3 Kindle updates coming in 2026 I can not wait to attempt

To kick off CES 2026, Amazon introduced a number of Fire TV updates, together with its greatest Fireplace TV person interface redesign but, a revamped Fireplace TV cellular app, and an all-new Fireplace TV lineup referred to as the Ember Artline — all slated to reach early this 12 months. As thrilling as these reveals are, additionally they acquired me fascinated about Amazon’s different central product line: its Kindle series, and what’s on its roadmap for 2026.

Amazon hasn’t introduced something new for its Kindle lineup thus far this 12 months, and traditionally, CES hasn’t been an enormous stage for Kindle information. The corporate usually makes use of the present to highlight Fireplace TV, Alexa, and sensible dwelling merchandise as an alternative. Nonetheless, there are a number of Kindle updates we already know are coming, primarily based on bulletins from final 12 months. With that in thoughts, listed here are the three Kindle updates I can not watch for in 2026.

Kindle Scribe With out Entrance Mild

The most affordable new Kindle Scribe has not but been launched

At its fall {hardware} occasion final 12 months, Amazon unveiled a brand-new Kindle Scribe (2025) lineup comprising three fashions: the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, Kindle Scribe, and Kindle Scribe With out Entrance Mild. In comparison with the 2024 Kindle Scribe, the most important change is the redesigned show, which is bigger and has slimmer bezels. And, after all, there’s the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft — the primary Scribe to characteristic a coloration E Ink display screen.

Amazon launched each the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the usual Kindle Scribe late final 12 months, however the Kindle Scribe Without Front Light hasn’t launched but and is slated to reach someday this 12 months. Amazon hasn’t shared a precise launch date, however provided that it was introduced again in September, I might be stunned if it did not land within the first half of the 12 months.

The important thing distinction between it and the common Kindle Scribe is true within the identify: it skips the auto-adjusting entrance mild that adapts display screen brightness to your environment. That stated, primarily based on my expertise utilizing the bottom Kindle — which additionally lacks this characteristic — it is actually not an enormous deal, particularly if saving some cash is your aim.

And that is the place this mannequin will get fascinating. The Kindle Scribe With out Entrance Mild is priced at $430. That is $70 lower than the $500 Kindle Scribe with a entrance mild and a full $200 cheaper than the $630 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. If you’d like Amazon’s newest E Ink pocket book with the up to date design, bigger show, and cloud integrations like Google Drive and OneDrive — and do not care a few coloration display screen — it appears to me just like the Kindle Scribe With out Entrance Mild will make a number of sense. However it’ll be much more tempting as soon as Amazon inevitably knocks the worth down throughout its first sale after its launch.

Storage

32GB, 64GB

Model

Amazon

Display screen Dimension

11-inch glare-free show

Battery

As much as 12 weeks

Amazon’s latest gray-scale Kindle Scribe loses the asymmetrical bezel, will increase the show measurement to an enormous 11-inches, and comes with (truly helpful) built-in AI instruments. The mannequin with no entrance mild is ready to launch someday in 2026.

Software program updates

Enhancements to the Kindle Scribe and new AI options are coming

Past the launch of the Kindle Scribe With out Entrance Mild later this 12 months, Amazon additionally has a few software program updates on the way in which that have been introduced final 12 months. The primary is for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which is able to get a system-wide dark mode. The second replace is aimed toward first and second-generation Kindle Scribes, bringing over the brand new Kindle Scribe dwelling display screen, Google Drive and OneDrive integration, and several other new AI options.

In different phrases, when you’re utilizing a 2024 or perhaps a 2022 Kindle Scribe, a few of the software program options launched with the 2025 Scribe mannequin ought to make their option to your system someday this 12 months.

Amazon can also be rolling out this 12 months what it is calling “new AI-powered reading features” throughout its whole Kindle lineup. One in every of them, Story So Far, is designed that will help you shortly make amends for the place you left off in a e book, with none spoilers about what’s forward. One other, referred to as Ask This E-book, enables you to spotlight a passage and get spoiler-free solutions to questions on issues like a personality’s motivation or why a selected scene issues.

In line with Amazon, each the Kindle Scribe updates and these new AI-powered studying options for all Kindle e-readers are anticipated to reach early this 12 months. Should you use the Kindle app on iOS, Story So Far and Ask This E-book ought to already be obtainable.

Adjustments to how one can obtain DRM-free books

Managing DRM-free Kindle books will turn out to be easier in 2026

Lastly, in December 2025, Amazon made a considerably surprising announcement about adjustments to how one can obtain DRM-free e-books you’ve got bought. Beginning January 20, 2026, any DRM-free titles in your library will likely be obtainable for obtain in EPUB or PDF codecs. This may make it a lot simpler to maneuver books to different units or handle them in e-book library software program on a PC, equivalent to Calibre.

As Amazon places it, the aim is to “make it simpler for readers to take pleasure in content material they’ve bought from the Kindle Retailer throughout a wider vary of units and purposes,” by permitting titles printed with out Digital Rights Administration (DRM) to be downloaded in EPUB or PDF.

Should you’ve purchased DRM-free e-books, you can obtain them from the Handle Your Content material and Gadgets web page on Amazon’s web site. This would possibly not apply to most Kindle books, since DRM nonetheless protects the overwhelming majority of main titles. Nonetheless, when you’ve bought books from unbiased authors who select to go DRM-free, this replace ought to make managing your library rather a lot simpler.

Contemplating that Amazon kicked off 2025 by clamping down on e-book downloads by getting rid of the “Obtain & Switch by way of USB” choice, it is refreshing to see the corporate begin 2026 by making issues a bit simpler once more — even when it solely applies to DRM-free titles.