Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Colorsoft 2026
Amazon (Hacker News, Slashdot):
The all-new 6-inch Kindle is the most pocket-sized Kindle we’ve ever made. With 16GB of storage, up to 6 weeks of battery life, and 30% faster book opening than the previous release, it is lighter and features a new seamless flush-front design. This required rethinking how the display, front light, and touch layers are assembled and bonded. We’re also introducing edge-to-edge color across the entire family. The housing is made from recycled materials with a 100% recycled cobalt battery. Starting at $149.99 and available in Ube and Graphite.
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The all-new Kindle Paperwhite is thinner and lighter than the previous lineup, waterproof with an adjustable warm light for comfortable reading at any hour, and up to 12 weeks of battery life on a single charge. The Paperwhite display uses an oxide-thin film transistor backplane and is the largest Kindle Paperwhite display with the highest contrast ratio—delivering deep blacks and crisp text, and images that pop off the screen, whether you’re reading in bright sunlight or under the covers at night.The Signature Edition adds aluminum rear housing, 32 GB of storage, an auto-adjusting front light, pogo pin dock charging, and double tap to turn pages—all while remaining thinner than the previous version.
Kevin Keith, Amazon’s vice president of devices, said the company is using “Cap” (capacitive) touch technology and haptics to create what he describes as a “dead zone.” As a reader grips the Kindle, the device detects where a finger is resting and adjusts the touch-sensitive area accordingly.
Amazon announced a range of new accessories on Thursday. And one of them, a $34.99 remote called the Kindle Click, caught our eye.
The Kindle Click is a compact Bluetooth remote designed to let readers turn pages without touching their Kindle.
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Amazon also announced other accessories as part of the new Kindle family, including a magnetic cover with physical page-turn buttons and a charging dock stand for the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and Colorsoft Signature Edition.
I still wish for the return of built-in page-turn buttons, but the new Page Turn Cover is the best news on this front in a while. Unfortunately, it adds bulk, costs $80, and doesn’t work with the base Kindle or the regular Paperwhite.
The Paperwhite Signature Edition is $249.99, and Amazon is offering me $50 off if I “Upgrade” my old Oasis by October 8. This isn’t explained very well, but it sounds like you keep the old device, and it doesn’t get bricked. There’s a separate 20% + $5 offer for a “Trade-In” where you do give up the old device. There’s a bundle with the Page Turn Cover and the Sling Bag, but there doesn’t seem to be a bundle with just the cover.
I admit that I find it somewhat shocking that even a basic e-reader costs $170 these days, but here we are.
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I gotta say that I don’t love that Amazon has decided that to use page-turn buttons, you need to pay $80 and keep your Kindle in a case. But at least they’re finally offering an option. (For the record, Kobo’s Libra Colour is priced similarly to the Paperwhite Signature Edition and has buttons right on it, no case required. It’s the e-reader I use the most these days.)
Previously:
- Apple Hardware Price Hikes
- Kindle Scribe 2025
- Double-Tap Kindle to Turn Page
- Kindle Colorsoft and 2024 Updates
- Color Kobo E-readers
1 Comment RSS · Twitter · Mastodon
Kindles used to be the best e-readers, but nowadays, I don't see a single reason to buy them anymore apart from the integration into the store. And since I really don't want to give Amazon any money, even that has ceased to be relevant for me.
