What new e-readers will come out in 2025? A number of manufacturers will launch new gadgets like clockwork, similar to Pocketbook, Onyx Boox, Meebook, iFlytek, iReader, Hyread, and others. These guys, on common, difficulty 3-4 new gadgets every and have a tendency to combine conventional black-and-white e-paper with Kaleido 3-color e-paper. What in regards to the different guys within the e-reader market, similar to Kindle, Kobo, Nook, or Outstanding? There will likely be some large new releases this yr and is certain to seize main headlines in all places.
2024 was the yr that main corporations, similar to Kobo and Amazon launched shade e-readers, and they’ll increase on their choices and have some thrilling new merchandise.
Rakuten Kobo
Kobo launched their first shade e-readers in 2024, the Clara Color and Libra Color; additionally they had the Kobo Clara BW, proving to be a well-liked gadget because of the value. The corporate will seemingly launch a brand new Kobo Sage and a third era Elipsa. A minimum of considered one of these will likely be shade, seemingly the Elipsa. The Sage has an excellent type issue, and the page-turn buttons are nice, nevertheless it’s getting outdated and suffers from battery life points. Issues had been so unhealthy that Kobo launched an influence case with an unbiased battery.
Amazon
Amazon had a really busy 2024. The e-commerce big refreshed their e-readers: the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Signature Version, Kindle Scribe, and their first shade e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft. The Colorsoft was poor on the preliminary launch and suffered some display defects. Nonetheless, this difficulty has been labored out.
I don’t see Amazon creating any new Kindles in 2025. As a substitute, they plan to launch Colorsoft outdoors the USA in Europe, Japan, Canada, and different worldwide markets. The opposite Kindle e-readers have already been launched in key markets, however their general attain and stockpiles needs to be plentiful. Count on gross sales within the US and Canada for events like Mom’s Day.
Barnes and Noble
Barnes and Noble, the most important bookseller in america, didn’t launch any new e-readers in 2024. The one factor that got here out was an Android pill with Google Play, the Nook 9 by Lenovo. In addition they discontinued the Nook Glowlight 4e. Their solely e-readers are the Nook Glowlight 4 and the Nook Glowlight 4 Plus.
The bookseller plans to launch at the very least one new e-reader in 2025, perhaps two. The common Nook Glowlight 4 is a number of years outdated and getting lengthy within the tooth, so this could possibly be refreshed. I might not rule out a brand new shade mannequin both since they will’t let Amazon and Kobo have all of the enjoyable within the vital US market.
Onyx Boox
Onyx Boox launched a bevy of latest merchandise in 2024; generally, it’s exhausting to maintain up. These embody the Word Max, Word Air4c, Palma 2, Go 6, Go 10, and Go 7 Coloration. I anticipate them to launch the Word Air 4, Web page 2, and Poke 6 and refresh a number of gadgets of their Tab Extremely line, which they have an inclination to do at the start of the yr.
More and more, Onyx has been focusing extra on the home market in China and fewer on worldwide releases. They promote far more gadgets of their residence nation, so it will make sense for them to make a big push there. In China, their merchandise don’t have Google Play, however they do have a web-based bookstore the place clients can buy digital content material.
Outstanding
Outstanding is on a three-year cycle for brand spanking new merchandise, and in 2024, they launched their first shade e-notebook, however as a substitute of utilizing the Kaleido 3 system like everybody else, they determined to embrace Gallery 3, which might show near 50,000 completely different colours, nevertheless Outstanding claims their gadget can deal with half of that.
The Outstanding 2 remains to be being bought, and it is going to be near 4 years outdated in 2025, so I can anticipate them to revise this mannequin. It would seemingly have higher {hardware}, a front-lit show, and perhaps a more moderen display tech. Count on a bigger battery and extra gadget storage. It will outcome within the firm having a brand new black-and-white mannequin and a shade to attraction to each market segments.
Pocketbook
Pocketbook had a busy 2024; the corporate primarily centered on shade e-readers. The Period Coloration, EO Coloration, and Verse Professional Coloration are good examples, whereas the Inkpad X Professional was their first black-and-white e-notebook.
In 2025, Pocketbook will refresh its extra inexpensive e-readers, such because the Verse, InkPad 5, and Fundamental Lux 5. These fashions have page-turn buttons and black-and-white e-paper and have a tendency to attraction to extra individuals who need an e-reader that runs Linux and doesn’t lock them into a particular ecosystem. One among Pocketbook’s biggest strengths is that it reads most e-book codecs within the enterprise.
I can even foresee some premium fashions in Pocketbook, such because the Period 2 and InkPad Lite 2. They may also seemingly refresh a few of their shade fashions too.
Bigme
Bigme launched so many new merchandise in 2024 that it’s robust to maintain up with all of them. They’ve screens, e-notebooks, shade e-notebooks, shade e-readers, and now a brand new verticle, smartphones. Bigme launched the Hibreak BW and Hibreak shade, two competent telephones with e-paper screens. The corporate has additionally launched unique merchandise for the home Chinese language market and has partnered with JD Learn.
The corporate will launch the Professional variations of Hibreak in 2025, with higher {hardware} and quicker processors. It also needs to refresh its entry-level e-reader, the Bigme Learn 2. Count on refreshes of 5-6 of their different merchandise, too, however not many are notable.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the previous fifteen years. Newspapers and web sites such because the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Put up and the New York Occasions have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
