Color e-readers help drive renewed interest in Kindle devices

In short: More people are buying dedicated e-readers again, and color screens like Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft are helping widen the appeal.

What's going on

Dedicated e-readers are gaining popularity as readers look for a quieter alternative to smartphones. According to The New York Times, Kindle sales reached their highest level in more than a decade in 2025.

Part of the shift is about using simpler devices that do one job well. An e-reader is more like a book than a phone. It is built for reading, not for endless alerts, social media scrolling, or a constant stream of AI written news.

Color is also making e-readers more useful for more kinds of reading. Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft costs $290 and adds a color display to the usual black and white e-reader format. Color can make comics, illustrated books, and photos easier and more enjoyable to view, although color models may have shorter battery life than older black and white versions.

Amazon is also adding optional AI generated story summaries on the device. AI generated means a computer program writes the summary based on the book (like a fast book report). In this case, the feature is meant to help readers keep track of what they are reading, without turning the e-reader into another general purpose content feed.

What to watch

More companies may try to sell “single purpose” devices that feel calmer than phones, especially to younger buyers. It is also worth watching how far e-readers go with AI features, and whether they stay focused on reading aids like summaries instead of adding distractions.

Source: NYTimes