E-Book Reader Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Screen Size (Below 6 Inch, 6-8 Inch, 8-10 inch, Above 10 Inch), By End User (Students, Professionals, Others), By Distribution Channel (Specialty Stores, Online), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 8.24 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	5.84%
Fastest Growing Segment	Online
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 11.58 Billion

Market Overview

The Global E-Book Reader Market will grow from USD 8.24 Billion in 2025 to USD 11.58 Billion by 2031 at a 5.84% CAGR. E-book readers are specialized portable electronic devices designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital books and periodicals, typically utilizing E Ink technology to replicate the appearance of printed paper and minimize eye strain. The market is fundamentally driven by the inherent portability of these devices, which allows consumers to carry extensive libraries in a single lightweight unit, alongside the global digitization of educational and professional content. Additionally, the growing environmental consciousness regarding paper consumption supports the shift toward paperless reading solutions, further anchoring the demand for these dedicated devices.

According to the Association of American Publishers, in 2025, the StatShot Annual report covering the calendar year 2024 revealed that eBook revenues in the United States reached 2.1 billion dollars, marking a 1.5 percent increase. Despite this steady demand for digital content, a significant challenge impeding hardware market expansion is the intense competition from multifunctional devices such as smartphones and tablets. These ubiquitous alternatives offer integrated reading applications alongside diverse multimedia functions, often reducing the perceived necessity for consumers to invest in a standalone single-purpose reading device.

Key Market Drivers

Advancements in E-Ink and Display Technology are fundamentally reshaping the market by bridging the gap between monochrome efficiency and the vibrant visual requirements of modern media. The recent shift toward mass production of color e-paper has enabled manufacturers to launch devices capable of displaying complex graphics, textbooks, and magazines with high fidelity, thereby stimulating replacement demand among existing users. This technological leap is driving significant financial growth within the supply chain; according to the Taipei Times, November 2025, citing E Ink Holdings' quarterly data, the company's revenue grew by 29 percent year-on-year to 29.1 billion New Taiwan dollars in the first three quarters of 2025. This surge reflects the hardware sector's successful pivot toward color-enhanced displays that maintain the superior battery life and energy efficiency consumers expect from dedicated readers.

Concurrently, the Proliferation of E-Book Subscription Services is stabilizing the market by shifting the value proposition from individual book purchases to continuous content access. These platforms incentivize hardware ownership by offering unlimited libraries for a flat fee, effectively locking consumers into the digital reading ecosystem and encouraging daily device usage. According to Storytel AB, October 2025, in their 'Interim Report January–September 2025', the group's streaming revenue increased by 4 percent to 884 million Swedish kronor in the third quarter alone. This recurring revenue model's success is mirrored in the broader publishing industry's performance; according to Publishers Weekly, March 2025, Penguin Random House reported that worldwide sales rose 8.5 percent to 4.9 billion euros in 2024, a growth trajectory partly attributed to the enduring strength of digital and audio formats.

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Key Market Challenges

The intense competition from multifunctional devices, particularly smartphones and tablets, acts as a substantial constraint on the expansion of the Global E-Book Reader Market. As mobile technology advances, these devices now feature high-resolution displays and sophisticated reading applications that closely mimic the utility of dedicated e-readers without requiring an additional hardware investment. This technological convergence creates a redundancy for the average consumer; the convenience of accessing a vast ecosystem of media, communication tools, and literature on a single device often outweighs the specific ergonomic advantages of E Ink screens, making dedicated readers difficult to justify for non-enthusiasts.

This challenge is further compounded by a shift in content consumption preferences that favors formats native to multifunctional hardware. According to the Association of American Publishers, in 2025, data for the 2024 calendar year indicated that digital audio revenue surged by 22.5 percent to reach 2.4 billion dollars, effectively surpassing the revenue generated by e-books. This specific growth in audio formats, which are predominantly consumed via smartphones while multitasking, demonstrates how versatile mobile devices are capturing the market share of attention. By fulfilling the demand for digital storytelling through audio rather than visual text, smartphones reduce the necessity for single-purpose reading devices, thereby directly hampering the volume of hardware shipments.

Key Market Trends

The convergence of e-readers and digital note-taking hybrid devices is expanding the sector's utility beyond passive consumption. This trend targets professionals requiring distraction-free environments for annotation, effectively merging the tactile experience of paper with digital organization. By incorporating low-latency styluses and textured screen layers, manufacturers are capturing a demographic that previously relied on physical notebooks or multipurpose tablets, thereby increasing the hardware's perceived value and average selling price. This demand for functional productivity is evidenced by the financial performance of category pioneers; according to reMarkable Invest Group, May 2024, in the 'Annual Report FY23', the company's total revenue grew by 27 percent year-on-year to 338 million US dollars, driven largely by the scaling of these dedicated writing tablets.

Simultaneously, the integration of Artificial Intelligence for handwriting refinement and content summarization is emerging as a critical differentiator for high-end e-paper devices. Manufacturers are embedding large language models to instantly convert scribbled notes into formal text and summarize lengthy documents, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the e-ink workflow. This technological addition addresses the historical limitation of e-readers being static display units, transforming them into dynamic business tools capable of active data processing. The market impact of these features is verifiable; according to iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., September 2024, in the 'Interim Report 2024', sales of their Smart Office Notebooks, which utilize the Spark AI model for semantic processing, increased by 40 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year.

Segmental Insights

The Online segment is projected to register the fastest expansion within the Global E-Book Reader Market, primarily attributed to the growing consumer preference for e-commerce channels. This growth is driven by the seamless integration of hardware sales with digital content ecosystems, allowing users to purchase devices and instantly access extensive e-book libraries. Furthermore, online platforms facilitate direct-to-consumer strategies, ensuring wider product availability and competitive pricing compared to physical retail counterparts. Consequently, the convenience and efficiency of digital marketplaces are significantly accelerating the uptake of e-book readers globally.

Regional Insights

North America leads the global e-book reader market, driven by the early and widespread adoption of digital reading technology. The region benefits from a well-established digital publishing ecosystem and the presence of key industry players that facilitate seamless content delivery. Additionally, strong intellectual property frameworks supported by institutions like the United States Copyright Office ensure secure content distribution, fostering trust among publishers and authors. High consumer spending power and a cultural shift toward convenient, portable media formats further sustain the market expansion in this region.

Recent Developments

• In October 2024, Amazon unveiled the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, effectively entering the color segment of the Global E-Book Reader Market. This new device was built with a custom oxide backplane and utilized nitride LEDs to produce a display that offered vibrant, paper-like color without compromising the contrast or page-turn speed expected from the brand. As part of a broader portfolio refresh, the company also introduced an updated Kindle Scribe with enhanced note-taking capabilities. The Colorsoft model supported wireless charging and was designed to deliver up to eight weeks of battery life on a single charge.
• In September 2024, Remarkable launched the Remarkable Paper Pro, marking a significant technological advancement as the company’s first paper tablet to feature a color display. The device utilized a proprietary Canvas Color display stack that was engineered to deliver low-latency writing and a textured glass surface for tactile feedback. Unlike its predecessors, this model included an adjustable reading light to facilitate usage in low-light environments without causing eye strain. The product was positioned as a distraction-free tool aimed at improving focus and workflow efficiency for knowledge workers and creatives.
• In June 2024, Onyx Boox introduced the Boox Go 10.3, a specialized e-paper tablet designed to enhance the digital writing experience for professionals. This device distinguished itself in the market by removing the front-light layer to minimize the distance between the visual content and the glass surface, thereby simulating a more authentic pen-on-paper feel. The tablet featured a high-resolution 300 PPI E Ink Carta 1200 display and ran on the Android 12 operating system, which provided users with the flexibility to install various third-party productivity applications directly from the Google Play Store.
• In April 2024, Rakuten Kobo expanded its presence in the Global E-Book Reader Market by launching its first distinct color E Ink devices, the Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour. These new e-readers incorporated Kobo-optimized E Ink Kaleido 3 display technology, which allowed for a palette of 4,096 colors while retaining the high contrast and battery efficiency typical of monochromatic screens. The company also emphasized sustainability and product longevity by announcing a partnership with iFixit to facilitate easier repairs, such as battery replacements, for users across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Key Market Players

• Amazon.com Inc.
• Onyx International Inc.
• Barnes & Noble Inc.
• Hanvon Technology Co. Ltd.
• Rakuten Kobo Inc
• Sony Electronics Inc.
• PocketBook International SA
• ECTACO, Inc.
• Aluratek, Inc.
• Tolino media GmbH & Co. KG

By Screen Size	By End User	By Distribution Channel	By Region
Below 6 Inch 6-8 Inch 8-10 inch Above 10 Inch	Students Professionals Others	Specialty Stores Online	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global E-Book Reader Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• E-Book Reader Market, By Screen Size:

• Below 6 Inch
• 6-8 Inch
• 8-10 inch
• Above 10 Inch

• E-Book Reader Market, By End User:

• Students
• Professionals
• Others

• E-Book Reader Market, By Distribution Channel:

• Specialty Stores
• Online

• E-Book Reader Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE