guard was that despite the bright overhead lighting, its screen was completely glare free. However, it wasn’t until I pressed the NXTPAPER button on the side that I realized what made this tablet truly unique.

Unlike one of the best iPads, TCL’s NXPAPER tablets are designed to prevent eye-strain while giving you an improved reading experience. With the push of a button on the side, you can switch between three viewing modes: Regular Mode, Color Paper Mode and Ink Paper Mode.

With Ink Paper Mode enabled, the device transforms from a standard Android tablet into a black and white slate with a reading experience on par with one of the best Kindles. This also extends the tablet’s battery so you can keep reading even longer.

I’ve been using both the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Gen 2 and the much larger TCL NXTPAPER 14 since the beginning of the year. While I love them both, the 11-inch one is great for slipping in a bag while the 14-inch one is perfect when you want a bigger screen at home.

These tablets aren’t just for reading though, as they also come with a stylus in the box for drawing or taking handwritten notes. Likewise, I’ve heard that many musicians like using the larger NXTPAPER 14 for reading sheet music while they practice.

Right now, you can save up to 39% on TCL’s NXTPAPER tablets thanks to Prime Day. If you’ve been looking for a more budget-friendly iPad alternative or don’t want to be bothered keeping a separate e-reader charged, they’re definitely worth checking out. And at this price, there’s never been a better time to give NXTPAPER a try for yourself.

Quick Links

• TCL NXTPAPER 11 Gen 2: was $249 now $169 @ Amazon
• TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus: was $369 now $223 @ Amazon
• TCL NXTPAPER 14: was $459 now $312 @ Amazon
• TCL Note A1: was $599 now $449 @ Amazon

Prime Day NXTPAPER Tablet Deals

I recently got the brand-new Kindle Colorsoft 2026, and it's definitely one of the best e-readers I've tried. In true bookworm style, I devoured fantasy novel after fantasy novel — but I had to buy every book. I didn't realize I could get 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited with my new e-reader.

Kindle Unlimited is effectively a refillable soda for books... or just a library card. Instead of buying each book individually, you pay a flat $11.99 a month, and you can "borrow" unlimited books per month. You can only have 20 Kindle Unlimited books downloaded at a time, but you can easily swap these out. It truly is "unlimited".

But you have to order a specific version of the Kindle to take advantage of this. The basic version is just 1 free month, so here's how you can triple that. Unfortunately, these deals are only for Prime Members. This deal is both U.S. and U.K.

The best US Kindle Prime Day deals

How to get 3 months free Kindle Unlimited

Snagging 3 months free Kindle Unlimited is so easy, I'm kind of beating myself up over not getting it for myself.

Here's exactly how you do it.

When you go to Amazon, scroll down. There are two secret tabs underneath the price information.

Make sure you have selected "With 3 months of Kindle Unlimited" before you check out.

Obviously, this is only a "trial," and you will have to pay $11.99 after your first three months. But saving $36 is awesome, especially if you've already saved $90 on the brand-new Kindle Colorsoft.

I wish I had known this when I bought my Kindle — now I'm stuck paying $11.99 each month!

We're tracking all the best Prime Day home appliance deals

Amazon Prime Day is always a great time to shop for the best Kindles. The retail giant has slashed the prices of all available Kindle models, making it easier to find one that suits your preferences and budget.

Right now, Kindles and bundles are on sale at Amazon with up to 50% off. For instance, the standalone Kindle Colorsoft is $90 off, while the standard Kindle is only $84 total. You can also save big on Paperwhite and Scribe bundles.

Here are the best Kindle deals happening right now for Prime Day. For more deals, check out our Prime Day deals live blog.

Quick Links

• shop all Prime Day deals
• shop all Kindle deals
• Kindle (16GB): was $109 now $84
• Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle: was $161 now $106
• Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): was $249 now $159
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was $269 now $179
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Essentials Bundle: was $276 now $179
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Essentials Bundle: was $362 now $244
• Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle (64 GB): was $549 now $452

Prime Day Kindle deals

Is the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 good enough to be one of the best e-readers? Yes, definitely. This is the King of e-readers — and it knows it. With a bright, 7-inch display (1 inch bigger than its nearest rival, the Kobo Clara Color) and up to 8 weeks of battery, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is here to stay.

But because it’s the King of e-readers, it’s priced like it. The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is $90 pricier than the closest Kobo alternative, an increase of 56%, and I’m… not really sure why. Yes, the Kindle library is bigger than Kobo’s, and Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo’s, but does that justify a price increase of 56%? The initial $250+ cost might put off newcomers.

The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a fantastic e-reader, though — just an expensive one. I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing this device. It’s easy to use, lovely to look at, and has bright color for comic books. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review.

All images showing e-books have been blurred for copyright. Screen is sharp and detailed in real life.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Specs

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Price & availability

There are two models of the Kindle Colorsoft 2026: 16GB and 32GB. I tested the 16GB model, which can hold almost 6,000 books (depending on length, images, and the like). The 16GB model is $249 from Amazon U.S. and £239 from Amazon U.K.. The 32GB model is an extra $30/£30, making it $279 in the U.S. and £269 in the U.K..

Kindle also makes the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is not this product. If you want the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, that’s $279 from Amazon U.S. (yes, the same price, annoyingly). The Signature has automatic brightness adjustment and wireless charging.

I recently tested the Kobo Clara Colour, which is $159/£169. Honestly, if you want a great e-reader for as little money as possible, I’d go for the Kobo. Of course, the library isn’t as large — the Kindle Store has a near-incomprehensible 15 million titles, and a much wider self-published selection — but I’ve been able to find every book on my TBR on the Kobo store.

The Kindle Colorsoft Gen 1, 2024, launched at $279/£269, so no price increase there, which I like to see.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The ups

There are so many things to like about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, including its speed, screen, and library size.

Processor go Brr!

The Kindle Colorsoft is faster than the Kobo Clara Colour. Not by much — it’s more “blink and you miss it” than countable seconds — but every little helps, right? When I turned both e-readers on at the same time, the Kindle displayed the reading material a touch faster than the Kobo.

Kindle store is a modern-day Library of Alexandria

As much as I loved testing the Kobo — and I think it works much harder than the Kindle — the Kobo store is nowhere near as large as Amazon’s. The Kobo store is still fantastic, don’t get me wrong, with millions of books available for purchase, and a Kobo Unlimited subscription too.

However, it just can’t compete with Kindle’s whopping 15-million-plus titles. This is an incomprehensible number. I couldn’t even imagine 15 million plotlines if I spent the rest of eternity locked in a dark room.

But Kindle has everything, including obscure self-published books penned by Susan who lives down the street. If you’re the kind of reader who absorbs books like they’re going out of fashion, then you might be better off with the Kindle.

With my purchase, I also got 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited and 1 month free of Audible, which is great and something other e-reader brands simply can’t compete with.

Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo Plus

I’ve tried Kobo Plus and Kindle Unlimited, and what they say is true: Kindle offers a wider range of books, both big-name authors and midlist novels alike. Unlike Kobo’s library, KU isn’t just self-published/thriller type books. You’ve got huge names, like Holly Black, Colleen Hoover, Freida McFadden, and more. Kobo Plus just doesn’t have this range.

Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 for literally unlimited books, magazines, and audio, whereas Kobo Plus is $7.99/$9.99 (for books and audio).

Night mode for those tired eyes

Just like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 has a warm filter. Although any electronic light source can interrupt sleep, research has shown that front-lit e-ink screens with warm filters interfere less than blue light devices (like phones).

You can access the display settings easily by scrolling down on the left margin, much like the Kobo Clara Colour.

Although I don’t have any scientific, quantitative data detailing my improved sleep quality, I can report that my sleep was no more interrupted than normal after reading before bed. I read before bed every single night, e-reader or paper, and didn’t notice any difference.

Direct sunlight? No problem

As the Kindle Colorsoft uses a front-lit e-ink screen, which means the screen is lit from the front rather than the back, it is visible even in direct sunlight. As you can see from the photos throughout this review, the screen looks vibrant under strong sun.

This performance is identical to the Kobo Clara Colour, both of which offer natural, e-ink screens with fantastic visibility.

IPX8 rating for bathtub adventures

Like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is IPX8 rated. In real terms, this means it will survive if you accidentally leave it on the hood of your car before going through the car wash. Or something less ridiculous, like accidental dips in the bathtub.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The downs

Although there’s lots to love about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, it’s not perfect. It isn't as customizable rivals, and it's much pricier, too.

Not as customizable as Kobo

One of my favorite aspects of the Kobo Clara Colour is that you can change the screen layout. You can also do this on the Kindle, but it’s more restrictive. On the Kindle, you can change orientation and font size, margins, and text alignment, but on Kobo, you can customize the actual layout of the menus.

On Kobo, you can change the ‘home’ button (the area of the screen you tap to bring up the main menu) depending on your preferences. By default, it’s set to: center tap brings up the menu, and then you turn the page forward or back by tapping the edge of the screen. I set mine so I have to click on the bottom of the screen to bring up the menu and 75% of the screen turns to the next page. I think this feels more natural because I’m left-handed and naturally tap to turn the page on the left side of the screen (don’t ask).

On Kindle, you can’t actually do this at all. You’re stuck with tapping on the top of the screen to bring up the menu, and 50% of the screen turns the page in its corresponding direction.

If there is a way to adjust this on Kindle, it’s not in the ‘Settings’ tab or in any of the device options menus, which is a con in and of itself.

Much more expensive than Kobo

Now, this is the biggest con there is. In our current, seemingly endless cost of living crisis, you need to save every penny you can get — or at least, I do.

The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 starts from $249, which is $90 more expensive than the Kobo Clara Colour. I don’t think the benefits justify the price increase.

The Kindle grants you access to Amazon’s huge library, which is a pro, and… that’s it? The other great features (front light, IPX8 rating, color, e-ink screen, long battery life, night mode) are all present on the Kobo. I totally recommend the Kindle, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re serious about saving every dollar you can, then I’d go for the Kobo.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Verdict

I really enjoyed testing the Kindle Colorsoft 2026. It’s got everything you’d want in an e-reader: a frontlit e-ink screen visible even in direct sunlight, and has night mode for those tired eyes. The battery life matches the Kobo Clara Colour — “up to” 8 weeks, but mine’s at 37% as we speak because I’m always using it — and the IPX8 rating means it’ll survive a dunk in the tub.

The only thing holding it back is the price. $249 is $90 more than Kobo’s competitor, which is an increase of 56%. Sure, the Kindle has a larger screen, but it’s not noticeably brighter. You can make the text on the Kobo as large as you want. The only main thing is the Kindle has a larger library, but whether or not this is a dealbreaker is something only you can decide.

At the end of the day, the new Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a great e-reader, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by it at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading on this device.

After buying my Kindle Colorsoft during Prime Day last October, I've become attached. My Kindle goes everywhere with me — be it the office, commuting, to any kind of appointment and is easily accessible in moments of doomscroll boredom.

I love it so much that I have very few complaints — it's my first e-reader, so it beats carrying around heavy physical books, and I've even invested in a holder and wireless scroller for easier reading in bed. That said, I fear I may be starting to regret my purchase, thanks to the Australian launch of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, Amazon's 2-in-1 notetaker and colour e-reader.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft launched globally in other markets last year, touting similar specs to the Kindle Scribe, but with a full colour 11-inch screen. The e-reader scored a tidy 4 stars in our review, with my colleague Alex dubbing it "the Cadillac of Kindles" thanks to its bright display, premium stylus and notetaking features, which is pretty huge praise for an e-reader.

Alongside the slightly larger, e-paper display, the new model features an adjustable warm light, up to 8 weeks of battery life on a single charge, 40% faster page turns and writing responsiveness, and comes in either a Graphite or Fig colourway with an accompanying stylus. You can also choose your preferred storage capacity, at either 32GB or 64GB. It also has improved Google Drive and OneDrive support for easy document import and annotated PDF export, and features a new AI-powered search so you can check your notes more effectively.

The only thing stopping me from immediately pulling the plug right now, you ask? The inflated price tag. The 32GB model will set you back AU$999, whereas the 64GB model will cost AU$1,099. Both models are currently available to preorder on Amazon ahead of the June 10 release.

More new Kindle Scribes incoming

While its pricing is indeed a tough pill to swallow for most right now — the models cost the same as the latest 2026 iPad Air and don't feature the same capabilities as a tablet would — not all hope is lost on the new Kindles front.

Amazon is also updating the Scribe as we know it, with a new 2026 model starting at AU$849 (32GB) and AU$949 (64GB). In terms of notable upgrades, the 2026 model is ultra-thin, measuring just 5.4 mm, and is extremely light, weighing just 400g. The Scribe (2026) also features the same AI-capabilities, Google Drive and OneDrive support as the Scribe Colorsoft.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer an e-reader or notetaker without a bright screen, Kindle is also introducing the Scribe without a frontlight for just AU$699, with the same components but at a smaller storage size of 16GB.

All of the new Kindle Scribe models are available to preorder now on Amazon, with shipping expected from June 10, 2026. And not that it's anyone's business, but I may be waiting at my front door that day for a delivery… if you catch my drift. 👀

More from Tom's Guide

• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: This is the Cadillac of Kindles
• Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: A basic, barebones video doorbell

Outside of signing checks at a restaurant, I haven’t regularly written by hand since the early 2000s. My handwriting was always terrible, so when keyboards (both physical and digital) became the standard, I never went back to “real” writing again. As you can imagine, my handwriting has only gotten worse over the decades. Hence, testing the new ReMarkable Paper Pure has been an interesting experience.

In case you don’t know, ReMarkable has made a name for itself with its digital paper tablets designed for writing, sketching, and reading—all without distractions. The company is best known for the ReMarkable 2 and the color-enabled Paper Pro. Now, it is releasing the ReMarkable Paper Pro, which is effectively a spiritual successor of the ReMarkable 2.

I’ve used the new ReMarkable Paper Pure for the better part of a week, and I find that it lives up to its promise of being a distraction-free way to write digitally. There’s a lot to like here if you’re looking for such a device. However, if you’re used to keyboards, it might feel like technological regression. Here’s what I think of the ReMarkable Paper Pure.

What’s new with the ReMarkable Paper Pure?

The Paper Pure is the back-to-basics entry in ReMarkable’s 2026 lineup, sitting right under the more expensive, back-lit Paper Pro. This 10.3-inch monochrome tablet is essentially a digital version of a high-end legal pad. It’s just about as slim and light, weighing 0.79 pounds and thin enough to carry easily in your backpack.

Don’t mistake this for one of the best iPads or best Android tablets, as it has no color, web browser, and perhaps most importantly, no backlight. Because of that, you’ll need to be in a well-lit room or other light source to see what you’re doing. I’ll expand on this last bit shortly.

Another interesting aspect is that this device is made with 38% recycled materials and features a new, repairable design that’s held together with screws rather than glue. Thanks to that, it’s relatively easy to repair, which makes it more future-proof than traditional tablets on the market.

The writing experience

As I mentioned above, I haven’t handwritten for any serious length of time since I finished college in the early 2000s. Because of that, my first hour with the Paper Pure was admittedly a struggle. I’ll freely admit that it didn’t take long for my hands to cramp—something I wasn’t exactly prepared for. But I persisted, and the device slowly began winning me over.

I wouldn’t say that writing on the Paper Pure feels like writing on actual paper, but the amount of friction I feel when I put stylus to screen is satisfyingly tactile. In fact, I like the experience much more than using the Apple Pencil on an iPad Pro since it doesn’t feel like I’m writing on glass. It legit feels much closer to using a ballpoint pen.

Thanks to its 21-millisecond latency, the digital ink appears almost instantly on the screen. I say “almost” since you do see the delay, but it’s not egregiously long. And that’s fine, since I had to slow down anyway for my scribblings to resemble actual words. The intentionality of writing each letter took me back decades, which is likely why many still prefer to write by hand. You’re forced to slow down—something that’s almost unheard of in this fast-paced age we live in.

As for the lack of a backlight, I honestly didn’t find it an issue. I purposefully turn off the backlight on my Kindle Paperwhite to spare my eyes from yet another screen burning my retinas, so using the Paper Pure near a light source came naturally to me. I know some might legitimately need a backlit display, but I feel that would ruin what the Paper Pure’s attempt to function more like actual paper.

Useful features

Since we live in a digital world, the Paper Pure lets you transfer or upload files to and from the device. And if your handwriting is as bad as mine, you can even use some of the built-in AI features to clean things up. Don’t worry, as this is good AI that doesn’t get in the way.

With a Connect subscription, you can tap a button and watch your messy scribbles turn into a clean document. There is also an “Action Items” feature that scans your notes and automatically creates a separate to-do list, if necessary. I find this extremely useful, especially if I want to send a note to someone and don’t want them to spend unnecessary time deciphering my handwriting. This feature is also helpful if you take notes during meetings.

Speaking of meetings, you can sync your Outlook or Google Calendar, and the Paper Pure will pre-populate a note template with the date, time, and attendees of your next meeting. I wasn’t able to try this feature because my work account wouldn’t let me sync with my reMarkable account, but I can see it being handy.

Bottom line

Though I’m not yet ready to return to analog writing, I love what ReMarkable is doing overall. With so much digital noise around us, I appreciate that a device like the ReMarkable Paper Pure exists to deliver a more grounded and distraction-free experience.

Sometimes, it’s not all about how productive you can be, but how engaged you are with your work. If you agree with that sentiment, do yourself a favor and check out the ReMarkable Paper Pure. No pun intended, but it truly is a remarkable device—even for keyboard warriors like myself.

More from Tom's Guide

• ReMarkable Paper Pro Move review: E-paper in your pocket
• Kindle Scribe vs. ReMarkable Paper Pro: Which e-reader is right for you?
• I just tested the Kindle Scribe — and it will be hard going back to the Paperwhite

Kindles make it easier (and more enjoyable) to read — especially now as spring book clubs and summer beach reads come into view. Although the popular e-readers rarely go on sale, Amazon just so happens to be slashing the prices on select Kindle models as we speak.

Kindle Colorsoft, Paperwhite and Scribe models and bundles are currently on sale at Amazon, with up to 31% off. One of my favorite deals is on the standalone Kindle Colorsoft ($60 off), or you can grab the Colorsoft bundled with a protective case and a power adapter.

Kindles also make the perfect Mother's Day gift for the moms who love to read. So if you're hoping to grab a new Kindle for Mom (or yourself) this spring, now is the perfect time to snag one with a generous markdown. Keep scrolling to see my favorite Kindle deals.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon deals
• Kindle Paperwhite (16GB): was $159 now $134
• Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle: was $161 now $140
• Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16 GB): was $179 now $154
• Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): was $249 now $189
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was $269 now $209
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle (32GB): was $287 now $216
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle: was $367 now $321
• Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle (64 GB): was $549 now $465

Kindle Deals

With spring in full swing and summer beach reads in your near future, now is the perfect time to grab a new Kindle. And while e-readers make it easier (and more fun) to read, it's no secret that they rarely go on sale. Luckily, Amazon is slashing the prices on select Kindle models as we speak.

In fact, Kindle Colorsoft and Paperwhite models and bundles are currently on sale with up to 31% off at Amazon. One of the cheapest deals is on the standalone Kindle Colorsoft ($60 off), or you can grab the Colorsoft bundled with a protective case and a power adapter. Plus, a Kindle makes the perfect Mother's Day gift for the moms who love to read.

If you're hoping to grab a new Kindle this spring, now is the perfect time to snap one up with a markdown. Keep scrolling to see my favorite Kindle deals.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon deals
• Kindle Paperwhite (16GB): was $159 now $134
• Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle: was $161 now $140
• Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16 GB): was $179 now $154
• Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): was $249 now $189
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was $269 now $209
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle (32GB): was $287 now $216
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle: was $367 now $321

Kindle Deals

The Kobo Clara Colour is a godsend. Combining the best features of all of Amazon’s flagship e-readers, the Clara Colour has it all: color screen, warm night lighting, a touchscreen, 49-hour battery life, full waterproofing, and native Libby e-book borrowing. And my favorite part? It’s $90 cheaper than the Kindle equivalent, the Colorsoft.

But is this enough to make the Clara Colour one of the best e-readers you can get? Heck yeah! I love my Clara Colour. It’s everything I could ever want in an e-reader. The screen is paperlike and visible even in direct sunlight, and when I’m reading on a plane or car at night I can up the brightness without needing to turn on a separate light.

However, the Kobo library is considerably smaller than the Kindle library — which, personally, is a non-issue as every book I’ve tried to purchase has been available on Kobo — but if you’re a KU self-pubbed kind of reader, you might want to stick with the larger library. To find out the full story (pun intended), keep reading this Kobo Clara Colour review.

Kobo Clara Colour review: Cheat sheet

• Who is it for? If you want an e-reader without paying the Kindle tax
• What does it do well? It’s $90 cheaper than the Kindle Colorsoft and does everything just as well
• What are its weaknesses? The Kobo library doesn't have as many books, but this is a non-issue for readers like me
• What should you use it for? Um, getting back into reading like the insatiable little bookworm you are

Kobo Clara Colour review: Specs

Kobo Clara Colour review: Price & availability

I blurred all book text to protect copyright. The Kobo Clara Colour display is clear and distinguished in real life.

Interestingly, the Kobo Clara Colour is spelled the same in the U.K. and the U.S., despite “colour” being the British/Canadian/Australian variant. In the U.S., you’ll find the Clara Colour for $159 at Amazon, and for £149 in the U.K..

Even so, the clue’s in the name: the Clara Colour is the color version of the BW model, which is $139/£139. This is Kobo’s entry-level e-reader: if you want a Kindle Scribe ($449) equivalent, you’d be looking at the Kobo Libra Colour ($229) or Kobo Elipsa 2E ($399).

The Kobo Clara Colour is considerably cheaper than the Kindle equivalent — the Colorsoft is $249, $90 pricier than the Clara Color. Similarly, the BW Clara is $139, whereas the Kindle Paperwhite is $159. True, the basic Kindle is just $109 — but this doesn’t have a warm light setting (unlike the Kobo Clara), so you can’t switch to night-safe reading.

Kobo Clara Colour review: The ups

The Kobo Clara Colour has so much going for it: night mode, the display clarity, the bright color, IPX8 rating, super lightweight feel, scrollable library, and more.

Night mode!

Unlike the basic Kindle, which lacks a night mode/warm setting, the Kobo Clara Colour offers both daytime and nighttime display. You can either select night mode to come on automatically, or you can manually adjust.

When I first started testing the Clara Colour, I set my bedtime at 9:00PM (yes, I am a grandma). You can choose between 9:00PM-3:00AM, which I think is a bit crazy. Who’s out here going to be at 3:00AM? In a perfect world, I think it’d make more sense for bedtime to align with your location’s sunset and sunrise times — but this isn’t a major issue, as you can just manually turn on night mode whenever the sun sets in your area.

But even if you’re reading at nighttime in a dark environment — think of being on a plane where you don’t want to disturb your neighbor by turning on the overhead light — you can just up the brightness while in night mode. While not completely blue light free, reading a frontlit e-reader with a warm filter isn’t overly detrimental to your melatonin production.

Paperlike display

As touched on briefly above, the Clara Colour uses a frontlit display rather than the LED, backlit display you might be used to. Generally, smartphones and tablets utilize backlit, blue-light displays, which are both difficult to read in the sun and can be detrimental to your melatonin production.

The Clara Colour has a frontlit display, meaning it uses tiny LEDs that illuminate across the screen itself rather than up into your eyes. This is also a paperlike display — I genuinely think it looks 99% like real paper.

Take a look at the screen in direct sunlight.

As you can see, the text is clearly legible, even in strong, direct sunlight. I don’t think the screen is grainy at all, nor suffers from leftover shadows (A.K.A “ghosting”) like the Kindle Paperwhite is known to, either.

Pool-safe, dunk-in-the-tub-surviving IPX8 rating

The Clara Colour is IPX8 rated, which means it’ll survive up to 60 minutes in up to 2 meters of water. The Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Paperwhite have the same IPX8 rating, but the Kindle basic has zero waterproofing.

In real terms, this means you’ll be able to accidentally drop your Clara Colour in the bathtub or dry off from the pool beside it without it saying goodbye forever.

E-book renting — local library dependent, of course

If your local library uses Libby (Overdrive), you can rent e-books like you would borrow normal books. Unfortunately, my local library uses BorrowBox, which isn’t directly available on the Kobo store. However, I can still download ebooks from BorrowBox and manually load them onto my Kobo using Adobe Digital Editions and a USB-C cable.

I’d like to see Kobo introduce direct BorrowBox compatibility soon, as it’s much, much more widely used than Libby in the U.K., where I live.

If you’re in the U.S., though, you’re in luck. Libby is used by 22,000 libraries across the United States, so your local library might just be one of them. In this case, you can select Libby directly in your Clara Colour and browse available ebooks.

As you can see, the app is native to your e-reader itself, so don’t worry about downloading books onto your computer and manually installing onto the Kobo.

Manga, audiobooks, Kobo Unlimited, oh my!

If you’re a manga reader, audiobooks listener, or Kindle Unlimited devourer, don’t worry. Kobo has you covered. You can still get manga on the Kobo Store — and it looks fantastic. The clarity is incredible, and the full color cover is gorgeous.

As you can see, the color cover is beautiful, with no grainy, faded, or blurry areas. This is easily Kindle Colorsoft-equalling, and you save $90 in the process. Despite being on a 6-inch screen, I was able to read all the text on this manga, and I was never struggling to make out smaller words. Of course, you read manga right-to-left, so remember to tap the left side of the screen to change page.

In the Kobo Store, you can also browse tons of audiobooks. You’ve got the big names — think Stephen King, Sarah J. Maas, Terry Pratchett — but also books I’d never heard of by authors I’d never heard of. Of course, you can check Kobo’s ebook and audiobook store online without going through an e-reader.

Finally, if you’re coming from a Kindle, you’re in luck! Kobo also offers Kobo Plus, an unlimited service, where you pay a subscription for unlimited books each month. Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 a month for unlimited books and e-books. Kobo Plus is $7.99 for either just ebooks and just audiobooks, or $9.99 for both.

Kindle offers 5 million books, whereas Kobo offers 1.5 million books — this may or may not be an issue, depending on what kind of reader you are, which I’ll get into now.

Kobo Clara Colour review: The downs

As much as I’m enamored with my Kobo Clara Colour, there’s one thing that might hold me back from recommending it for everyone.

Kindle library is much bigger

Now, this one is a little weird for me. I think it depends on what kind of reader you are. Personally, I mostly read traditionally published books, and all of the books I’ve tried to buy from the Kobo Store have been available.

If you’re the Kindle Unlimited self-published kind of reader, you might be better off sticking to the bigger library. This is not to say that Kobo’s bookstore is lacking or threadbare, but more so that the Kindle bookstore had a wider variety of lesser-known, self-published books.

However, if you’re the kind of person who buys books from Barnes & Noble and your local independent bookstore, you’re probably going to be fine with the Kobo Store. As I said, every book I’ve tried to buy has been available, so this is a total non-issue for me.

Kobo Clara Colour review: Verdict

Would I recommend the Kobo Clara Colour to 99% of the population? Without a shadow of a doubt. I flew through every book I was reading on the Clara Colour because it was so easy to read everywhere — in bed, at the park, on the bus, you name it. The sleep cover also has a magnetic kickstand, so I could prop the Clara Colour up to read hands-free.

All that being said, if you’re predominantly a Kindle Unlimited self-published book lover, you might want to stick with the bigger library. Kindle offers millions of indie books, whereas Kobo offers just one million.

Even so, this is a non-issue for me. Every book I’ve looked up on the Kobo Store has been instantly available. If you’re the same kind of reader, you’ll be just as obsessed with the Kobo Clara Colour as I am.

Amazon is making a slew of older Kindle devices obsolete starting in May. This means that you won't be able to download new books unless you find a workaround or purchase a newer model.

As reported by The Verge (and elsewhere), starting on May 20th, 2026 Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets released in 2012 and before will "no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store."

Any books you already have on those devices will still be accessible. And you can still access your accounts and purchases via the Kindle mobile app, Kindle site and newer models. Additionally, if your older Kindle is factory reset or deregistered, you won't be able to re-register after May 20.

Here's the complete list of Kindle devices losing support going back to the original Kindle, which launched in 2007.

• Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
• Kindle DX (2009)
• Kindle DX Graphite (2010)
• Kindle Keyboard (2010)
• Kindle 4 (2011)
• Kindle Touch (2011)
• Kindle 5 (2012)
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
• Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011)
• Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)

The youngest devices on that list is 14 years old at this point.

According to the report, Amazon will send out emails to impacted Kindle owners before the deadline which will outline what your devices can and cannot do. The pre-2012 Kindle Fire devices won't be able to download new books, but other Amazon services and apps you have shouldn't be updated.

Amazon is offering a 20% discount on new Kindle devices and a $20 ebook credit that will arrive on your account after the upgrade. The credit only lasts a month valid through June 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT.

Up until now, Amazon has largely left owners of older Kindles alone, letting them purchase and download ebooks as desired. There was a 2016 software update that maintained access to the Kindle Store.

Before last February, you could have gotten around this restriction by downloading your books on your computer and transferring them using the USB port. However, Amazon killed that function.

What are your options?

If you insist on keeping your older Kindle, especially if it's still working well, you could consider jailbreaking it. I won't tell you how to do it here, but there are ways.

If you want to upgrade, currently, Kindles start at $110 for the entry-level version. The Kindle Paperwhite will set you back $160, while the color-screen Kindle Colorsoft is $250. At the high-end, there is the giant Kindle Scribe writing tablet, which starts at $400 for the non-color version.

If you need help deciding, check out our guide to the best Kindles. We've also included recommendations for some non-Amazon ereaders if you're looking to get out of the Amazon ecosystem.

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• I used ChatGPT to shop smarter on Amazon — and I finally stopped overpaying

I love buying physical books, especially the fancy ones that look nice on a shelf and show off how you're not just a phone addict who spends their days watching TikTok. But actually reading them isn't always practical, especially if you want to keep them in good condition. That's where e-readers like the Kindle Colorsoft come in.

The Kindle Colorsoft is a full-color e-reader from Amazon, letting you load up on books to read whenever you're not admiring that hardback copy of your favorite novel. It just so happens that this Kindle is now back to its lowest ever price in the Amazon Spring Sale. That means you can pick up a Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) for just $169 at Amazon. That's 32% off the normal price, and a total saving of $80.

If you've been sick of having to use boring black and white e-reader screens, then the Kindle Colorsoft might be the best Kindle for you. It packs in a sharp 7-inch full-color display and offers a comfortable design that helps you read all your favorite titles on the go.

Plus, being part of the Amazon ecosystem gives it full access to the Kindle library. That includes any ebooks you've purchased from the Kindle Store, ot the $12 a month Kindle Unlimited subscription. It sounds pricey, but it gives you unlimited access to the millions of ebooks in Kindle's library — which could save a bunch of money if you read a lot.

Other helpful features include an 8-week battery life, IPX8 water resistance, 16GB of storage and a crisp paper-like display. None of the glossy, smooth touchscreen displays you get on tablets and smartphones. There's no wireless charging, though. If you want that you'll have to upgrade to the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is currently on sale for $229.

One thing you do need to be aware of is that sideloading third-party ebooks (those not purchased from the Kindle store) is partially broken. You can still load those files onto the Colorsoft and read them as normal, but the actual cover page won't display correctly. So instead of fancy, colorful artwork, you get a page with the title and the author's name. As one Tom's Guide writer put it, it makes your ebooks look like "boring PDF files."

The power button is also situated on the side, which means you might accidentally hit it while you're reading. No, we're not sure why it's not on the top either, but that's the design Amazon has been sticking with. At least you know to try to avoid pressing it unintentionally.

If you're after the best Amazon deals this week, make sure you check in on our Amazon Big Spring Sale live hub for the latest updates.

Kindles make it easier (and more fun) to read — but it's no secret that they rarely go on sale. Luckily, Amazon is slashing the prices on select models ahead of this week's Big Spring Sale.

In fact, Kindles and bundles are currently on sale with up to 40% off at Amazon. One of the cheapest deals is on the standalone Kindle Colorsoft ($80 off), or you can grab the Colorsoft bundled with two different protective cases for a whopping 40% off. There are also discounts on the Paperwhite and Scribe bundles.

If you're hoping to grab a new Kindle this spring, now is the perfect time to snap one up with a markdown. Keep scrolling to see my favorite Kindle deals.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon deals
• Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle: was $161 now $125
• Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): was $249 now $169
• Kindle Colorsoft Clear Case Bundle: was $286 now $171
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was $269 now $189
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle: was $276 now $211
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle: was $362 now $271
• Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle (64 GB): was $549 now $481

Kindle deals

My wife is fully, unapologetically BookTok-obsessed and has a reading routine that’s been optimized to levels you'd expect from a sci-fi space station. So when the Amazon Big Spring Sale landed, I knew that I should ask her for the best products for a book lover, eager to complete my Christmas shopping in March.

Unsurprisingly, it starts with a Kindle. And in Amazon's Big Spring Sale, the newest Colorsoft is 30% off. A Kindle is lighter than a paperback, easier on your eyes than a phone, and crucially, it makes reading in bed feel effortless instead of slightly inconvenient.

Then you get into the extras, and if you're buying for someone else, this is where you're going to start scratching your head. A Kindle stand sounds excessive until you use one (apparently). Suddenly, you’re not holding anything, you’re just… reading. My wife says, combined with a remote page turner, your book-reading setup is "elite". No reaching, no shifting, just tapping a button.

As I said, I'm a passenger in this BookTok world (I don't even have a TikTok account), but my wife has promised me the products listed below are excellent gifts for yourself or for anyone who's caught up in the world of Sarah J. Maas and co.

BookTok is massive. So massive in fact that the biggest romantasy, sports romance, and other romantic books are being made into TV shows and taking over the streaming world.

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is ramping up this week, and that means it's the perfect time to grab a bargain on one of the trendiest accessories in the world of BookTok today, trust me I asked my wife (and she's obsessed).

For just $15 you can buy yourself (or the book lover in your life) a remote page turner, so they can read in bed without reaching for their Kindle every few seconds. In fact, I bought my wife one of these a few months ago and she says it's completely evolved her book-reading obsession.

With seven colors to choose from there's one of these accessories for everyone, and while I might not quite understand the appeal myself, I do know that if there's a person in your life that loves the world of book social media, they'll absolutely want you to buy this.

I thought I’d seen everything in the world of displays, from foldable glass to transparent OLEDs that look like something out of Minority Report. But Samsung just threw a curveball that I genuinely didn't see coming. The company just announced a new 13-inch Color E-Paper display that’s built using a bio-resin derived from phytoplankton, or plankton. No, I’m not making that up!

As Samsung detailed in a blog post, the company is essentially using microscopic marine organisms to build a screen. It sounds like a plot point from a sci-fi novel where we’ve run out of plastic, but the goal here is sustainability. By using this bio-resin, Samsung claims it can slash carbon emissions during the manufacturing process by over 40% compared to traditional petroleum-based plastics. It’s a crazy science project turned into a real-world device.

The tech inside the screen is just as impressive as the plankton-based shell. This is a 13.3-inch panel with a 1600 x 1200 resolution that looks and feels like actual paper, according to Samsung. Since this is a digital paper display, it consumes 0 watts of power when showing a static image. It only drains a bit of juice when it changes to another image.

Now, before you get excited about a potential Samsung Galaxy Tab e-reader, I have some bad news. Right now, this device (the EM13DX model) is aimed strictly at businesses. Samsung wants these on store shelves, restaurant menus, and office doors to replace traditional paper signage. You can’t buy this device from Amazon or Best Buy just yet.

If you’ll permit me to speculate, I can see Samsung eventually bringing this tech to the consumer market. If that happens, we might finally see a true rival for the Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. Those are fantastic tablets that I use all the time, but it would be fascinating to see Samsung’s color-imaging algorithms applied to an e-reader. Again, this is likely wishful thinking on my part—but a man can dream!

More from Tom's Guide

• How to read library books for free on your Kindle or other e-reader
• Kindle Colorsoft vs Kobo Clara Colour: Which is the better color e-reader?
• Amazon's Kindle Colorsoft finally convinced me to get an e-reader

If you're anything like me, reading books is usually high on your list of New Year's resolutions — and 2026 is no exception. Kindles make it easier (and more fun) to read, and right now Amazon is slashing the prices on select models.

Kindles are on sale with up to 31% off at Amazon. The cheapest deal is on the basic Kindle for $89 at Amazon ($20 off), or you can grab the Kindle Scribe, which is sporting a nice $140 discount.

Full disclosure: these Kindles featured deeper discounts during the holiday season. However, Kindles rarely go on sale so this could be your last chance to grab them while they're still discounted. Keep scrolling to see my favorite Kindle deals.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon deals
• Kindle (16GB): was $109 now $89
• Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): was $249 now $199
• Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB): was $269 now $219
• Kindle Scribe 2024 (32GB): was $419 now $289

Kindle deals

Accessories

Also consider

Amazon just launched the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, an upgraded version of the Kindle Scribe that lets you read and write in color. It's a welcome upgrade for the Scribe that opens up some fun new possibilities, like color-coding your notes on a book or being able to read your favorite manga and comic books in color. But it's also quite expensive. In my Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review I called this slate the Cadillac of Kindles, and for good reason: Amazon slapped a $629 starting price on this e-paper tablet, so it costs more than a new iPad Air.

At that price, you have to be someone who loves reading and writing to buy one of these new Kindles, because otherwise you could get more features and a better screen for less by buying an iPad or Android tablet. And if you are someone who prizes the ability to put stylus to screen to jot down notes or doodle during boring meetings, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has serious competition in the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

I know because I wrote our ReMarkable Paper Pro review last year and loved it, calling it the best e-paper tablet for writers I'd ever used. Now that I've had a chance to test out the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft side-by-side with the Paper Pro, I've learned a lot about which is best for what, so I figured I could help you make your decision by breaking down the differences between the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs. ReMarkable Paper Pro. Let's dive in!

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Price

One of the tricky things about deciding between these two e-paper slates is the price: they both start at $629, though that climbs depending on what accessories and upgrades you want.

So let's quickly talk through what you get for that price: Amazon's Kindle Scribe Colorsoft starts at $629 for the 32GB model and comes with a free Kindle Premium Pen stylus, which has a built-in "eraser" tool on the rear end as well as a function button you can customize to do things like switch to a specific art tool, etc.

You can pay $50 more (so $679) for an upgraded model of the Scribe Colorsoft with 64GB of storage space, effectively doubling how many documents you can store at once. If you want a folio to protect the Kindle, you can get one direct from Amazon for $139.

The ReMarkable Paper Pro, by comparison, starts at $629 and comes with 64GB of storage and a basic ReMarkable Marker stylus that has no eraser end or function button. If you want the fancier ReMarkable Marker Plus stylus with the "eraser" tool on the end it will cost you (surprise!) $50 more, for a total of $679.

If you'd like to cover up your ReMarkable Paper Pro to protect it, you can get a basic Book Folio cover from the company for $89 or pay $229 for the Type Folio, which has a keyboard built in. ReMarkable offers some small discounts if you buy multiple products in a bundle, such that if you were to splurge for the Paper Pro with Marker Plus and Type Folio it would cost you $829 before tax, rather than something north of $900.

So if you want to get the best possible device for the least amount of money, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the slight edge here because it comes with the Kindle Premium Pen stylus no matter what — you don't have to pay extra for the better stylus. The trade-off is that you get less storage space on the Kindle, and you have to pay $50 more if you want the same amount of space as you get with the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Design

Both the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the ReMarkable Paper Pro are thin, rectangular slates, though the Paper Pro is bigger and sports a slightly larger (11" vs 11.8") display. Both also have tiny feet on the back which help them rest flat on a table without scratching anything.

The e-paper tablets both weigh around a pound, though the ReMarkable slate is slightly heavier (14 vs 18.5 oz) and has a thicker bezel at the bottom of the device than the Kindle. This little lip at the bottom can be handy when you want to hold the device upright without touching the screen, but while using both tablets I don't find I miss it much on the Kindle.

Similarly, both have a single power button near the top (on the top edge for the ReMarkable vs on the top right edge of the Kindle) and a single USB-C port on the bottom edge for charging and data transfer.

So in terms of design, there really isn't a huge difference between the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro. However, the ReMarkable Paper Pro does have a slightly larger screen and weights slightly more than the Kindle, so if screen real estate is king you probably want the Paper Pro.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Display

The screens on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro look similar but are very different in their construction, which matters if you care about how it feels to drag the stylus across the screen.

I'll dig into that in depth in the Writing section, but before I do I want to point out that there is one area in which the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft clearly outperforms the ReMarkable Paper Pro. Put simply, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can get brighter than the ReMarkable Paper Pro, so it's going to be easier to use in dark settings without external light.

In terms of display quality, well, some of this is going to be anecdotal because I'm no display expert. But first let me point out that technically the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is capable of displaying black and white images slightly sharper than the ReMarkable Paper Pro, while color images will be slightly less sharp.

That's because the ReMarkable Paper Pro's unique Canvas Color display has a rough PPI (pixels per inch) of 229 no matter what you're looking at. But the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's Kaleido 3 screen has to halve its resolution when displaying color, so you get B&W images in 300 PPI but color images in 150 PPI.

In my experience, you won't notice the difference between the different resolutions unless you're paying very close attention. However, the fact that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can get noticeably brighter than the ReMarkable Paper Pro will make a difference in dark areas. Plus, the colors on the Scribe Colorsoft can seem to "pop" a bit more than they do on the Paper Pro because you can crank up the brightness for a bit of extra vibrancy.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Performance

I have both the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the ReMarkable Paper Pro in front of me on my desk right now, and I have to admit that neither seems to perform basic functions in a particularly snappy or fast way. So if you're expecting responsiveness on a par with the best tablets from Apple and the rest, you're in for a disappointment.

Both slates are powered by quad-core CPUs, but the Kindle has double the RAM of the Paper Pro (2GB vs 4GB).

That said, I'm having a hard time figuring out which of these e-paper slates actually "performs" better because I've noticed inconsistent results when running basic tests like tapping the same file on both screens and seeing which opens the document faster.

The one thing I can say about using both at the same time is that the ReMarkable Paper Pro seems to load documents and new pages in those documents at pretty much the same (reliably slow) speed. But while testing the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft I noticed that load times seemed much more variable: sometimes the Kindle loaded the next page in a document or a recently opened document within two seconds, whereas other times loading the next page or a recent document seemed to take 3-5 seconds — not very long, obviously, but long enough to doubt whether the device had registered my input.

So ultimately I don't think you're going to notice a big difference in performance between these two e-paper slates, and their relative snappiness shouldn't make a big impact in your buying decision.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Writing

Both of these e-paper tablets come with a stylus because writing and annotating documents on them is half the reason to buy one. So if you care about what it's like to put stylus to screen, I have some key details you need to know before you buy.

This is an area where there's a big difference between the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro. For my money, no stylus and tablet have ever been as nice to write with as what ReMarkable sells, but the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is no slouch in this department either.

That's because Amazon put special effort into trying to make the feel of dragging the Kindle Premium Pen against the screen of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft feel as much like paper as possible. The company crows about having put new texture-molded glass on the Scribe Colorsoft and further squished the display stack (that is, all the tech beneath the screen) further to minimize the lag between when you put the stylus to the screen and when your input appears. And I can vouch that it seems to have made a difference, because I enjoy the feel of writing on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft more than I did when testing last year's basic Kindle Scribe.

But while the feel of writing on the Scribe Colorsoft is better than any Kindle I've tested to date, it still can't hold a candle to what it feels like to write on the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

That's because the Paper Pro's Color Canvas display is more textured than the Scribe Colorsoft (though they feel equally smooth to the touch) so that when you drag the ReMarkable Marker across the screen it feels and sounds like a pencil scratching across paper.

Maybe not as much as an actual No. 2 pencil would on real notebook paper, but as close to the real thing as to be indistinguishable unless you were doing both side-by-side. The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, by comparison, does give you a bit of texture and resistance when dragging the Premium Pen across the screen but mostly feels like dragging plastic across glass.

Another reason I prefer writing on the ReMarkable Paper Pro over the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the way annotations work on each device. See, with the ReMarkable Paper Pro you can open pretty much any document or file and start making marks directly on the page using the Paper Pro's 10 different art tools (including a highlighter, marker, pen, pencil, paintbrush and the like) and 9 different colors.

The marks you make on a document stay directly where you put them no matter how you move or change the document, which means you can do things like scratch out words (if you're editing someone's school paper, for example), color in illustrations and doodle on the document wherever you please, just like it was a real piece of paper.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, on the other hand, offers you two ways of marking up documents (besides highlighting passages) and neither feels as intuitive as what you get on ReMarkable slates.

First, you can use the "Active Canvas" feature to jot down notes and annotations directly on a document. However, the Kindle doesn't actually render what you write or draw directly where you put it; instead, it automagically creates a space between the text (between paragraphs or sometimes between sentences) and puts your annotation in an "Active Canvas" between the text. That way, when you scroll around or change the size of the text your note will stay readable between the lines.

The other option to take notes on the Kindle (as of publication) is to use the expandable margins, which let you tap a little arrow icon on the side of the screen to pull out an expandable margin where you can jot down notes tied to the text.

This enables you to make annotations that feel like footnotes, since you can see a little icon that you have a note on this page but can't actually read the note(s) until you open the margin and look at them.

Both of these systems are effective on the Kindle, but they feel a bit like a compromise compared to the ReMarkable Paper Pro's intuitive "write directly on the page and see it" feature. For my money I much prefer the experience of writing on the ReMarkable Paper Pro over the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, but both are perfectly usable.

Kindle Scribe vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Libraries

Now let's talk a bit about what kinds of files you can get on these devices, and how easy they are to access.

If you just want to load them up with your own documents for work, you're in luck: both slates can display PDF and EPUB files with no trouble. ReMarkable has a nice suite of software that makes it easy to quickly drag and drop files to your Paper Pro, but you have to set up additional connections to third-party services (i.e. Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive) to do more advanced tricks like send Google Docs/Slides/Sheets to the slate as PDFs, transferring Word documents, PowerPoint files and more.

One key limitation of the Paper Pro is that it can't easily display DRM-protected ebooks like those you buy in Amazon's Kindle store, so you're limited to buying/downloading ebooks from DRM-free sources.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the advantage here because you can buy any ebook on the Amazon Kindle store and have it sent directly to your Kindle Scribe Colorsoft in moments, giving it a huge leg up in terms of available content. The Kindle Store is filling up with products specifically for Scribe users too, like ebooks full of Sudoku puzzles you can do right on the screen as well as digital coloring books you can work on using the Scribe Colorsoft's limited palette.

The Scribe Colorsoft also supports Bluetooth while the Paper Pro does not, so you can connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones to the Kindle and use them to listen to your Audible audiobooks on the go. Plus, you can also send files from outside Amazon's walled garden (like term papers and DRM-free ebooks) using the Send to Kindle feature.

So while ReMarkable's Paper Pro is fairly versatile, there's no question that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the edge in terms of library access and the convenience of the Kindle Store.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Bottom line

If you've made it this far you know that while these two $600+ e-paper slates look awfully similar, there are some key differences between them which can help you make the choice between where to spend your money.

For most people I suspect the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the wiser choice because while it doesn't feel half as nice to write on as the ReMarkable Paper Pro, the Scribe has a brighter screen, more features and easier access to ebooks and other digital goodies via the Kindle Store accessible right on the device.

But for me personally, I think I still prefer the ReMarkable Paper Pro because it just feels so much nicer to use than the Kindle. Sure, the Kindle can feel snappier sometimes and gets brighter, but when I put the stylus on the screen no other tablet I've ever used feels as nice beneath my hands as the ReMarkable Paper Pro. And while I appreciate that the Kindle supports Bluetooth and gives you easy access to the Kindle Store, I'd rather jump through the hoops of loading the ReMarkable up with whatever I want to do (books to read, documents to edit, digital coloring books to fill in) than put up with the inferior writing experience and frustrating Amazon focus of the Kindle.

So if you care about writing and editing above all, I still recommend the Paper Pro. If you just want a fancy e-paper tablet with color for entertainment, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is probably your best bet. And if you just want a great slate for entertainment and don't care about writing or e-paper at all, get an iPad Air—it's just as expensive and way more versatile than either of these (excellent!) e-paper slates.

More from Tom's Guide

• Real books are good, but Kindles are better
• No Kindle? No problem: 5 places to buy DRM-free e-books
• I never liked e-readers, but the Kindle app on my phone has converted me

Amazon is rolling out a new generative AI feature for the iOS version of its Kindle app, the digital version of one of the best eReaders. The new “Ask this Book” tool is a chatbot that will provide “spoiler-free” answers about the book’s plot, characters, and more.

The AI feature was announced in a blog post proclaiming that the bot is available for “thousands of English-language best selling” books. .

Amazon is pitching the AI chatbot as an “expert reading assistant” that makes it “easier for you stay immersed in your books.” As you’re reading, you can highlight a portion of the book to get started with the bot.

Ask this Book can seemingly provide a broad array of information from plot details and character relationships to thematic elements, but the company claims it will only reveal information up to your current reading position.

Amazon also announced another AI-based feature, “Recaps”, which is supposed to give you a refresher about book series you’re reading while you wait for the next book or when you’ve taken a prolonged break.

How Ask this book works

According to Amazon, when you highlight a section of your book in the Kindle app you should see a new “Ask” button in the menu. Tapping that button will let you type in a prompt before being placed in a chatbox with the AI.

Additionally, some pre-made suggested queries will be available if you didn’t have a question prepared.

The feature is rolling out to the Kindle iOS app now. As mentioned, the Android Kindle app won’t receive this feature until next year. Additionally, Amazon says it will come to Kindle devices in 2026, though a specific timeline wasn’t provided.

Authors concerned

When it comes to artificial intelligence, there has been a lot of concern about rights and AI’s effects on authors. Most every AI company has been accused of copyright infringement, and Anthropic settled a class action lawsuit with authors earlier this fall.

Insider publication Publisher’s Lunch (via Writer Beware) highlighted the feature earlier this week with concern over the AI bot generating information without permission or rights. The site apparently did not receive a definitive answer from Amazon about the company’s process regarding the AI bot or what rights it relies on.

They did learn that the feature is always on and authors and publishers can not opt out.

“The primary focus has been on preventing unpermissioned AI training, but with the technology embedding itself at warp speed in all aspects of the book business, the rights implications are expanding just as fast,” Writer Beware notes.

This isn’t the first time the company has done something controversial to the Kindle platform this year. Back in February Amazon took away the ability to download Kindle books and back them up on a PC using USB transfer.

Let us know if you believe Ask this Book infringes or will it be a helpful tool for readers?

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