Amazon reveals Aussie habit as it launches first ever colour device
New data has revealed more Aussies than ever have developed a taste for a certain genre of books – indulging in billions of pages this year alone.
It’s the “spicy” reading trend that is showing no signs of slowing down, with new data revealing Aussies are officially obsessed with romance novels.
Amazon Australia says demand for the genre has never been higher, with download information from Kindle users establishing it as the “most popular” category in the country.
In fact, the act of reading is also up, with more than 129 billion Amazon Kindle pages consumed globally already this year, up billions more than the same time period in 2024.
SHOPPING: Buy the Kindle Colorsoft here
The insights into our reading habits comes as the tech-giant “finally” launched its first-ever colour version of the e-reader in Australia, with eager fans who had been desperate to get their hands on the cult device already showering it with rave reviews.
“I love it! I’ve been using to read comments, so impressed, the screen is crystal clear,” wrote one on Reddit.
“Australia FINALLY got the Colorsoft and it’s the updated version, I’m obsessed,” agreed another.
The Kindle Colorsoft brings everything readers know and love about the popular e-reader, but with a glare-free colour display that adds depth to book pages while still being gentle on the eyes.
Some of the many features users love about the Kindle Colorsoft include being splash-proof, it’s also super lightweight at just 219g, and has a battery life that smartphones could only dream of – a whopping 8 weeks.
At $399, the Colorsoft is priced $120 more than the newest version of the iconic greyscale device – but many users have declared the additional cost “worth it”.
“It’s one of the most expensive Kindles, but it really brings the books and stories to life,” said one on TikTok.
“I think the price is fine. I’m sure it will go down at some time. I love my Colorsoft,” another fan added.
The gadget’s rich, paper-like colour along with the device’s 7-inch display also brings another level to everyone’s favourite romance novels.
It’s a genre trend being experienced across the book industry as a whole, and is largely credited to the surge of #BookTok on social media.
Women are also the most frequent readers of books in Australia, across all age groups, reading more than men on average.
But only about one third of the Australian adult population read “regularly”, according to the National Reading Survey.
More Coverage
Amazon also revealed that most Aussies prefer to read on Sunday, with the last day of the week often picked as the preferred time for Kindle users to dive into a good book.
But it’s January that stands as the peak reading month locally, with Australians consuming over 1.7 billion pages on their Kindle devices in the first month of this year.
Amazon first launched the Kindle in Australia 2009 and the “first-of-its-kind portable reader” has since become a household staple.
