Amazon Kindle Colorsoft adds color to the e-reader for the first time
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft adds color to the e-reader for the first time
The new Kindle Colorsoft joins a refreshed lineup of new e-readers from Amazon just in time for the holidays
📚 Amazon just introduced six new Kindle e-readers for 2024
📘 Kindle Colorsoft introduces 7-inch E-ink colorful display for $280
✍️ Kindle Scribe and Kindle Paperwhite get upgrades, too
🧸 Two new Kindle Kids models are also here
📅 All of the new Kindles will ship before Black Friday, except for one
Amazon is making history today with the introduction of the Kindle Colorsoft, the first Kindle to ever ship with a color display. For years, customers have been asking the company to create a Kindle that could more vividly display things like graphic novels, magazines, and recipe books. Still, Amazon has always decided to stick with black and white and leave colorful E-Ink devices to other companies. But today, that changed for good.
The Colorsoft joins a refreshed lineup that includes a new Kindle Paperwhite, a new Kindle Scribe, and an upgraded base Kindle. All of them will ship before Black Friday, except the Kindle Scribe.
Colorsoft could be the Kindle of your dreams
If you’ve been itching for a Kindle with a full-color display, the Colorsoft could be the Kindle of your dreams. It’s basically a Kindle Paperwhite but with colorful E-Ink. The device uses a 7-inch display with the same sharp resolution as the Paperwhite, enhanced LEDs, and a new light-guide that works with a custom algorithm to keep colors contrasty, sharp, and accurate. You can choose between a standard color profile and a vivid one if you like extra saturation.
The added color will come in handy in a number of scenarios, namely when reading graphic novels or comic books, which have been underwhelming on the Kindle since its inception. Amazon says you’ll also have a better shopping experience since you can see the covers for books in full color, and you’ll be able to select different colors for highlighting portions of your book.
The Colorsoft ships with the same overall design as the Paperwhite with touch controls, an auto-adjusting front light, a glare-free finish, and water resistance. There’s a USB-C port on the bottom, support for audiobooks over Bluetooth, and Qi wireless charging.
Besides the display, the biggest difference between the Colorsoft and Paperwhite is battery life. Whereas the latter can last up to 12 weeks, the Colorsoft can only get up to eight weeks. While that’s still a long time, it’s clear the colorful display will consume more energy than a standard black-and-white model.
Amazon is charging $279.99 for the Colorsoft Signature Edition with 32GB of storage. It ships in a single Metallic Black finish, and it’ll begin shipping on October 30.
The rest of the Kindle lineup gets an upgrade
✍️ Kindle Scribe is better than ever. The pen-equipped Kindle Scribe has been refreshed with new white borders for a cleaner look and a paper-like texture on top of the display, making it feel closer to paper when you draw on it. Amazon added a new pen to the Scribe that feels more balanced in the hand and erases smoother thanks to a softer tip. On the Scribe itself, there’s a new feature called Active Canvas that lets you write anywhere you want on the book you’re reading and have it dynamically sync with the position in the book even if you increase font size or change the layout. There’s also a new AI-powered notebook that can quickly summarize pages and notes into bullet points. In the near future, Amazon says you’ll also be able to take notes in a side panel while reading that can be hidden whenever you want.
The Kindle Scribe still comes with a 10.2-inch 300 ppi display with an automatic backlight, water resistance, USB-C, and optional wireless charging. It’s priced at $399.99 and goes on sale December 4.
🏎️ Kindle Paperwhite gets even faster. The new Kindle Paperwhite keeps the same design and 7-inch display as before. Instead, it focuses on improving performance, which Amazon says delivers 25% faster page turns than before. The display also technically get upgraded with even better contrast so text looks clearer. Other than that, you still get a USB-C port, optional wireless charging, up to 32GB of storage, and 12 weeks of battery life. It’s priced at $159.99 and is available starting today.
📖 The entry-level Kindle is slightly better. For those interested in the base Kindle, Amazon has upgraded it with faster performance, a higher contrast ratio for sharper text, and a 25% brighter backlight. It still ships with a 6-inch display, 16GB of storage, and six weeks of battery life. It’s priced at $109.99 and is available beginning today.
🧸 Even the kids get an upgrade. Amazon is also selling Kids editions of the new entry-level Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite. The regular Kindle Kids comes with Space Whale, Ocean Explorer, and Unicorn Valley cover options while the Kindle Paperwhite Kids has Cyber City, Starfish, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid covers to pick from. Each comes with two-year worry-free warranties and six months of Amazon Kids+. The regular Kindle Kids costs $129.99, while the Paperwhite Kids costs $189.99. Both are available today.