A missed opportunity
Finally , Amazon has launched a color Kindle . The Colorsoft mirrors the design of the Paperwhite , adding in a colour display to supply some redundant absorption to books and graphic novels . It ’s not a accomplished success though , as the switch to colour get along with some frustrating consequence and a hefty price tag .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Amazon ’s first colour Kindle – the Colorsoft – has been a prospicient time coming . particularly as many of its biggest rivals already offer something similar .
The Colorsoft sits at the top of Amazon ’s update Kindle lector range , with only the enceinte note - focus Scribe costing more .
With a hefty price increment over theKindle Paperwhite ( 2024)andKindle ( 2024 ) , is the Colorsoft thebest Kindleyou can buy ? I ’ve been testing it for a calendar month to get hold out .
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Design
Considering this Kindle kicks off a completely new product line and introduces a huge new lineament that users have yearned for , it ’s strange that Amazon has only recycled the design of the Paperwhite for the Kindle Colorsoft .
away from a shiny , metallic - wait Amazon swoosh on the back , the Colorsoft is visually indistinguishable from the Paperwhite . It has the sameIPX8waterproof paygrade , the same soft finish and the same touch interface .
For the most part , the design is ok . It ’s operative , undestroyable and simple . I do n’t desire my e - reader to be obnoxiously flashy . However , I do omit some of the element Amazon used to let in in its previous high-pitched - end reader – the discontinued Oasis .
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Physical push button for flipping through pages are still near than trust exclusively on the touchscreen , and I just ca n’t stomach the placement of the power clit here . It sits powerful next to the USB - C port on the bottom and I incessantly tap it . Move it to the top , the side , even the back – anywhere but the bottom .
There ’s a single coloring option for the Colorsoft , and that ’s inglorious . While it would have been nice to have some more colorful pick , I can see why Amazon has amaze with a solitary hue . This is a high - destruction item that plausibly wo n’t sell in the quantity of the Kindles , so having multiple colours at this stage would n’t make much sense . Hopefully we ’ll get some variety in future update .
Screen
While it does n’t offer much new in the plan family , the Kindle Colorsoft is all about the display . This is the first Kindle with a colour cover , signalling a huge change for a series that has so far stuck firmly with greyscale panels .
The headline addition of colour is a no - brainer and something that Kindle fans have been crave for around a X . Before I picked up the Colorsoft , I assumed the move to colour was only going to be a irrefutable .
After plentifulness of testing , my impression has changed fairly . This is n’t the revolutionary color showing I was hoping for ; instead it ’s very much a first - gen alteration that ’ll hopefully improve over sentence .
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There are Brobdingnagian upsides to having a color display . If you read cartoon strip or cookery book , these have more pappa , and you could now see your highlights in four ghost to serve them stand out more . you could then separate out by color , although as you ca n’t label what each colour refers too , I am not entirely indisputable what the filtering benefit is .
Those benefits are gracious – specially for comics – but , for me , more payoff with this color projection screen preponderate the positive degree .
My with child topic with the Kindle Colorsoft cover is that text is not as sharp as it is on the Paperwhite . While the resolution is still 300PPI ( this drops down to 150PPI when exhibit people of colour ) there ’s a semblance bed required over the exhibit that adds a fuzzy finis . reckon close and text lacks the clean stopping point find on other Kindles .
This is n’t just an issue with the Colororsoft , but other colour reviewer too . TheKobo Libra ColourI reviewed last year had a similar screen effect , so it ’s more of an issue with the tech in its current state rather than anything Amazon has done .
The screen is not anywhere near as unvarying as previous Kindles . Read the reviews left on both Amazon UK and Amazon US and you ’ll see many complaining of a sensationalistic tinge to the crushed constituent of the screen . This is noticeable in my review sample , although certainly not to the levels I have picture on other units . or else , it just makes the screen door look patchy , with the top far whiter and brighter than the murky bottom . Switching on the warm light does alleviate this issue middling , but that ’s hardly a solution .
The 7 - in screen uses Kaleido E Ink tech and can exhibit 4096 colour – a caboodle less than the LCD or OLED panel on a tab or phone that can expose gazillion of colouring . The result is a image that lacks the punch of those other twist , with almost a water-color coming into court .
Of naturally , putting an OLED or LCD on a Kindle – a twist supposed to look like newspaper – would altogether defeat the percentage point . If you ’re deciding whether to buy this or an iPad for reading comics or books that look really good in people of color , then the washed - out appearance of the Colorsoft ’s display ca n’t compete . I found it much more immersive to study Batman Year One on the iPad Mini 7 than the Colorsoft – even with the Vivid color mode turned on to raise color .
Features
With the shift to a colour display , Amazon has had to sacrifice some of the battery life-time of the Colorsoft . The stock Paperwhite is touted to last for some 12 weeks , whereas the Colorsoft is listed as being able to last for eight .
These claim are dependent on how much you record and how bright you crank up the light . In our review of the Paperwhite 2024 , we witnessed a drop of between 25 - 30 % over 10 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . With the Colorsoft , during my testing over a two - calendar month period , I would typically see a 5 % per minute fall with colour content , and 3 % with standard books .
You ’ll probably be consign this up every few weeks , which is much better than a phone or tablet and on par with the basic Kindle .
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Charging is via USB - degree centigrade with the included cable . It takes about an time of day to go from 0 - 100 % , which is more than fast enough . There ’s wireless charging too , although this is dumb and only useful if you leave the equipment on a charge stand . If you require to charge wirelessly , I ’d advocate the Amazon bespoke stand as the positioning of the charging whorl means other wireless charger skin .
The Colorsoft is a Signature Edition gadget , the same moniker used for the pricier interlingual rendition of the Paperwhite . Along with the wireless charging welfare , this adds an auto - adjusting light and 32 GB of storage .
Unlike on some of the cheaper Kindles , there are no lock silver screen adverts here . Considering how much you ’re spend , that should n’t have been expect .
Elsewhere , the software experience is conversant — just with colour added throughout . color inject a bit more aliveness into the software , from the whorl projection screen display your current read to your bookshelf . It ’s all more pleasing than before .
The home screen is split into Home and Library , with the former mostly there to display content from Amazon . The Library discussion section contain Book you ’ve buy or borrowed from the various subscription services available , plus any Audible audiobooks . Amazon always further you to buy solely from its help , and this procedure is surely the easiest .
There is a Send to Kindle divine service for get other content onto the equipment . With this , file cabinet can be transmit over a USB - C cable’s length connected to a Mac or PC . I did have some publication with color PDFs showing up in colour , although this was n’t always the sheath .
Should you buy it?
The standout feature is , of class , the addition of colouring material and if the lack of this screen type has stopped you from blame up a Kindle before , this is one for you .
There ’s a lot to like about the Colorsoft , but it ’s very much a first - gen ware . The price , the screen caliber and the design allow for much to be desired .
Final Thoughts
I want to eff the Kindle Colorsoft . I wanted it to be the good e - proofreader and the kickoff of the next decade of innovation from Amazon ’s best product mountain chain . Sadly , the first colour Kindle feel more like a prototype – and one with a price tag that means it ’s hard to urge to anyone but the most ardent of tech early adopters .
The benefit of colouration are welcome in certain instances , but the screen lack the bite of the Kindle Paperwhite and the design leave out many of the neat touches that made Amazon ’s previous high - death Kindle , the Oasis , so desirable .
Sticking with the same design as the Paperwhite , and leaving off feature article like physical push for flip through pageboy and a smartly placed power button , is a existent shame . There ’s potential here for sure , and I ’d wager the Colorsoft 2 will be a much more desirable product .
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For now , theKindle Paperwhite 2024stands as thebest Kindle , and the much more low-cost Kobo Clara Colour ( or theLibra Colour ) is a smarter choice for those wanting to give colour reader a go .
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How we test
I ’ve reviewed all the major Kindles launched in the preceding tenner , and have used every undivided generation – from the original variant that was only launched in the US . I ’ve essay this Kindle Colorsoft for the preceding calendar month , translate multiple books and testing the update light in various environment .
FAQs
You will need to purchase a charger individually , as one is n’t included in the box seat .
Full Specs
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