Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Rakuten Kobo have no plans to release new e-readers or tablets anytime soon. The three companies have not filed any FCC applications, which is often the last step they have to take to attain certifications to sell them in the United States. Normally, when these are filed, it often takes between 2-3 months for a product to hit store shelves. This means, we will not see new hardware until the fall or winter of this year.
The last Barnes and Noble FCC application was filed in 2023 and ended up being the NOOK Glowlight Plus. Rakuten Kobo filed in late 2023 and these products launched in the spring of 2023 and the products included the Kobo Clara BW, Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Libra Colour. Amazon tends to file FCC applications through shell companies or law firms. Considering they refreshed their entire Kindle lineup in late 2024 with the Amazon Kindle Basic, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe 2 and Kindle Colorsoft, with they will not release any new e-readers in 2025, aside from maybe a Fire Tablet refresh, with the new Alexa+ voice assistant.
The lack of new e-readers from the big three is a serious blow to anyone who has been waiting for the next generation book readers to replace an aging device, want to jump ship from one brand to another or just want something new to read on. Kobo has discontinued many devices and most of the current generation NOOK is getting long in the tooth.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.