5 Kindle options I might like to see in 2026

After solely trickling out new units for ages, Amazon lastly introduced a significant {hardware} refresh in September, as an illustration placing out up to date Blink cameras and Echo audio system. For readers, the massive deal was a brand new set of Kindle tablets, led by the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft — Amazon’s reply to e-notebooks just like the Boox Note Air4 C and the reMarkable Paper Pro. It appears poised to draw a whole lot of followers, at the least those that may afford its hefty $630 pricetag and do not thoughts being locked into the Kindle ecosystem for purchases.

I have been testing Kindles since 2012. I am fairly acquainted with them at this level, so it is not laborious in any respect to give you a wishlist that extends past the Scribe into the following technology. A few of these adjustments are unlikely, but others are very possible if Amazon desires to take a swing.

An open working system

Android, right here we come?

This one might be essentially the most far-fetched, for a quite simple motive: ecosystem management. Functionally, there’s nothing the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft does that may’t be replicated in Android. However as a result of Amazon desires you shopping for books from the Audible and Kindle shops, and ideally paying for a number of of its subscriptions, it has each incentive to dam entry to outdoors platforms like Kobo or Google Play Books.

An open OS would offer a whole lot of advantages past purchasing elsewhere, or accessing titles you already personal with out paying a second time for a Kindle copy. It will additionally increase sharing, notetaking, and illustration prospects, and doubtlessly flip a Kindle right into a do-it-all machine for individuals who haven’t got heavy work or leisure calls for. Think about with the ability to hearken to Spotify on a Kindle when you examine your e-mail.

For Joe Public, the one severe draw back to that is optimization. An OS like Android needs to be scaled again for e-ink units, which suggests some apps will not run properly or in any respect — making an attempt to look at a YouTube video on a Observe Air4 C is fairly pointless. Even some artwork and notetaking apps would possibly want further consideration from Amazon to behave in addition to first-party software program.

Buttons, buttons and extra buttons

The best way forwards is backwards

The absence of bodily buttons is probably going a non-issue for many Kindle house owners, since Amazon’s gestures are simple to be taught, and its touchscreens are responsive sufficient. There’s, nonetheless, a diehard contingent on the market that would like buttons for turning pages, adjusting quantity, or returning to the homescreen. I get it, personally — if I have to flip ahead just a few pages, it is simpler to hit a button repeatedly than swipe the identical variety of occasions, or swap to a ebook’s progress slider. The purpose of any Kindle is to loosen up greater than I’d with a cellphone or pc.

The percentages of Amazon re-introducing buttons are solely marginally higher than it switching to Android. Dropping most buttons has allowed the corporate to shrink its tablets, and presumably minimize manufacturing prices alongside the best way. Asking it to decrease revenue margins additional when it is already dealing with excessive tariffs could also be a non-starter, until maybe there’s some kind of grassroots marketing campaign that persuades it of the gross sales potential.

A built-in kickstand

Palms-free when it’s good to be

This concept is one thing I hadn’t truly thought-about till now, however the second it popped into my head, it made an excessive amount of sense to disregard. Kindles are sometimes finest used as handheld units, it is true — however while you’re studying for an prolonged time frame, even the lightest Kindle can turn into tiring. Though I would be capable to bench press practically 250 kilos on the fitness center, simply half a pound goes to turn into an issue if have to carry it up for an hour or two.

A kickstand is all of the extra logical for the Kindle Scribe, a tool designed for sketches, annotation, and notes. These issues turn into lots simpler while you’re not resting a pill in your lap. You should buy a canopy that folds right into a stand, when you want too — but when the Nintendo Switch 2 can ship with a kickstand, there is not any motive a Scribe cannot additionally. It is likely to be a minor motivation for somebody to improve from a less expensive Kindle mannequin.

A number of person profiles

Let’s hope Apple is listening too

Most non-Home windows tablets are constructed on the idea that just one individual will ever use them. Whereas that is typically the case, there are too many exceptions, as any mum or dad with an iPad can attest. It is an arbitrary barrier, seemingly meant to pressure us to purchase a number of units when one would in any other case do. You would not tolerate a Mac or Home windows PC that blocked your companion from setting their very own app and desktop preferences.

Talking of {couples} and households, it nearly makes extra sense to place a number of profiles on a Kindle. Their major function is studying, and it could be unusual certainly when you had a bodily copy of a ebook however advised your spouse that they had to purchase their very own copy simply to make use of a bookmark. I ponder additionally if the Scribe would not be extra engaging to prospects in the event that they knew two individuals might cut up one — for the price of two Scribes, you would possibly as properly purchase a MacBook Air or Floor Professional.

Extra visible customization

This is not 2007 anymore

Actually, there wasn’t a lot level to UI customization on Kindles for a very long time. The primary mannequin had 250MB (that is proper, megabytes) of storage, and it is solely lately that 16GB turned a regular capability. Previous to the primary Colorsoft, there wasn’t even a lot visible enchantment to what was onscreen. I did like a few of the ad-free lockscreens on my previous Paperwhite, but principally, they had been simply higher than a clean display screen.

Now that Amazon has a number of shade units, it must lean full-tilt into personalization. I ought to be capable to rearrange menus, and select from all kinds of system fonts, even choosing completely different colours if they do not create any usability complications. If nothing else, it ought to be useless easy so as to add customized lockscreens on ad-free fashions. Customers have discovered a method round Amazon’s limits by utilizing customized “books” paired with the Present covers on the lock display screen choice, however it could be so significantly better if I might add information to an Amazon Images folder and have them robotically synced and formatted. Google permits one thing related with its Nest Hub sensible shows.