While 2023 was kind of a disappointing year for new ereaders, unless you’re a fan of color E Ink, things are bound to get more interesting in 2024, hopefully a lot more interesting.
Amazon didn’t release any new Kindles in 2023 so they’ll most likely release something new at some point this year, especially with the Paperwhite turning three years old in October—which they tend to refresh every three years. Hopefully they’ll release a follow-up to the Oasis or perhaps a mini Scribe, but with Amazon you never really know what they’re going to do—they just might do absolutely nothing, again.
Kobo now has two new models on the horizon, according to recent FCC filings, so that’s something to look forward to later this year. They’ll most likely release a new entry-level model, as their current one is majorly overdue for a refresh, but the other model could be just about anything.
We’re still waiting for someone other than Amazon to release a 10-inch device with a 300 ppi screen like the Kindle Scribe. There are a few 10-inch color models with 300 ppi, but not traditional black and white E Ink, which has better contrast without blasting the frontlight.
If history is any indication, Onyx will probably release about ten different Boox models this year, as they seem to do every year. They’re always pushing things forward, but they also rarely stick with anything for longer than 6-12 months so their product catalog is always in a state of flux.
Nonetheless, I’m hoping for a Palma Lite for reading on the go during summer. The current Boox Palma is too expensive and I don’t need a ridiculous 128GB of storage space on mini E Ink ereader—that would make sense if it were an actual phone instead of just looking like one.
E Ink has developed new Carta 1300 screens that are supposed to be faster and have better contrast than current Carta 1200 screens, so hopefully some newer devices will feature upgrades screens. However, E Ink’s improvements are usually more hype than substance (the Kindle Voyage’s screen from 2014 still looks better than newer screens so how do they explain that?).
I also think there’s a chance color E Ink could become more mainstream this year. The latest Kaleido 3 screens from E Ink are surprisingly decent if you don’t mind a darker screen. Maybe a color Kobo or color Nook could shake things up. Amazon probably won’t release a color Kindle because that would require innovation and effort, but maybe in five years after everyone else has done it.
So what new ereaders are you looking forward to in 2024?
The Palma definitely needs some sort of Lite version, but I’m not sure if it’s sold enough to merit one. Guess we’ll see.
That, or I’d like to see Kobo put a smaller one out.
It seems to be one of their more popular models, and it’s always sold out at B&H.
I’d like to see a bare bones small simple pocketable e reader with buttons. A Palma Lite would be cool but it would probably still be too much for what I’d like. I have no need for cameras or a flash or finger print scanner thing or speed modes in all honesty. A lot would have to be removed for it to be called ‘Lite’
A new and improved Kobo mini might be more bare bones but I don’t think they will try their hand in small format e readers when everyone is now 7in plus.
Yben/Woxter did release a very small cheap simple e reader with buttons last year but its software didn’t seem too polished and didn’t have backlight or touchscreen (it’s small so no touch is ok to me). If they can update the software and give it a backlight and a bit more storage it would be the near ideal device I’d want for 2024.
Every time questions like this are asked a fair number of people, including myself, say that they want a new, small e-reader, frequently mentioning the Kobo Mini as one that should be updated. The demand is there for an affordable, top-pocket e-reader. Some companies have responded with overpriced cellphone lookalikes, but they don’t cut it. Something in the neighborhood of $100 – 125 would be a price that most of us could live with assuming the features are updated and the form was more like the Kobo Mini.
I really hope their next basic model is a mini ereader too instead of just another 6″ Nia clone.
How about a TCL 9 inch tablet (8.9 actually) with a thoroughly updated NxtPaper tech that was announced in 2020 and never came to fruition. While the current Nxtpaper tech is of interest, it does not meet the expectations of the 2020 announcements.
A new Kindle Oasis, cheaper, but same form factor, built in plastic and a rubber back like all their other models, would be a big seller, I think.
For Kobo, I think there will be only cosmetic changes. I can see a Kobo Libra 2E made with recycled plastic like the Clara 2E and the Elipsa 2E.
Oasis in plastic with rubber is my nightmare. The whole magic of Oasis are the premium materials used. It’s literaly the only premium looking ereader on the market.
I’m curious how many people use a case and how many raw kindle. I personally use cases so I don’t care one way or the other what material the device is made of as I’m only touching a screen and bezel.
Most people probably use cases all the time. I don’’t however when I’m reading on it. I have sleeve case and I take Oasis out of it whenever I want to read. Rubber/plastic back would be a deal breaker. Paperwhite looks and feels like a toy from Aliexpress to me, extremely cheap, so if Oasis looked like that, I wouldn’t even consider it.
“Amazon probably won’t release a color Kindle because that would require innovation and effort, but maybe in five years after everyone else has done it.”
Oh, me-ow! LOL!
I just want prices to come down. I pretty much have to stick with Kindle because that’s what I can (barely) afford.
Jailbroken PW5/koreader user here.
I just want a big e-reader with a decent screen and without any note-taking capabilities. I feel like the manufacturers are pushing half-baked note-taking on their customers to jack up the prices.
If Inkpad Lite had a better screen or if Elipsa 2e was cheaper but came without the €70 stylus that I’m never going to use I’d have bought either of them in a heartbeat.
Kindle Scribe is also not an option. I absolutely hate the vanilla UI but at this point I’d have to win the firmware lottery to be able to jailbreak it.
Updated Kobo Mini!!!! But with Kobo updating to recycled materials these two new devices could just be “e” versions of the models they already have (Sage / Libra or their basic model).
That would be super lame if they just re-released the same devices with recycled materials, but I could totally see them doing that.
A 7-8 inch premium (Oasis like or glass screen) device.
Kindle Voyage V2 in 2-3 different sizes:
6 inch, 7 inch / 6,8 inch, 10 inch
page switches
(Software)
better PDF reader (columns as page, but with cr/lf, currently it is one big page without paragraphs)
more settings for fonts/page display etc.
nice to have:
real buttons as page switches
? wireless charging (have it on my kindle PW signature, but do not charge it much)
send things (bookmarks, clippings, notes) from the reader / email or so (not to Kindle Cloud)
pictures from a folder as screensaver
real off-switch
that switch not at the bottom, back (Voyage!!!) was good, I trigger it on my PW by accident when reading one-handed
Landscape/Portrait – sensor for turning (my Tolino vision 6 has that feature)
– but must be able to turn it off (this is missing from the Tolino)
Some of these features can be found on other ereaders.
Most surprising is for me. that the best display of PDF from text as columns to a single page is on the Sony PRS-T1 probably also on the following Sony readers, which are rather old. If they paid for this version of PDF reader to Adone or tweaked it, I do not know, But this is what I want for a PDF reader.
What I also would like to see in many places: search, where after the search I can:
search in the search results (!) or/and refine the search terms by editing or adding to the search. In all (most?) cases, the search terms are gone after searching, I can often recall the search, but not change it. The US-Sony ebook store from over 10 years ago allowed search in the search results, the only shop I currently know, which did that.
Webbrowser able to store accounts for easy login?
For me an 8 inch Fire Eink tablet would be great or add true text to speech to a kindle Eink reader, like is available on the fire tablet.
NOOK user here. I’d like to see them release a GlowLight 4 that matches the flush front of the 4 Plus including it being waterproof. I’ve really enjoyed the 4 Plus but would like to see a pocketable version of it.
I would like to see a model with the option of using very large removable storage capacities so that I can have my entire library offline on this device.
I want 7.8” Kindle with a similar design to Scribe (glass front, metal back) but with IP68 and page-turn buttons. So basicaly a mixture or Oasis and Scribe.
I think that would hit the sweet spot for a lot of people, although I’d prefer a symmetrical design with buttons on each side because the asymmetrical design makes them much wider. I feel like the Kobo Sage is just a little too big with that design; I liked the design of the Kobo Aura One better.
Yes, that might be even better. I loved page-turn buttons on both sides on Kindle 3 Keyboard, so if they brought that back with premium design, I’d buy it immediately. Let’s hope they’ll make something like that 🙂
I expect an 8-inch Kindle Paperwhite with the current materials and design but with thinner frames. And available to order in both black and white and color.
I would also like it if when choosing the lowest margin option it would really be 2 mm or similar from the edge. The 3 current margin options are totally absurd.
Who wants 1 cm or more of margin to waste screen width?
reMarkable:
Add more eReader capabilities (e.g., a dictionary) to the reMarkable 2 so that it is a better large eReader option.
Kobo:
a) Release a better 8 inch reader than the Sage.
b) Release an updated mini.
I have a Kobo Forma with a power button that does not work properly. When it freezes, I wait for the battery to run down. I need a new Kobo!
I would like an updated Forma (better power button) or an improved Sage. The Sage is heavy and lacks a long lasting battery.
Surprised that Amazon has not offered a Kindle theme in the app that has the look of e-ink. That could be an option for those who want a Palma Lite (even though it would be on a phone). Not perfect but a possibility.
I’m happy with my Kobo Elipsa (although perhaps I should’ve waited a few months and got the 2E with its warm frontlight!). What I’m waiting for is for Kobo to push more software updates for notebooks, especially:
– Exporting the background along with the notebook
– Having an “Advanced Notebook mode” embedded inside the Basic Notebook? The Advanced Notebook’s edit features are amazing, but I tend to use the basic notebook more. The problem is, when I do handwriting-to-text in the basic notebook and it gets it wrong, there’s no way to edit the text except to undo and write the letters carefully hoping that it detects it properly this time.
– Layers? Long shot though
– Can’t think of any others, but yeah I hope they give this more attention, especially as it’ll make all their notetaking products more attractive!
Unfortunately, I didn’t think of these notebook things during Kobo’s recent survey or I’d have written more about it there :/
Kobo aside, the other thing I’m hoping for is a more affordable Palma. (I’m a special case because I use a KaiOS phone and would therefore like an e-ink Android device as a backup—if it wasn’t for that I’d have rooted for a new Kobo Mini instead!)