
US prisons currently use Android tablets granted by the correctional institution as an upgrade from the gloomy electronics offered in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Back then, convicts had a limited number of options, including shared payphones, a small portable radio, or, if they were lucky and had a few dollars, a Walkman, and possibly a few tapes or CDs if their funds were sufficient. Tablets are now primarily supplied by two major providers: Securus Technologies (by its subsidiary JPay) and ViaPath Technologies (after GTL). Jpay models, such as the JP6S, are currently dominating a lot of states; these devices run a closed down version of Android, which is often Android 8.1 these days.

Many low-cost tablets feel like half-finished devices, bound within Amazon’s ecosystem with limited app availability and a general sense of sluggishness. The Lenovo Idea Tab (2025) with the Lenovo Tab Pen and Folio Case, priced at $179.99 (was $249.99), is an entirely different beast.

Standard e-readers do the job, but they are rarely used for anything other than reading. Amazon’s latest Kindle Scribe, especially the 64GB version, priced at $310 (was $450), provides a lot more by combining serious reading with very practical writing tools. Anyone who travels, commutes, or attempts to juggle ideas on the go would appreciate a gadget that can serve as both a library and a notebook without adding weight.

TCL unveils the Note A1 NXTPAPER, a specialized digital notepad designed to address the growing number of users who are fed up with too glossy screens and E-ink refresh rates that are far too slow. Its screen measures 11.5 inches, takes up the entire thin aluminum body, while weighing only 500 grams. You should be able to hold it with one hand for hours without straining your hand, thanks to a thicker bezel on one side that provides a good solid grip.

Amazon has historically dominated e-readers with devices that prioritize crisp text and long reading sessions, and the new Kindle Colorsoft, priced at $189.99 (was $249.99), is no exception. Standard Kindles offer black-and-white pages that appear quite similar to paper. Amazon has now stepped up their game with their first model that includes color. This 7-inch gadget is designed right on top of the Kindle Paperwhite foundation, but it features entirely new display technology.

Samsung keeps bringing back the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and each one finds a way to remind us why this tablet won’t go away. This latest model comes with an S Pen and a price tag of $159.99 (was $329.99). People grab it for school notes, casual sketches or just scrolling through feeds without guilt.

When you first open the box, you’ll notice how light it is. Amazon managed to trim more than 30 grams off the old model. That means the new Fire HD 10, priced at $69.99 (down from $139.99), will slide comfortably into a backpack pocket without dragging the zipper down on you. Hold it in one hand for an hour and your wrist won’t be bothered.

The Diptyx E-reader is essentially a foldable piece of hardware that mimics the simple pleasure of tearing open a paperback. Martijn den Hoed, a Dutch developer, created this open-source gadget that fits in your purse like an old favorite novel, ready to unfold into something way more personal than the usual slab of glass and glow.

iFLYTEK just announced the $599 AINOTE 2, which has already been named the world’s slimmest E-ink tablet by Guinness World Records. This gadget is insanely thin – only 4.2 millimeters – so it fits in your pocket or goes between the pages of your notepad without you having to think about where you put it. Furthermore, it weighs only 295 grams, which is less than a decent-sized paperback.

The Kindle Scribe has always been the oddball in the Kindle family, allowing you to scribble notes and draw ideas in addition to reading. Amazon’s Kindle Scribe Colorsoft expands on that ambition by adding color. This is the first Kindle Scribe with a color E Ink display, and it marks a colorful step toward a world in which digital notes and books feel more like their physical equivalents.