People are starting to wonder if Amazon has any new Kindles coming out later in the year, but I don’t think the odds are very high since there’s really only one model that could get replaced in 2026.
Unless Amazon comes out with a new product entirely—like a mini Kindle (unlikely), or a smaller Kindle Scribe (even less likely), or the most probable scenario, a 6″ color Kindle to compete with the Kobo Clara Colour—they’ll probably just stick to the current lineup as is until 2027.
There haven’t been any notable advancements with E Ink tech—the Paperwhite and Colorsoft still have the latest screens, and both models are less than 2 years old. The previous three Paperwhites were on the market for 3 years before they got replaced by a newer generation.
The one model that could stand to get updated is the basic Kindle. The current model was released in 2024 so it’s not very old by Kindle standards either. But it wasn’t technically a new generation. Amazon essentially re-released the same Kindle from 2022 with a newer screen and a brighter frontlight, and they added a new matcha color. The overall design and features remained the same, and both models are considered 11th gen Kindles.
There are a number of things Amazon could do to improve their base Kindle and boost sales with some new features. They could add a warm frontlight. They could make it waterproof. They could bring back page-turn buttons (it’s not going to happen but we can dream).
But a version with a color E Ink screen is the most likely change. And if they’re going to release a new 6″ color model, there’s a good chance they’d released an updated 6″ black-and-white Kindle too. I think that’s the most likely scenario for new Kindles in 2026, but Amazon could also do nothing—you never know.
People forget that Amazon already released one new Kindle this year, but it’s a Kindle that nobody wants, and the sales numbers are so bad it’s kind of sad. I think something entirely new like a mini Kindle would’ve been 1000x more popular and well-received by the community than the 5th Kindle Scribe—the least popular Kindle model by a wide margin—released in a span of 3.5 years.
Nothing that most readers of this forum will get excited about. That said, an upgraded basic Kindle will sell a lot of units.
Well I just broke down and got the 16 gig ColorSoft and I absolutely love it. I didn’t think I would like the ColorSoft when it first came out but now I find the screen is great. It maybe a little slower at opening books and waking up from deep sleep than my PaperWhite SE. What would I like to see in a new Kindle is more than likely not possible. I would like to see a foldable Kindle. When folded small enough to fit in a shirt pocket but opens to a 7 in screen. I find the 7 in screen of the PaperWhite and ColorSoft to be the perfect size but it is to big to fit in most pockets.
Wouldn’t the have to release new models to comply with the EU replaceable batteries directive starting early next year?
Or are the old ones grandfathered in and this goes only for new models?
That would only apply to new models, and Kindles might be exempt anyway since their batteries last a really long time. Nobody really knows at this point.
that’s a good point with the batteries lasting a long time, thanks for pointing that out
A magsafe Kindle so we can attach a magnetic Popsocket on the back, that would be really nice. Popsocket just released a new one very slim called Popsocket Low Pro. only available at Apple for now.
Check out magnetic rings like those included with the Xteink X4
But it would be really better if the Kindle had a magsafe inside, like an iPhone.
That would be really awesome. I’d like that 🙂