OPINION: Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft is now on sale, and it’s the biggest shakeup of the e-reader in a decade.
Announced alongside new versions of the Scribe, Paperwhite and the basic, entry-level Kindle, the Colorsoft – as the name suggests – is the first Kindle e-reader with a colour display.
It’s not like one of the brand’s Fire tablets though, or an iPad – this Colorsoft is still designed primarily for distraction-free reading, with a screen more akin to paper than an OLED or LCD.
I have so far spent 24 hours with the Colorsoft, nowhere near enough time to render a full verdict – but enough to have thoughts. And I have lots of thoughts.
I love Kindles. I have used just about all of them in the past, whether it’s in a professional capacity or, before I started reviewing tech, a personal one. I’ve used a 2017 Kindle Oasis (still the ultimate Kindle, in my opinion) since it launched.
After reviewing the Kobo Libra Colour earlier in the year, I have been hoping Amazon would launch a competitor and here it is.
The colour is subtle, but it makes a difference
When I first booted up the Colorsoft, I was taken aback. I am so used to the monochrome UI of the Kindle Oasis and Paperwhite that seeing the same things, but injected with colour was almost like using a Kindle for the first time.
Your eye will instantly jump to the colourful book covers as these are the most obvious initial benefits of the new display.
They look great, and having that extra pop really adds something over the typical black and white. In some cases, I was looking at book covers in their true form for the very first time.
Don’t come to the Colorsoft expecting OLED or LCD levels of colour. This isn’t a tablet and Amazon, thankfully, isn’t trying to turn it into one.
The colours are soft and subtle, more like a watercolour painting than a printed picture. There’s enough pop and saturation to get the job done (and a Vivid mode if you want more oomph) although I assume this is one area that’ll improve as the tech advances over the next five years.
You can tell the colour layer is there
Like colour readers from Kobo, the screen alters resolution depending on the content. When colour is displayed, the resolution sits at 150PPI – move over the standard monochrome books and it jumps up to the same 300PPI as the Kindle Paperwhite. You can certainly notice the drop in resolution, especially with text bubbles in graphic novels, although everything is still very readable.
Look closely at the screen and you can spot the layer over the E-Ink display that provides the colour. It’s subtle, but it is there. Granted, you do need to look really closely to see it – far closer than a natural reading position – although once I had spotted it, it took a while for my brain to look past it.
This is all down to personal preference though, and I assume most won’t really be that fussed about some minuscule dots sitting behind the text.
Pop the Colorosoft next to the Paperwhite, or the Oasis, and I do think the latter two look a little better. The latest Paperwhite has better contrast, giving more of a papery look, while the older Oasis is, to my eye, crisper. I am splitting hairs here, and all the current Kindles display text sharp enough to comfortably read without noticing distinct pixels.
Sticking with the Paperwhite design is an interesting choice
The Colorsoft is a big new release for Amazon, kickstarting a whole new line of Kindle readers.
Starting at $269/£269, it’s notably more expensive than both the standard and Signature Editions of the Paperwhite, and not far off three times the price of the basic Kindle. It’s cheaper than the Scribe, although that’s a far more accomplished machine in many respects.
It’s slightly odd then that, screen aside, the Colorsoft is very much just a Paperwhite in many ways.
The design is the same, with a single black colour option available. The back has a soft touch finish and, if like previous Paperwhite models, is prone to getting a little worn down and gross over the years. The power button is still in the most infuriating place on the bottom, a spot that makes accidentally knocking it so easy.
The screen is the same size as the Paperwhite 2024 at 7 inches, the battery life is a few weeks less owing to the colour screen and the overall performance is supposedly on par. You do get all the SIgnature Edition features, like an automatic light and wireless charging although neither of these jumps out to me as important.
To me, it feels strange that Amazon isn’t launching the Colorsoft with a new design – one that offers a little more luxury.
With the Kindle Oasis gone, there’s a gap in the Kindle range for a device that focuses more on design and offers extra features like page-turning buttons. I’d have guessed the first colour reader from Amazon would be this, but that’s not the case.
What sort of reader is this for?
I can’t deny the colour screen can be wonderful. Book covers look great, maps pop inside travel guides and graphics novels are heaps better than they’ve ever been on a Kindle. Would I still rather read the latter two on a tablet screen, like the dinky iPad Mini 7? I probably would. Just look at the image below – graphic novels still look better on a tablet screen.
As with any first-gen product, the Colorsoft isn’t going to be for everyone. The high price, early screen tech and subdued design hint towards a product that won’t really hit the mainstream for a few years yet. I am still glad it’s here though, even if I am not completely convinced by it – yet.
