Kobo is finally sharing some news and is “teasing” something big for the end of 2026. Will it be a new e-reader? That’s what we’re going to look at in this article. (spoiler: probably)
TL;DR: Kobo is finally making moves. Its e-readers are now sold at Best Buy, ending 16 years of Kindle exclusivity in US retail stores. Bookshop.org support is coming to Kobo devices, which means you’ll be able to buy ebooks on your e-reader while sending money back to independent bookstores. And CEO Michael Tamblyn is teasing a new product for late 2026 that should “fundamentally change” the way we read and write; most bets are on a 7-inch Libra with a stylus, a color Elipsa, or AI-powered reading features. Nothing is confirmed yet, and Tamblyn has over-promised before.
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Let’s start with a few important pieces of news that set the tone.
Kobo strengthens its position in the US
Kobo is moving slowly but surely to strengthen its position in the United States, as the brand has just signed a historic deal with the retail chain Best Buy.
For a few weeks now, it has been possible to buy a Kobo e-reader at Best Buy, which has more than 1,000 stores across the country. Until now, Kindle had an exclusive hold on that shelf space. The models involved are the Kobo Clara BW, the Kobo Clara Colour and the Kobo Libra Colour.
It’s also worth remembering that Kobo is the only e-reader brand that offers direct compatibility with OverDrive/Libby in the US (and a few other countries). These services let you borrow ebooks from your local public library straight from your Kobo. (source)
Bookshop comes to Kobo
More good news: Bookshop.org support has been announced for Kobo e-readers.
Bookshop is an online bookseller that gives back part of the money it earns on book (and audiobook) sales to independent partner bookstores. They also run Bookloop, which lets you hand over your old books in exchange for discounts on future Bookshop purchases. Those old books are then donated or resold.
Kobo and Bookshop are going to integrate with each other, so you’ll be able to buy ebooks directly on your Kobo while still paying independent bookstores through Bookshop. (source)
This is exactly the kind of initiative we’d like to see spread more widely.
A new product announced by Kobo’s CEO for late 2026
Finally, and this is the big announcement, Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn has started getting people ready for a new Kobo product that should “fundamentally change the way we read and write“. (source)
Nothing else has been announced, but everyone is thinking about a new version of the Kobo Libra 2 with a stylus. That would be a device competing head-on with reMarkable, but in a smaller format (7 inches) and at a much more affordable price.
A Kobo Elipsa 2 Colour is also on everyone’s lips… And it’s true that Kobo is missing a device like this now that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is on sale.
Another possibility is AI showing up to change the way we search inside a book, so you could get a summary of the previous chapters, for example.
But for now, we don’t know any more than that. It’s also worth pointing out that Michael Tamblyn pulled the same trick last year, only to end up releasing the Kobo Remote. It’s a nice and genuinely useful product, but not exactly a revolution.
Finally, the previous generation of Kobo e-readers has been out since 2024, so it seems a little early to expect a full refresh of the lineup.
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