Amazon announces new Kindle e-readers with flush displays, aluminum casings, and thinner designs

Amazon has announced new generations of its base Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kinde Colorsoft e-readers. The three devices feature new designs, and for the first time, buyers can choose between a plastic back or aluminum back for their Kindles.

The entry-level Kindle has been redesigned and is now thinner and lighter than the previous generation. The biggest change is the switch from a recessed display to one that now sits flush with the frame. Amazon has also adopted a flat frame design, although the corners are still rounded. The power button has also been moved from the bottom to the side, albeit close to the top.

There's still no ingress protection, but the new Kindle (2026) now has a variant with an aluminum back with a matte finish for a more premium feel. Like the plastic version, it is made from recycled materials.

With respect to performance, the Kindle (2026) is advertised as being 30% faster in opening books than the 2024 model. It still has a 6-inch 300 ppi glare-free display, although for reasons best known to Amazon, it lacks warm light. The advertised battery life is up to 6 weeks on a single charge, and it will take approximately 2 hours to charge from empty to full using a 20W adapter.

The Kindle 2026 starts at $149.99 for the plastic version with 16GB of storage, and it is available in Graphite and Ube. The aluminum model has 32GB of storage, comes in Alpine Sky and Seaglass Green and costs $189.99.

The new Kindle Paperwhite has also been redesigned and is advertised as being thinner and lighter than its predecessor. It has a flush display, repositioned power button, and an aluminum edition.

Amazon says the 7-inch display features an oxide-thin film transistor backplane and is the largest Kindle Paperwhite display with the highest contrast ratio. The Kindle Paperwhite (2026) has adjustable warm light, an IPX8 rating, and a battery life of up to 12 weeks.

It is available in Graphite with 16GB of storage for $199.99. There's also a Signature Edition with 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting front light, pogo pin dock charging, double tap to turn pages, and an aluminum casing in Graphite and Seaglass Green for $249.99.

The Kindle Colorsoft (2026) has also gotten a similar redesign as its siblings and an improved display with a light guide that contains micro-deflectors that reduces stray light and improves uniformity, and an ultra-thin coating in the display stack for improved clarity. It still has a 7-inch display, an IPX8 rating, adjustable warm light, and up to 8 weeks of battery life. 

The standard version has a $289.99 price tag and comes in Graphite with 16GB of storage, while the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition has an aluminum casing in Graphite and Fig colors, 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting front light, pogo pin dock charging, and double tap to turn pages for $319.99.

All the new Kindles will be released on October 28 but are available to pre-order now. There are also new Kids versions of all three Kindle models with colorful covers, 12 months of Amazon Kids+, and a starting price of $179.99.