The Colorsoft feels like a very big first step
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
T3 VerdictThe Kindle Colorsoft is a very impressive first draft of a colour Kindle, bringing a whole new suite of options to the table for Amazon’s e-reader. It’s great for normal reading, and fun for comics and graphic novels, although the Paperwhite will probably still be the sensible (and more affordable) choice for most people.
T3 Verdict
The Kindle Colorsoft is a very impressive first draft of a colour Kindle, bringing a whole new suite of options to the table for Amazon’s e-reader. It’s great for normal reading, and fun for comics and graphic novels, although the Paperwhite will probably still be the sensible (and more affordable) choice for most people.
Reasons to buy+Addition of colour is revolutionary for Kindle+Excellent form-factor for reading and graphic novels
Addition of colour is revolutionary for Kindle
Excellent form-factor for reading and graphic novels
Costs a fair bit more than a regular black-and-white Kindle
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
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The Kindle Colorsoft is finally here to plug that gap – and as the first Kindle with a colour screen, it’s pretty darn impressive. Especially if you’re into graphic novels, which black-and-white Kindle models havecopedwith, but not excelled in delivering the full experience.
However, there are some interesting foibles at play when you start comparing the Colorsoft’s colour reading to other hardware options out there. So, read on to find out my full thoughts on whether the all-new colour Kindle is the new monarch of Amazon’s line-up…
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft: Price & Availability
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft deals$279.99PreorderWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft deals$279.99PreorderWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft deals
$279.99Preorder
$279.99Preorder
$279.99Preorder
$279.99Preorder
$279.99
$279.99
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
The Kindle Colorsoft was announced in mid-October 2024, going on sale in the same month, where you can now buydirectly through Amazon. It’s priced at a premium: $279.99 / £269.99 (with Australian pricing coming in 2025 when it reaches those shores).
That makes the Colorsoft one of the most expensive Kindle models you can buy, but without the buttons of theKindle Oasis(which is surely now due for a refresh) or the note-taking options of theKindle Scribe.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review: Design & Features
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Look at the Kindle Colorsoft from quite a few angles and it won’t stand out at all from thelatest version of the Paperwhite. It’s almost exactly the same size and shape, with a 7-inch display that takes up most of its front side. The bezels remain fairly significant, but they’re needed as a ‘holding area’, to prevent your thumbs and fingers blocking what you’re reading.
The back has one hint about the new colourful nature of that screen, though – the Amazon ‘smile logo’ is now subtly iridescent, a nice colourful effect. Of course, it only takes a glance at the display itself to make it clear that you aren’t looking at a Paperwhite, since the Colorsoft front-loads its new colour E Ink display with new screensavers and lock screens full of lovely colourful designs.
On the bottom of the tablet, you’ll find a USB-C port for charging purposes (although wireless charging will also work), and a power button for waking and sleeping the Colorsoft easily. Those are the sum of the physical controls since the e-reader’s whole user interface is based on swipes and taps of its touchscreen.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
At 219g (0.48lbs), the Colorsoft is impressively lightweight for what it offers, and I found it really easy to carry around and hold while reading. In this regard, it’ll be familiar to anyone who’s used a recent Kindle of any sort.
It’s also reliable on the battery front, although here there’s a point of difference – the Colorsoft offers up to eight weeks of use on a single charge, compared to the Paperwhite’s 12 weeks. There’s also some major wiggle room there, as I’ll explain when I come to performance in the section further below.
The Colorsoft boasts the sameIPX8 waterproofingthat the Paperwhite offers, making it completely safe to use in the bath or outdoors in bad weather. You needn’t worry about splashes or even dips in water. It also brings the adaptive brightness that only comes with the more expensive Paperwhite Signature Edition, if you choose to turn the setting on.
The software experience is basically identical to what it would be on a Paperwhite, to continue the theme, but there are some extra options on the Colorsoft. For one thing, there are two colour modes to choose from – a normal option and a vivid mode that ups the saturation a little. I found this latter option a must-use, and Amazon told me there’s no difference in battery drain between the two.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review: Display & Performance
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Whether you like your pages cold and bright or dim and warm, you can tweak settings to get them lit up just right, and the variety of fonts and sizes also make legibility easy to sort out. Keeping track of highlights (if you bother to do so) is also upgraded, with multiple colours to choose from. These colour choices are then stored so that you can more easily search your highlights, which is a great touch.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Of course, most people will be more interested in the colour performance, and for that side of things I downloaded a heap of comics to see how they fared, which left me with quite mixed impressions. To get the obvious out of the way, it’s incredibly impressive to use a Kindle that has colour, after a decade and more of models that couldn’t manage that trick.
There aren’t many limitations here either, so subtle gradations are easy to tell apart, and there’s a huge difference when reading anything that was intended to be in full colour compared to the experience on a Paperwhite or other older Kindle.
However, there’s also no getting around the fact that there are some drawbacks nonetheless. While the Colorsoft’s colours are really nice, they’re still very E Ink in style, obviously. This means that they’re a little soft (as befits the name), and not exactly vibrant when compared to a traditional modern display. Get the same comic panel up on a tablet of even mediocre quality, or on your phone, and you’ll instantly realise how much the Kindle Colorsoft has dimmed the scene.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
To avoid leaving things too negatively, there are still some major positives about the colour experience to tally up. For one thing, while battery life might be lower while reading comics, it’s still impressive and can easily last for days of dedicated reading. Also, the page-turning experience remains fast and responsive across the board, albeit you’ll see the screen refresh more obviously than it does on black-and-white content.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Colorsoft is one of the more conflicting Kindles of recent years. On one level it’s the most adaptable Kindle yet in terms of what content you can happily read on it. Swapping between comics and novels is completely hassle-free, and it feels like a real look at what the future holds for Amazon’s e-readers.
Then again, the Colorsoft is significantly more expensive than a Paperwhite – and the colourful reading experience has some drawbacks in terms of clarity and battery life.
For most people who overwhelmingly read purely text content on their Kindles, a Paperwhite is almost certainly the better buy. If you want to be on the vanguard as the Kindle goes colourful, however, you’ll have a grand old time with the Colorsoft. It’s the start of a whole new revolution.
Also consider
As I’ve repeatedly mentioned in this review, the major alternative option for anyone looking to pick up a new Kindle is the 2024 refresh of the Paperwhite. This is a brilliant bit of hardware for roughly £100/$100 less than the Colorsoft, with better contrast for clearer reading – and superior battery life too.
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and iPad Mini (2024) dealsAmazon Kindle Colorsoft$279.99PreorderSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Mini (2024)$399ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and iPad Mini (2024) dealsAmazon Kindle Colorsoft$279.99PreorderSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Mini (2024)$399ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and iPad Mini (2024) dealsAmazon Kindle Colorsoft$279.99PreorderSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Mini (2024)$399ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Amazon Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 and iPad Mini (2024) deals
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft$279.99PreorderSee all pricesAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Mini (2024)$399ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft$279.99PreorderSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft$279.99PreorderSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
$279.99Preorder
$279.99
$279.99
See all prices
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024$159.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024
$159.99View
$159.99
$159.99
See all prices
Apple iPad Mini (2024)$399ViewSee all prices
Apple iPad Mini (2024)$399ViewSee all prices
Apple iPad Mini (2024)
Apple iPad Mini (2024)
$399View
$399
$399
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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