Amazon removes the Kindle’s raised bezel in its biggest redesign in years

• Amazon has redesigned its Kindle, Paperwhite and Colorsoft ranges with flush-front displays.
• The new six-inch Kindle is 6.8mm thick and weighs 140g.
• Kindle Click lets readers turn pages without touching the e-reader.

Amazon has given its Kindle e-readers one of their biggest physical makeovers in years, removing the raised bezel around the display in favour of a flush-front design.

The redesign covers the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft ranges, with Amazon also refreshing its Kids models. The company unveiled the new lineup on Thursday (1), with availability rolling out across markets including the UK, US, Canada, Japan and Australia.

The most noticeable change is the disappearance of the step between the screen and the surrounding frame. Instead, the display sits flush with the front of the device, giving the e-readers a more seamless appearance while helping Amazon make them thinner and lighter.

But removing the raised edge creates an obvious problem: it traditionally gave readers somewhere to rest their fingers without accidentally touching the screen.

Amazon says it has designed around that issue with a new touch system that detects where a reader's thumb is positioned and temporarily creates an area that ignores accidental touches. Kevin Keith, Amazon's vice president of devices, described it as a “dead zone” that adjusts to where the reader is holding the device.

“When you’re gripping the Kindle, wherever you put your thumb, it will self-detect a dead zone in the Cap touch. It will just readjust, and it’ll know that the finger is there,” Keith said, according to TechCrunch.

Smaller Kindle, more colour

The standard six-inch Kindle is now 6.8mm thick and weighs 140g, making it the smallest and lightest Kindle in the refreshed range. Amazon also claims that books open around 30 per cent faster than on the previous generation.

The entry-level model starts at $149.99 and comes in Ube and Graphite. For the first time, Amazon is also offering an aluminium-backed Kindle with 32GB of storage, priced at $189.99 in the US. It comes in colours including Alpine Sky and Seaglass Green.

Amazon is also changing the position of the power button, moving it to the upper-right edge of the device. The company says the change is intended to make one-handed use more natural and reduce accidental presses.

The Kindle Paperwhite gets the same flush-front treatment while retaining its waterproof design. Amazon says it can last for up to 12 weeks on a charge. The 16GB model starts at $199.99, while the 32GB Signature Edition costs $249.99.

The Colorsoft, which Amazon introduced in 2024 as its first colour Kindle, has also been redesigned. The 16GB model starts at $289.99, while the 32GB Signature Edition costs $319.99. Both retain the colour E Ink approach designed for book covers, illustrations, comics and other colour content without turning the e-reader into a tablet.

Amazon is also continuing its Kids range, including a colour version of the Colorsoft for younger readers. The refreshed children's models get the same new physical design.

A Kindle you don't have to touch

Amazon's redesign comes with an unusual new accessory: Kindle Click, a $34.99 Bluetooth remote that lets readers turn pages without touching the Kindle itself.

The small remote is designed for situations where reaching for the e-reader is inconvenient, such as reading in bed, on a treadmill or while the Kindle is resting on a tray table during a flight. It works with the new Kindle range as well as Kindle models released from 2024 onwards.

Amazon is also selling a magnetic cover with physical page-turn buttons for the Paperwhite Signature Edition and Colorsoft Signature Edition.

The new Kindle and its aluminium version are available in several markets, while the redesigned Paperwhite and Colorsoft models have entered preorder availability, with rollout dates varying by market.

The redesign suggests Amazon is refining the Kindle rather than trying to turn it into something fundamentally different. The company is keeping the distraction-free e-reader concept intact, while focusing this generation on the things readers physically notice: how thin it feels, how easily it can be held and how quickly a page turns.

For a device whose basic job has changed remarkably little over the years, removing the bezel is a surprisingly significant change.