5 Kindle options I might like to see in 2026

After solely trickling out new gadgets for ages, Amazon lastly introduced a serious {hardware} refresh in September, as an example 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 quite a lot of followers, not less than 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 accustomed to them at this level, so it is not onerous in any respect to give you a wishlist that extends past the Scribe into the subsequent technology. A few of these modifications 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 probably 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 exterior platforms like Kobo or Google Play Books.

An open OS would offer quite a lot of advantages past purchasing elsewhere, or accessing titles you already personal with out paying a second time for a Kindle copy. It could additionally broaden sharing, notetaking, and illustration prospects, and probably flip a Kindle right into a do-it-all machine for individuals who do not have heavy work or leisure calls for. Think about having the ability to hearken to Spotify on a Kindle when you verify your electronic 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 gadgets, which suggests some apps will not run effectively or in any respect — making an attempt to look at a YouTube video on a Be aware Air4 C is fairly pointless. Even some artwork and notetaking apps may 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 may be, nevertheless, a diehard contingent on the market that would favor buttons for turning pages, adjusting quantity, or returning to the homescreen. I get it, personally — if I have to flip ahead a couple of pages, it’s miles 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 might with a cellphone or pc.

The chances 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 lower 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, except maybe there’s some type of grassroots marketing campaign that persuades it of the gross sales potential.

A built-in kickstand

Arms-free when it’s essential 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 greatest used as handheld gadgets, it is true — however while you’re studying for an prolonged time period, even the lightest Kindle can change into tiring. Though I would be capable to bench press practically 250 kilos on the health club, simply half a pound goes to change 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 change into quite a bit simpler while you’re not resting a pill in your lap. You should purchase a canopy that folds right into a stand, in the event you want too — but when the Nintendo Switch 2 can ship with a kickstand, there is no motive a Scribe cannot additionally. It could be a minor motivation for somebody to improve from a less expensive Kindle mannequin.

A number of consumer profiles

Let’s hope Apple is listening too

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

Talking of {couples} and households, it virtually makes extra sense to place a number of profiles on a Kindle. Their foremost objective is studying, and it could be unusual certainly in the event you had a bodily copy of a ebook however advised your spouse they’d to purchase their very own copy simply to make use of a bookmark. I’m wondering additionally if the Scribe would not be extra engaging to clients in the event that they knew two individuals may break up one — for the price of two Scribes, you may as effectively purchase a MacBook Air or Floor Professional.

Extra visible customization

This is not 2007 anymore

Definitely, 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 grew to become a typical capability. Previous to the primary Colorsoft, there wasn’t even a lot visible attraction to what was onscreen. I did like a number of the ad-free lockscreens on my previous Paperwhite, but largely, they have been simply higher than a clean display.

Now that Amazon has a number of shade gadgets, 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 must 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 choice, however it could be so significantly better if I may add recordsdata to an Amazon Pictures folder and have them routinely synced and formatted. Google permits one thing comparable with its Nest Hub sensible shows.