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Amazon has kicked off its second Kindle device sale of 2026 with deals on Paperwhite and Colorsoft tablets. The price cuts are arriving ahead of what we believe will be a series of Mother's Day promotions going on over the next couple of weeks.
If you're looking to buy a new Kindle for yourself or a loved one, it's as good a time as any to pick one up at a discount. And for any existing Kindle owners who don't already know, Amazon recently revealed it would be cutting services to older Kindles starting in May 2026. That means anyone with a Kindle they purchased before 2012 will no longer be able to access the Kindle Store on their device. So a forced upgrade may be in order even if you already own one.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
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Includes 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited or a Sling Bag for $10 more.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
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Includes 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited or a Sling Bag for $10 more.
Of the two Kindle deals available, only the discount on the Paperwhite matches the lowest price in 2026. Both of these reading tablets were discounted during Amazon's Big Spring Sale about a month ago and the Colorsoft dropped to its all-time low at $169.99, which hasn't been matched this time around. That being said, a discount is a discount and these prices are still better than what you'll see most of the time throughout the year outside of major Amazon shopping events.
Which Kindle should you buy?Besides the price, choosing between the Paperwhite and Colorsoft is pretty straightforward. The Paperwhite is essentially the standard Kindle a black-and-white e-ink display, whereas the Colorsoft offers up a full-color display. If you're only looking to read text-heavy books, the Paperwhite is your best option. If you're hoping to also read digital comics, manga, and illustrated editions of books on your device then Colorsoft is the better choice.
It is worth noting that neither of these Kindles include a protective case, so you'll need to purchase one separately.
Should you include the Kindle Unlimited free trial?
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean)
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Included with Kindle Unlimited.
In addition to the price cuts, new users are also eligible for a three-month Kindle Unlimited free trial with the activation of their new device. You don't have to include this offer to get the discount, but it is nice to have if you're an avid reader and you can always cancel later if you're not into it. As someone who has a Kindle Unlimited subscription I do pay for, I can say it's great for anyone who is really into LitRPG books or Romantasy novels. You can get access to the full collection of Dungeon Crawler Carl books with a subscription or dive into every entry in the Fourth Wing series.
Kindle Unlimited is a great service if it has the specific series you want to read, but it's not always the best option for new releases or other popular fiction genres. You can check out all of the books included with Kindle Unlimited currently available on Amazon's website before you decide.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to books and the latest Pokémon games.