What’s the Best Kindle of 2026 (So Far)?

Comparing Our Favorite Kindles

What Are the Newest Kindles?

Amazon precocious announced a full caller procreation of Kindles is coming, with each exemplary getting a caller version. I'll update this usher with thoughts arsenic I reappraisal each caller model. Here are the existent details:

• Kindle (2026, 12th Generation) for $150: This is the caller mentation of the basal Kindle. Many features volition dependable acquainted (a 6-inch screen, six weeks of artillery life, and 16 GB of storage), but it comes with a caller flush-front plan for the surface and a lighter weight. It besides shares a $150 terms tag with the older basal Kindle, which became much costly arsenic of August. You tin upgrade to the Aluminum version that has a much premium consciousness and further colour options, positive 32 GB of storage. Both versions are disposable now, and I've included them successful my notes above.
• Kindle Paperwhite (2026, 13th Generation) for $200: The 2026 Kindle Paperwhite volition inactive battalion a waterproof plan and 12 weeks of artillery beingness (my favourite part!), but its updated show is the largest yet among Paperwhite devices, and with a higher opposition ratio. The Signature Edition has aluminum backing and besides packs dock charging with pogo pins connected the backmost and a double-tap capableness to crook pages. The regular Paperwhite is disposable for preorder and retails for $200 (same arsenic the aged model) with 16 GB of retention and comes successful lone black. The Paperwhite Signature Edition is connected preorder for $250 and comes successful 2 colors with 32 GB of storage. Preorder is disposable connected a rolling ground successful assorted regions, truthful if you're not capable to reserve your exemplary yet, cheque again soon.
• Kindle Colorsoft (2026, 2nd Generation) for $290: The Kindle Colorsoft's second-generation exemplary has an updated show and edge-to-edge colour that promises a richer look than what the archetypal procreation offered. The update besides gets a flush-front design, akin to the different caller Kindle models, and is disposable successful a Signature Edition that has aluminum backing, an auto-adjusting beforehand light, pogo points for charging, and the double-tap page-turning capability. The new Colorsoft is disposable for preorder astatine $290 with 16 GB of storage, and the new Colorsoft Signature Edition is disposable for preorder astatine $320 with 32 GB of retention and 2 instrumentality colors to take from. Similar to the Paperwhite, the preorder availability is rolling steadily, truthful support an oculus retired if you can't bargain yours yet.
• Kindle Kids models starting astatine $180: All 3 of the supra models person a Kids mentation that volition see kid-friendly covers and up to 12 months of Amazon Kids+ content. The basal Kindle Kids is disposable now, portion others are connected preorder successful definite regions.

Kindle is besides releasing a fistful of caller accessories, including the Kindle Click ($35) Bluetooth distant that volition enactment with Kindle models arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2024, a Page Turn Cover ($80) that volition lone enactment with the Paperwhite and Colorsoft Signature Editions, a Charging Dock ($60) designed to enactment with the pogo pins connected the Signature Editions, and caller Kindle covers successful a assortment of colors and textures. I’m astir excited astir the remote; I volition update this usher and our Best Kindle Accessories guide with my notes arsenic I test.

Why Are Kindles More Expensive Now?

Amazon raised its prices crossed its merchandise categories, including Kindle devices. The terms increases deed respective existent Kindle models, leaving lone Kindle Scribe models with their archetypal terms tags. Amazon declined to remark to WIRED, but a spokesperson told CNET the terms hikes were owed to rising costs successful representation and retention components. Interestingly, nary of the much almighty Scribe models needed a terms update, but it’s besides a alleviation since each 3 of those models are importantly much costly than a regular Kindle.

Here are each the increases, including for the Signature versions:

• Amazon Kindle (2024, 11th Gen): $150 (up $40)
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th Gen): $200 (up $40)
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024, 12th Gen): $250 (up $50)
• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft: $290 (up $40)
• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature: $320 (up $40)
• Amazon Kindle Kids (2024, 2nd Gen): $180 (up $50)
• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids: $300 (up $30)

If you person your eyes connected 1 of these Kindles, I’d hold until Black Friday to shop, arsenic they'll apt beryllium connected sale.

What About the New Kindle Scribes?

Kindle has 3 caller Kindle Scribes that launched betwixt precocious 2025 and June 2026. There are present the Kindle Scribe ($500), Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($630), and the Kindle Scribe Without Front Light ($430). All 3 person a akin plan and bundle experience, though the Scribe Colorsoft has a colour surface and a shorter artillery life—only 8 weeks of speechmaking time, compared to 12 weeks connected the $500 Scribe and an awesome 16 weeks connected the Scribe Without Front Light.

All 3 models person a new, taller plan with an 11-inch screen, a somewhat slimmer signifier factor, and an updated stylus. They some besides person a quad-core chip, a caller homepage, and volition enactment a assortment of AI features, including AI hunt (along with immoderate AI tools for summarizing books you’re speechmaking without giving spoilers, though those won’t get until adjacent year). Users tin link to Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to people up documents, which the older exemplary can’t do.

Overall, I’d accidental they’re bully devices, but arsenic agelong arsenic the cheaper second-generation Kindle Scribe is available, I deliberation it’s the amended buy. It has immoderate AI capabilities but nary AI search, and has a antithetic homepage plan that matches a classical Kindle alternatively than the notebook-forward plan seen connected the caller ones. Amazon said it’ll get the aforesaid homepage this year, but I haven’t seen it truthful far. I’m disappointed these caller devices are truthful overmuch much expensive; astatine that price, you mightiness arsenic good store reMarkable’s line of integer notebooks and get amended features and accessories.

Accessories for Easier Reading

Ever had an e-reading league truthful agelong that you get manus cramps? These accessories mightiness help. You tin cheque retired much options successful our Best Kindle Accessories guide.

Cases and Covers

Amazon Kindles are, thankfully, not arsenic fragile arsenic a pricey smartphone, but you whitethorn inactive privation to adhd a screen to support the surface if you’re often toting it astir successful a bag. These aren’t padded for superior drops, but they are immoderate of the champion Kindle cases I’ve recovered for regular extortion from scratches and scuffs. Also, don’t hide that the Kids’ editions travel with cases, truthful if you’re buying 1 of those, you won’t request to bargain a case.

About Those Older Kindles

Amazon usually takes a fewer years betwixt caller Kindle models. Whenever a caller 1 arrives, its predecessor’s banal starts to dwindle. It’s not that I don’t urge these older models per se, but I lone suggest them if you they're connected merchantability for the close price. And don’t bargain excessively aged a model, since Amazon has started pulling enactment for older Kindles.

Before making your purchase, cross-check the terms against the latest exemplary to marque definite you’re paying a just magnitude little for the older device.

Kindle (2022, 11th Generation): This is the smallest of the batch astatine 6.2 inches gangly and 4.3 inches wide, with a 6-inch screen. If you find tablets excessively cumbersome to clasp with 1 hand, see this one, with 16 GB of retention and a 300 pixels per inch (PPI) resolution. It’s pugnacious to find, and I usually don’t spot it for little than $75 these days.

Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation): This is the adjacent measurement up from the basal model. It has a agleam 6.8-inch surface with adjustable lukewarm lighting, a accelerated page-turn rate, a USB-C port, and 16 gigs of storage. It’s waterproof, too. I similar the Signature Edition, which besides includes auto-adjust brightness and 32 GBs of storage. I don’t urge spending much than $100 connected this one.

Kindle Scribe (1st Generation): The archetypal Scribe is simply a large enactment for note-takers. It has a elephantine 10.2-inch surface for taking notes, marking up PDFs, oregon drawing, and galore insubstantial formats you tin choose, similar college-ruled oregon dotted. It besides comes with the Basic Pen, which feels earthy to constitute with and attaches to the broadside of the Scribe magnetically. It’s lone worthy it for $230 oregon less, and I often spot it for beneath $200 connected eBay.

Kindle Kids (2022): This is an older kid-friendly model. It comes with a cover, a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+, parental controls, and a two-year warranty, but the information that it’s lone disposable secondhand means you’ll apt miss retired connected the subscription model and whitethorn oregon whitethorn not inactive person a cover. Ideally, you won't walk much than $70 connected this one.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2021): This older Paperwhite mentation is simply a measurement up from the erstwhile basal Kids models. It has a high-resolution 300-ppi show with an adjustable lukewarm surface and is besides waterproof. You shouldn’t walk much than $110 connected this 1 if you tin find it astatine all. (I couldn't find immoderate resellers for this older exemplary astatine the clip of writing.)

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