Barnes & Noble confirms new Nook e-readers coming in 2026

A Nook Glowlight 4 Plus (Image source: barnesandnoble.com)

Barnes & Noble has confirmed that new Nook e-readers will launch in 2026. While specific details remain scarce, industry trends and hints from the interview suggest potential upgrades such as color E Ink displays, audiobook and note taking support. With the current Nook lineup showing its age—most notably running, on outdated software—the upcoming release could mark a significant shift for B&N. However, questions remain about the company’s ability to deliver more advanced, software-driven devices.

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E-Ink Tablet

Barnes & Noble will be releasing new Nook devices in 2026. This has been confirmed by Jennifer Perry, head of Nook e-readers and digital services, in an interview where she mentioned that new Nook e-readers won’t be launched until next year. Unfortunately, she didn’t reveal any other details about what the upcoming Nook e-readers are going to be like.

However, going by present trends, it is reasonable to assume the company will explore a color e-paper display this time. Almost every other e-reader manufacturer has at least one color e-reader in its lineup. As Good e-Reader states, Jennifer did mention color e-readers during the interview, along with note-taking capabilities. So, there likely is going to be a new E Ink tablet from B&N this time.

Audiobooks also happen to be a huge priority at B&N and it is likely the upcoming Nook e-readers will support audiobook formats as well. Currently, it is only the Nook Glowlight 4 Plus that supports e-books and audiobooks. The only other e-reader the company offers at the moment is the more basic Nook Glowlight 4, pictured at the beginning of this article.

Both Glowlights are largely the same, save for a larger 7.8-inch e-paper display on the 4 Plus compared to a 6-inch display for the Glowlight 4. Other differences include warm color options, a waterproof build, and Bluetooth support for the 4 Plus model. The Glowlight 4 was launched back in 2021. The company followed that up with the GlowLight 4e in 2022 which has since been discontinued. It later launched the GlowLight 4 Plus in 2023. That makes a new Nook e-reader feel long overdue.

However, as the e-Book Reader Blog (link below) mentions, it might be a bit challenging for B&N to come up with an E Ink tablet. Compared to traditional e-readers, e-note devices require more sophisticated software, an area where the company has historically struggled. Case in point – the the GlowLight 4 runs an OS that is based on Android 8.1. It will be interesting to see how the company manages this aspect going forward.

In the meantime, you can watch the full video interview embedded above. Jennifer Perry begins discussing the new Nook e-reader due for launch in 2026 at around the 43:00 mark.