Onyx Boox has released firmware version 4.2 for the Note Air 5C and Go 10.3 Gen 2 Lumi. The main feature is image smoothing, which significantly improves image viewing quality. Other new features include: note page zoom settings, calendar syncing (Google/Outlook), the ability to disable "Anchor" in NeoReader, a floating toolbar in notes, visualized tracing with the pixel eraser and a fix for jitter when drawing straight lines with InkSense styluses (a dedicated toggle has been added to address these issues and smooth out your strokes).

Amazon is introducing significant restrictions in Kindle Unlimited for magazines in the US. Automatic delivery is ending: only the issues you select will be added to your library and automatic delivery of future issues will no longer be available. Magazines rented before April 22, 2026, will be removed from your Kindle library on July 22, 2026. Any magazines in your library at the time of the transition will enter a grace period from April to July and then be removed from your Kindle library. If you want to keep any of these issues, you can rent them individually in the new interface after April 22, as long as they remain available in Kindle Unlimited catalog. Anything rented in the new interface will remain in your library.

Kobo has released a firmware update for Kobo Libra 2 that improves Bluetooth connection stability when using Kobo Remote. Following the release of Kobo Remote, there were numerous reports of intermittent connection drops with Kobo Libra 2 and this update attempted to fix the issue. However, even after the update, there are still reports of excessive battery drain when using the remote. Kobo also plans to release a similar update for other older models. It's possible that older Bluetooth models have specific quirks that cause them to consume more power.

The updated Kobo app for Android and iOS has significantly improved personalized book recommendations. After completing a onboarding quiz designed to identify books you're interested in, the app instantly displays recommendations right on the home screen. It's not yet clear whether you only need to complete the quiz once or whether the home screen will automatically populate with ebook data and update every few days or weeks. Also, there doesn't appear to be an option on the home screen to let Kobo know you're not interested in a particular book or genre.

The new Neo 3 Ultra e-reader is the most powerful and premium iReader Neo's model, boasting a superior display and powerful hardware. It features an E INK Carta 1300 e-paper display with a recessed bezel, resulting in sharper text edges and clearer image details. Ultra utilizes all-new Super Refresh technology, delivering improved frame rates, stable power consumption and jitter-free reading, eliminating afterimages to virtually zero and ensuring flicker-free operation. The device supports 30 brightness levels and color temperature adjustment and is equipped with ComfortLight Pro+ technology. The iReader Neo 3 Ultra also features a slightly larger 2000 mAh battery, which is expected to last for approximately 50 hours of reading time. The iReader Neo 3 Ultra is available to buy in China for $218.

Kindle Scribe now supports writing notes on PDFs downloaded via USB (this feature must first be enabled remotely through Amazon). Previously, writing on PDFs required using the "Send to Kindle" feature, which Amazon would convert and send wirelessly to Kindle Scribe. Now, you can simply download PDFs via USB. However, it appears that anything you add to a PDF on Kindle Scribe will not be viewable off-device once you download the file back to your computer.

Barnes and Noble has released new Nook Reading Tablet 8.7 made by Lenovo. It's a budget Android device with unremarkable specs, but it should be fine for a reading tablet. It has an octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 CPU, 64GB of internal storage, 4GB of RAM and there’s a microSD card slot. It has dual speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 5.1 for audiobooks. The battery size is 5100mAh and battery life is rated at up to 16.5 hours for reading and 12.5 hours for YouTube streaming. It has a grayscale reading mode for B&W and a chromatic reading mode for color content. The price is set at $149.99, but B&N Premium Members can get an extra 10% off.

Goodreads has added a new shelf called "Unfinished" to its app. Goodreads already has a separate shelf for books you're currently reading and the app sends emails reminding you to update your shelf to complete them. However, some books are either too challenging or don't hold the interest of readers. Now you can mark a book as "Unfinished" (just like "Want to Read," "Reading Now," or "Read") and it will move to the appropriate shelf without any notifications. You can also move books between shelves; your reviews, ratings and reading history remain with your book. Books marked as "Unfinished" with a read date count toward your goal; books without a read date do not.

Onyx has released two updated Go Tablet 10.3 Android tablets: one with adjustable screen backlighting (Lumi) and one without. They feature a 10.3-inch HD e-paper display with a 300 PPI resolution, making reading more enjoyable. Both models offer note-taking, PDF viewing and editing capabilities. They support the InkSense Plus stylus with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. Both have stereo speakers for listening to audiobooks, music or podcasts. A single microphone is provided for audio-to-text conversion and voice communication in apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Discord. A USB-C port is used for charging and a 3700 mAh battery powers the tablet. The base model is priced at $420, while the Lumi model is priced at $450.

Audible has launched a cheaper "Standard" plan at $8.99 per month, $6 less than its "Premium" plan. It includes one audiobook per month from the Audible catalog and unlimited listening from a curated library featuring a selection of Audible originals. Unlike "Premium," the new plan does not allow users to keep audiobooks after canceling their subscription. The launch of the new plan comes amid growing competition from Spotify, which launched audiobooks in 2022 and included the format in its own premium subscription, bundling it with music and podcasts. However, Spotify recently raised the price of its monthly subscription plan for the third time in three years, potentially opening the door for Audible.