Best e-Ink book e-readers

2023. Hanvon launches new premium Clear e-reader



Hanvon, a Chinese manufacturer, has unveiled a new Clear E-reader with a retail price of $221 for the 4 + 64 GB configuration. The Hanwang Clear E-reader boasts a 7-inch Carta 1200 E Ink screen, offering a resolution of 300 PPI. The Clear glass cover incorporates cutting-edge microcrystalline etching technology and is combined with a fully laminated screen, resulting in improved transparency and significantly enhanced clarity. Utilizing its exclusive 16-level grayscale algorithm, the device accurately reproduces a 256-level grayscale display effect. The e-reader is powered by a substantial 2400mAh battery, ensuring it can last for several weeks effortlessly. Additionally, as previously mentioned, the high-end model now provides 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage. The device features three vertically arranged physical buttons on the side, enabling convenient page flipping. Pressing and holding the center button triggers a quick refresh. When the gravity sensing function is activated, users can effortlessly switch between left and right-handed operations.


2022. Kobo's new waterproof Clara 2E e-reader takes on Kindle



Kobo is introducing a new waterproof e-reader - the Kobo Clara 2E, which could challenge Amazon's Kindle e-readers. The device features an exterior crafted from over 85 percent recycled plastic, with 10 percent of it reportedly sourced from ocean-bound materials. The Kobo Clara 2E includes Bluetooth technology for audiobooks, offers 60 minutes of water resistance in up to two meters of water and provides more storage for your eBooks than earlier Kobo models (16GB). It boasts a six-inch HD E Ink Carta 1200 glare-free display with dark mode and blue light reduction and promises weeks-long battery life. Priced at $150, it is less expensive than the company's previous Forma model but costlier than the Nia model. Additionally, Kobo's SleepCovers for the device are made from recycled polyester with an inner microfibre lining created from 40 percent recycled plastic water bottles — available in colors like Black, Deep Ocean Blue, Coral Reef Orange and Sea Glass Green.

2022. Onyx Boox Poke Lite - the best e-reader for the money



Onyx has just unveiled the Poke 4 Lite, which might be the best e-reader for the price. It retails for $149.99 and comes in black or white. The Onyx Boox Poke 4 Lite boasts a 6-inch E INK Carta HD touchscreen with a resolution of 1024×786 and 212 PPI. The screen is not flush with the bezel and lacks a glass layer. This design choice is quite intriguing, as it prevents reflections from overhead lighting in your home or office and reduces glare from the sun. E-paper absorbs light, whereas most e-readers have glass screens that reflect light. The only workaround is to use a matte screen protector, which is often difficult to find and not typically offered by OEMs for specific screen sizes. The device features a blue body with a black strip around the bezel.


2021. Kindle update brings new navigation options



Amazon has launched another software update for Kindle e-readers that introduces further adjustments to the navigation system for reading e-books. The new software version is 5.14.1, an upgrade from 5.13.7 from the previous update, which made significant changes to the user interface. Now, they are addressing some issues caused by the removal of the back button in that update. Essentially, they have added a "go back" box that appears at the bottom of the screen whenever navigating to a different section of a book.


2020. Amazon issues new update for Kindle Paperwhite 3



Amazon has finally upgraded the Kindle Paperwhite 3 with all the new features it previously lacked. The model hadn't received a firmware update since December and was widely rumored to be discontinued. One of the new enhancements is an improved search experience, making it easier to navigate your search results within the book without losing your place. To use it, simply search for a term in your book and tap on a search result. They have also refreshed the Page Flip feature, which now displays recently read pages as dots on the progress bar, including your most recent page read from another device. If you have a FreeTime Unlimited subscription, children will see a new layout, enhanced search, book details and Audible support. In supported regions, kids with access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited will see rows of recommended eBook and Audible content that are suitable for their age.


2020. Kobo introduces $99 e-reader Nia to replace Aura



In the vast and occasionally perplexing universe of e-book readers, Rakuten has flung a new contender into the cosmic void of consumer electronics. Behold the Kobo Nia, a nifty little gadget with a 6-inch, 1024x758 pixel touchscreen clocking in at a crisp 212 ppi. Thanks to its ComfortLight tech, you can make the screen as bright or as dim as your whims demand, all while clutching a remarkably svelte 172-gram device that’s just 9.2mm thick. Inside this sleek bit of circuitry lies a 1,000mAh battery, cheerfully boasting "weeks" of page-turning endurance, and 8GB of storage for more books than you can realistically read in a year. Inevitably, it invites comparison to Amazon's cheapest Kindle, which starts at $89.99 (but only if you're willing to endure the indignity of ads; $109.99 if you’re not), featuring the same 6-inch screen but with a comparatively meh 165 ppi resolution and half the storage. For anyone feeling mildly allergic to Amazon's ecosystem and looking for an affordable e-reader that doesn’t nag them with special offers, the Nia makes a rather compelling case—perhaps even with a wink and a smug little grin.


2019. Kobo brings the Forma form factor to a cheaper model Kobo Libra



The new Kobo Libra H2O adopts the Forma's design for a 7-inch screen device that costs a more reasonable $170. It’s still not inexpensive in the realm of e-readers, of course. That’s about $40 more than, for example, the Kindle Paperwhite, but it’s great to see some of these features beginning to appear in more affordable products. The design functions well, allowing for reading in both landscape and portrait modes, with autorotation enabled by the built-in accelerometer. Kobo has also refined the software to feature improved menus, enhanced book scrubbing and better previews. Additional features include the ability to adjust the front light brightness by swiping along the side of the screen. As the name suggests, the device is waterproof with an IPX8 rating.


2018. The new Kindle Paperwhite is thinner and waterproof



The Kindle Paperwhite has taken a leisurely stroll through the upgrade department and emerged rather pleased with itself, flaunting a host of delightful tweaks that lend it a distinctly posh air while stubbornly sticking to its $130 starting price. Chief among its party tricks is waterproofing – an IPX8 rating, no less – which means you could casually drop it in two meters of water and still have enough time to read the entire Vogon poetry section before retrieving it. Borrowing a page from its swankier sibling, the Oasis, it now boasts a sleek flush front, banishing the clunky raised bezels of yesteryear, which not only ups its elegance but also helps keep the watery bits outside where they belong. This svelte redesign also earns it the title of thinnest and lightest Paperwhite yet, because who wants a bookish brick in their bag? And if that weren’t enough, it’s had a subtle glow-up, trading in four LEDs for five – a seemingly modest bump that somehow makes the front lighting as smooth and consistent as a tea-sipping whale on a Sunday afternoon.


2018. New Kobo Clara HD is an affordable Kindle competitor



After months of speculation, Canadian e-book reader manufacturer Kobo has unveiled its latest device, the Kobo Clara HD. This reader is the first budget-friendly model released by the company in nearly three years. Despite being one of Kobo’s more economical options, it boasts some quite notable features. The Kobo Clara HD features a 6-inch Cara E Ink screen with a 300ppi resolution. It includes a substantial 8GB of storage, which can hold approximately 6,000 e-books. Unless you're a heavy user, the battery is expected to last for several weeks. One of the most exciting additions to the Kobo Clara HD is ComfortLight Pro. Instead of using traditional technology to illuminate most E Ink screens, ComfortLight Pro employs orange and red LEDs for lighting, reducing your exposure to blue light. While the Clara HD is not the first Kobo e-reader to feature this technology, it is the most affordable one available.


2016. Pocketbook Announces the InkPad 2



In a small corner of the universe, where the words “convenience” and “gadgetry” occasionally bump into each other, the Pocketbook InkPad 2 has improbably popped into existence. Sporting a splendidly large 8-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1,200 x 1,600 pixels—which is, incidentally, just the right amount of pixels to look very impressive—it manages to balance both front-lit illumination and the classic charm of physical page-turn buttons, which your thumbs will thank you for. At the heart of this digital tome lies a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM, valiantly doing their best to keep things ticking along. There's 4 GB of internal memory (just enough for an existential crisis worth of books), expandable up to 32 GB via Micro SD, presumably for when that crisis turns into an epic saga. And if all that wasn’t enough, the device inexplicably boasts a 3.5mm headphone jack, perfect for filling your ears with audiobooks or music while you ponder the unlikeliness of everything. All this delightful absurdity can soon be yours for the modest price of €199.


2016. Amazon unveils new Kindle Oasis



The new Amazon Kindle Oasis is the smallest and lightest Kindle to date and features a handle for gripping. It gets closer to the feel of a real book with a thickness of just 3.4 mm at its thinnest point and the new one-sided handle is designed to mimic holding the spine of a book while reading. The device includes two buttons for navigating pages forward and backward. It’s unusual to see buttons reintroduced after moving away from keyboards and buttons in previous generations. However, according to Amazon, users simply prefer buttons, so they are making a return. The WiFi version of the Oasis will be priced at $289 and the 3G version will be available for $359.