There have been extra e-readers launched in 2024 than another yr in historical past. The most important corporations on this house, comparable to Amazon and Kobo, dominated the headlines. There was a lot of new e-paper expertise included in some merchandise that weren’t seen earlier than. What have been the most important e-reader information tales of the yr? There have been tons of them, and Good e-Reader is breaking down essentially the most important.
In our roundup of the most important information tales of the yr, we look at the businesses concerned on this house, what they launched, and different information tales about controversies, new initiatives, or digital content material methods. We didn’t take into account each e-reader launch from each firm, however we primarily targeted on the essential ones.
Amazon
Amazon refreshed its Kindle e-reader lineup for the primary time in near 4 years. Within the final couple of months of 2024, the corporate launched the Kindle eleventh Technology 2024 in a couple of new colours, together with Matcha Inexperienced. The twelfth Technology Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version additionally got here out. The Paperwhite had a brand new shade, jade, and the Signature Version had Metallic Jade and Metallic Raspberry. The Paperwhites display screen was slightly bit bigger and has 25% quicker web page flips and 20% quicker efficiency, primarily as a result of Carta 1300 e-paper show.
The Kindle Scribe additionally bought a refresh, solely a few years after its preliminary launch. It has a brand new shade scheme and extra of a ledger design. The {hardware} is identical as the primary era. The revised stylus has a rubber eraser and a fast map button for numerous fast duties. The numerous hyping issue was the brand new software program expertise. It has Lively Canvas, which has changed Sticky Notes when writing on Kindle Books, PDF information, and Phrase paperwork. There are additionally fast insights by way of AI-powered pocket book summarization. In case you have awful writing when utilizing the stylus, it is going to convert your handwritten notes into one thing extra legible. All of those new options got here to the first-generation Kindle Scribe by way of a software program replace.
The largest Kindle information story of the yr was the primary Amazon shade e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft. This had the identical kind issue and {hardware} specs because the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version, with efficiency upgrades, an ambient mild sensor, and quick charging. Amazon employed E INK Kaleido 3 and did one thing fully new with the show. Amazon says this new gadget has custom-formulated coatings between the show layers to reinforce the colour, a light-weight information with micro-deflectors to attenuate stray mild, and an ultra-thin coating within the show stack to enhance optical efficiency. They constructed the show on an oxide backplane for sharper distinction and higher picture high quality.
I’m not sure if Amazon rushed the Colorsoft to market and didn’t have sufficient high quality and management, however the first batch had a really pronounced yellow bar or band on the backside of the display screen. Because of shopper backlash, all main tech blogs picked up on the story. Amazon obtained many returns, and prospects complained that they up to date the product itemizing to tell everybody concerning the difficulty.
Amazon produced new e-readers a couple of months later and issued a software program replace that has since mounted the difficulty. Though, delivery occasions are sporadic at greatest. This debacle put the worldwide launch of Colorsoft into Europe and Asia on maintain till they may produce sufficient new items to make sure a profitable rollout.
Rakuten Kobo
Rakuten Kobo had an eventful 2024, with the discharge of a variety of new e-readers. The corporate launched their first shade e-readers the Libra Shade and the Kobo Clara Shade. These units used E INK Kaleido 3 and did one thing distinctive in comparison with the competitors. Each e-reader has a number of gel layers which might be stacked on prime of one another. There’s the front-lit show and shade temperature lighting system, the capacitive touchscreen, Carta, Shade, and eventually, the layer of glass to guard every part. Normally, the colour layer is in the midst of the stack, which makes most shade e-readers look washed out. Kobo put the Kaleido 3 e-paper on the prime of the stack, so their colours look manner higher. Additionally they didn’t use glass and as an alternative used a sunken display screen and bezel design.
Not solely did Kobo launch two shade e-readers, but in addition the Kobo Clara BW, a standard black and white e-reader, for many who didn’t desire a shade one. The BW is essentially the most inexpensive one at present being marketed, however general, the Kobo shade units are very low cost in comparison with the competitors.
When Kobo introduced all three of their new e-readers, they ensured customers may get worth from them over time. Rakuten and iFixit shaped a partnership the place screens, batteries, and different inside elements can be found to buy and a sequence of movies have been produced, strolling customers by the restore course of. That is the primary time an e-reader firm has achieved one thing like this.
Kobo Plus expanded into different markets this yr, primarily in Europe. Kobo Plus is a subscription program; customers can subscribe to e-books, audiobooks, or each for the next price. Additionally they added a ton of latest materials, comparable to Harry Potter.
Barnes and Noble
Barnes and Noble is the most important bookseller in america and has lengthy competed in opposition to Amazon and Kobo. One in all its aggressive benefits is its 600 bookstores. Customers can attempt the Nook e-readers and Android tablets earlier than they purchase. If something goes fallacious or they expertise purchaser’s regret, they’ll rapidly return to the shop and get a refund.
The bookseller didn’t launch any new e-book readers in 2024, however they did accomplice with Lenovo for an Android pill known as the Nook Pill 9. What are the foremost promoting factors of Lenovo’s NOOK Pill 9? It has a big 9-inch show, twin audio system, Dolby Audio, Grayscale, Chromatic & Immersive studying modes, TÜV Rhineland-certified eye safety, and Android 13 with Google Play. Additionally it is very inexpensive, at round $119.99.
In 2024, Barnes and Noble discontinued the Nook Glowlight 4e, their entry-level e-reader. They now solely promote two e-readers, the Nook Glowlight 4 and the Nook Glowlight Plus. The Plus is their premium e-reader that got here out in 2023 and has a big 7.8-inch e-paper show with a matte display screen protector put in on the manufacturing unit to cut back glare. It’s waterproof and is their first e-book reader with audiobook performance and page-turn buttons to make e book studying fulfilling.
In 2024, Barnes and Noble stopped supporting previous Nook tablets from 2011-2013. Customers can not hook up with the Barnes and Noble Bookstore to purchase digital content material, comparable to audiobooks and ebooks. Additionally they gained’t have the ability to register new accounts or login to current accounts. They’re now thought of to be paperweights. What Nook pill fashions at the moment are thought of EOL? The Nook Shade, Nook Pill, Nook HD, and Nook HD+. These tablets join the older Nook e-readers which might be additionally EOL, comparable to Nook Easy Contact, Nook Easy Contact with Glowlight and the Nook Glowlight.
Barnes and Noble are getting severe concerning the Nook. They’ve invested in new signage promoting the merchandise and have new show stands with all of their newest e-readers and tablets powered on and prepared for potential prospects. This can be a large pivot from a couple of years in the past when the Nook couldn’t be marketed in shops and was hidden away by the customer support desk.
Pocketbook
Pocketbook launched a number of e-readers in 2024, most of which have been shade variants. The Verse Professional Shade is without doubt one of the greatest; it has the identical kind issue because the Verse and Verse Professional; the one distinction is the Kaleido 3 e-paper show. The Pocketbook Period shade has the identical kind issue as the traditional Pocketbook Period, aside from a Kaleido 3-color e-paper show. What are the foremost promoting factors? 3. Audiobook help, built-in speaker, Textual content-to-Speech operate, SMARTlight, IPX8 water safety, and bodily page-turn buttons.
At first of the yr, Pocketbook dipped its toes within the digital pocket book class to higher compete in opposition to Amazon, Kobo, Boox, and Exceptional in Europe. The Pocketbook Eo Shade pocket book is working Google Android 11 and, for the primary time, full entry to the Google Play Retailer. You’ll be able to learn your entire digital content material in full, vibrant shade because of the Kaleido 3 e-paper show.
The Pocketbook EO relies on the Bigme InkNote Shade+, however Pocketbook has made a number of adjustments on the {hardware} and software program degree. The front-facing digital camera is gone, and ditto with the pogo pins. You should purchase audiobooks and ebooks from the Pocketbook Bookstore, with tabs to allow you to browse. Pocketbook developed its {custom} firmware to make the UI user-friendly for EU and US customers. Within the Notes utility, efficiency and handwriting high quality have been optimized. As well as, they reworked some devices to make them carry out higher. Setup wizard, Settings, Notes utility, and lots of different apps have been reworked; as an extra studying utility, the PocketBook reader app with the PocketBook cloud. The send-by-email characteristic was added. It permits customers to ship word information to emails with out extra logins.
Additionally they launched the InkPad X Professional, which can also be working Google Android and has entry to the Play Retailer. I like its T10.3-inch E INK Mobius show, which could be very mild.
reMarkable
Exceptional is without doubt one of the most important success tales within the digital pocket book house. They’ve three generations of tablets and sometimes launch new {hardware} each three or 4 years. They’ve raised a copious quantity of funding, and their newest era produced is the reMarkable Paper Professional with Shade Canvas 3.0 e-paper show. Because of the brand new front-lit show, working throughout the day or night time makes staying productive simpler. Why did they use to include these options? reMarkable has been listening to customers who wished a lighting system and a shade show to view shade PDF information and freehand draw, take notes, and edit paperwork. The perfect-selling characteristic? It’s utilizing E INK Gallery 3 and may show over 20,000 colours.
Exceptional is the second firm to make use of Gallery 3 on a business product. Nevertheless, reMarkable is the most important and has the potential to go actually mainstream. How did the corporate handle to make Gallery 3 work? reMarkable informed me in a written assertion, “Within the Gallery 3 platform, E Ink gave us the fitting substances for making a novel shade show. Utilizing that show paper expertise as a basis, our groups have redesigned each a part of reMarkable’s signature paper-like writing expertise, from the Marker tip to the textured show floor to how reMarkable OS, our {custom} working system, behaves. The result’s the Canvas Shade show, a {custom} show stack that delivers a good higher writing expertise than reMarkable 2. Out of the field, Gallery 3 guarantees “an replace time of 30 ms.” On reMarkable 2, it’s 21 ms. On reMarkable Paper Professional, it’s as little as 12 ms.”
Right here and There
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- There have been tons of different e-readers launched throughout the yr. Essentially the most notable was the Bigme Hibreak smartphone with each a shade mannequin and a black and white one. Onyx ushered in a brand new GO lineup with three new fashions and the fan favourite, Palma 2. Essentially the most eagerly anticipated new mannequin is the Boox Observe Max, a brand new 13.3 e-note. Viwoods continues to enchantment to customers who desire a digital pocket book expertise with the emergence of the AI Observe and AI Observe Mini.
- E INK Carta 1300 began to change into a actuality. The Carta 1300 show changed the Carta 1200 display screen in e-readers. The Kobo Clara BW was the primary gadget to make use of the Carta 1300 show in Might 2024, and Amazon adopted go well with in October 2024 with its black-and-white Kindles. The Carta 1300 show is extra responsive and has sharper textual content.
- The E Ink Kaleido 3 display screen expertise is taken into account to have the most effective shade show, however colours could seem muted in comparison with a cellphone or pill.
- iFlytek launched their first e-reader aimed toward an English viewers, the AI Observe.
- The e-reader business is projected to develop from $10.67 billion in 2024 to $18.10 billion by 2032.
- Amazon’s Kindle dominates the e-reader market with a 72% share. Amazon additionally leads the eBook market with 79% of all purchases within the US
- There are many new e-paper expertise coming in 2025, comparable to E INK Kaleido 3 Plus, Carta 1300 and 1350 will begin to hit extra merchandise.
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 Submit and the New York Occasions have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
