What new e-readers will come out in 2025? A number of manufacturers will launch new units like clockwork, akin to Pocketbook, Onyx Boox, Meebook, iFlytek, iReader, Hyread, and others. These guys, on common, subject 3-4 new units 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, akin to Kindle, Kobo, Nook, or Outstanding? There shall be some massive new releases this yr and is bound to seize main headlines in every single place.
2024 was the yr that main firms, akin to Kobo and Amazon launched coloration e-readers, and they’re going to broaden on their choices and have some thrilling new merchandise.
Rakuten Kobo
Kobo launched their first coloration e-readers in 2024, the Clara Color and Libra Color; in addition they had the Kobo Clara BW, proving to be a preferred machine as a result of value. The corporate will probably launch a brand new Kobo Sage and a third technology Elipsa. No less than considered one of these shall be coloration, probably the Elipsa. The Sage has a great kind issue, and the page-turn buttons are nice, but it surely’s getting previous and suffers from battery life points. Issues had been so dangerous that Kobo launched an influence case with an impartial battery.
Amazon
Amazon had a really busy 2024. The e-commerce large refreshed their e-readers: the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Signature Version, Kindle Scribe, and their first coloration e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft. The Colorsoft was poor on the preliminary launch and suffered some display defects. Nonetheless, this subject has been labored out.
I don’t see Amazon growing any new Kindles in 2025. As an alternative, they plan to launch Colorsoft exterior the USA in Europe, Japan, Canada, and different worldwide markets. The opposite Kindle e-readers have already been launched in key markets, however their total attain and stockpiles ought 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 the US, 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 a minimum of one new e-reader in 2025, possibly two. The common Nook Glowlight 4 is a number of years previous and getting lengthy within the tooth, so this may very well be refreshed. I’d not rule out a brand new coloration mannequin both since they will’t let Amazon and Kobo have all of the enjoyable within the crucial US market.
Onyx Boox
Onyx Boox launched a bevy of latest merchandise in 2024; typically, it’s laborious to maintain up. These embrace the Notice Max, Notice Air4c, Palma 2, Go 6, Go 10, and Go 7 Coloration. I anticipate them to launch the Notice Air 4, Web page 2, and Poke 6 and refresh a number of units of their Tab Extremely line, which they have a tendency to do initially 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 units of their dwelling nation, so it could make sense for them to make a major push there. In China, their merchandise don’t have Google Play, however they do have a web-based bookstore the place prospects can buy digital content material.
Outstanding
Outstanding is on a three-year cycle for brand new merchandise, and in 2024, they launched their first coloration e-notebook, however as an alternative of utilizing the Kaleido 3 system like everybody else, they determined to embrace Gallery 3, which might show near 50,000 totally different colours, nevertheless Outstanding claims their machine can deal with half of that.
The Outstanding 2 continues to be being bought, and will probably be near 4 years previous in 2025, so I can anticipate them to revise this mannequin. It can probably have higher {hardware}, a front-lit show, and possibly a newer display tech. Count on a bigger battery and extra machine storage. This can outcome within the firm having a brand new black-and-white mannequin and a coloration to attraction to each market segments.
Pocketbook
Pocketbook had a busy 2024; the corporate primarily targeted on coloration 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 reasonably priced e-readers, such because the Verse, InkPad 5, and Primary 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. Certainly one of Pocketbook’s biggest strengths is that it reads most e-book codecs within the enterprise.
I also can foresee some premium fashions in Pocketbook, such because the Period 2 and InkPad Lite 2. They may even probably refresh a few of their coloration 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, coloration e-notebooks, coloration e-readers, and now a brand new verticle, smartphones. Bigme launched the Hibreak BW and Hibreak coloration, 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 must also 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 Publish and the New York Instances have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
