The Kindle Colorsoft, Amazon’s first ever coloration E Ink e-reader, lists for $280 (£270 or roughlyAU$530), which makes it an costly proposition. The massive query is, with Amazon releasing two different succesful new e-readers, the entry-level Kindle ($110, £95, AU$199) and new Kindle Paperwhite ($160, £160), how a lot does coloration change the Kindle studying expertise, and is it actually price making the bounce to paint? The reply finally relies on how you employ your Kindle.
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Professionals
- 7-inch coloration E Ink display screen with custom-made show stack for improved distinction
- Comparatively quick efficiency (for E Ink system)
- Absolutely waterproof
- Auto-adjusting mild sensor
- Wi-fi charging
Cons
- Solely 150 ppi decision for coloration (300 ppi for B&W)
- No stylus help
I say that as a result of I take a look at the Colorsoft as the brand new Kindle Oasis. By that I imply the Colorsoft is the brand new luxurious Kindle. Positive, there’s some enchantment to of us who learn loads of e-comics or devour content material with coloration photos and graphics. However in actuality, the Colorsoft is focused on the identical viewers who purchased the now-discontinued Oasis, which carried a equally excessive price ticket when it first got here out.
Kindle Colorsoft design
The Colorsoft and new Paperwhite share the identical chassis and weigh fairly near the identical quantity — the Paperwhite is 215 grams whereas the Colorsoft is 219 grams. And so they’re each totally waterproof with an IPX8 ranking, which suggests they are often totally submerged and survive.
In addition they each have 7-inch screens. Whereas the Paperwhite has a 300 ppi monochrome show, the Colorsoft is supplied with an E Ink Kaledio coloration filter, which is constructed right into a custom-made show stack, based on Amazon. The brand new Paperwhite additionally has a custom-made show stack.
The Colorsoft shows coloration content material in 150 ppi decision.
Amazon talks about how the Colorsoft and new Paperweight have a smaller bezel across the display screen than the earlier Paperwhite. It additionally says the Paperwhite (2024) and Colorsoft are barely slimmer gadgets. That is true, nevertheless it’s not like Amazon took the earlier Kindle chassis and slimmed it down and made the bezels smaller across the total display screen to accommodate a 7-inch show (in comparison with the 6.8 inch show on the 2021 Paperwhite). The bezel on the brand new Paperwhite and new Colorsoft has solely been lower down on the underside. The edges and high have the identical measurement body across the display screen and the size of the brand new gadgets are literally barely bigger, so neither of them matches in my previous case for the 2021 Paperwhite.
Half the decision for coloration
The decision is lower in half for coloration components on the Colorsoft. The colour decision is barely 150 ppi for coloration, whereas it is 300 ppi for black and white. Whereas 150 ppi lacks some crispness, it is nonetheless good to see e-book covers in coloration, and having coloration brings comedian books, graphic novels and pictures extra to life. Some individuals will recognize that you would be able to additionally spotlight textual content in several colours, such as you would with real-world highlighter pens.
For those who’re studying customary black and white textual content, I did not discover a distinction between the Colorsoft and the brand new Paperwhite, which has slightly higher distinction than its predecessor and quicker web page turns — 25% quicker, based on Amazon, although it is onerous to measure as a result of we’re speaking about fractions of a second. You get those self same efficiency advantages with the Colorsoft, however its battery life is rated at eight weeks. You get 12 weeks’ battery life for the Paperwhite.
One of many advantages of E Ink is the glare-free viewing in direct daylight.
Just like the Oasis, the Colorsoft is for Kindle energy customers who view their Kindles as important gadgets alongside their smartphones. It does not have the bodily page-turn buttons that the Oasis had (these buttons have been a key promoting level for some individuals). Nor does it have a swanky aluminum chassis. However it does have a coloration display screen, which provides it a extra premium look than the Paperwhite.
In contrast to the Paperwhite, which is available in a normal model and a Signature Version, the Colorsoft solely is available in a Signature Version. As with the step-up model of the Paperwhite, the Colorsoft Signature Version has 32 GB of storage as a substitute of 16GB. There’s additionally wi-fi charging and an auto-adjusting entrance mild sensor, which units the built-in mild to a brightness setting primarily based in your surroundings.
As I mentioned in an earlier article, I am not fairly certain why Amazon went with the Colorsoft title. It could possibly be as a result of the colour seems slightly smooth and muted in comparison with a pill with an LCD or AMOLED display screen. These screens supply a lot richer coloration and far zippier efficiency.
You’ll be able to spotlight textual content in 4 totally different colours.
Kindle Colorsoft in comparison with Kobo’s Libra Color e-reader
After I first tried the Colorsoft at Amazon’s launch occasion for all the brand new 2024 Kindles, together with the second-gen Kindle Scribe, which ships in December, I believed the Colorsoft’s coloration show regarded barely higher than the shows on Kobo’s coloration E Ink e-readers, which value much less and use E Ink Kaleido 3 shows. I additionally thought the Colorsoft carried out barely higher. However I wasn’t certain as a result of I did not have the Kobos available to do an actual A/B comparability.
Nicely, it seems my intestine first impression was proper. The Colorsoft has slightly higher distinction and the colour seems slightly extra saturated, making it pop extra.
Amazon says the Colorsoft makes use of the identical oxide backplane with customized waveforms as the brand new Paperwhite. And that customized show features a new light-guide with nitride LEDs. When mixed with customized algorithms, this enhances coloration and will increase brightness.
There are some small variations between the Colorsoft and Kobo Libra Color.
Whereas these E Ink shows are inherently extra sluggish than LCD know-how, you’ll be able to pinch and zoom to get a better take a look at photos and textual content. I downloaded some e-comics and in contrast the pinch-and-zoom performance between the Colorsoft and Kobo Libra Color, which additionally has a 7-inch display screen. I believed the Colorsoft had smoother efficiency general.
To be clear, the show and efficiency variations between the Colorsoft and the Kobo Libra Color are small, however they’re noticeable should you look carefully.
The Libra Color is cheaper — it lists for $220 — and is slightly larger. However it has these bodily web page flip buttons that some individuals love, and it is suitable with Kobo’s Stylus 2, which lets you take and retailer notes. Nonetheless, the Stylus 2 is a $70 accent.
Amazon hasn’t mentioned something about whether or not its new Premium Pen for the Scribe will work with the Colorsoft. So far as I do know, the Colorsoft won’t ever have stylus help. However it might be good if it did.
Like some individuals, I discover it annoying that Amazon continues to position its energy button on the underside of the system, not the highest. The Kobo e-readers have the facility buttons embedded at the back of the system, which is preferable to the button being positioned on the underside of the system.
Kindle Colorsoft ultimate ideas
When it comes right down to it, you have both purchased into Amazon’s e-book ecosystem — it is the biggest one on the market and consists of some free content material for Amazon Prime members — or you have not.
Past the Kobo, you could find a number of different coloration e-readers primarily based on E Ink’s Kaleido or Gallery coloration shows. A few of them run on Android. I do know individuals who like Boox’s coloration fashions and I’ve seen some optimistic feedback in regards to the PocketBook InkPad Shade 3 ($300). Then there are the bigger and rather more costly high-end E Ink tablets, just like the reMarkable Paper Professional ($750), which might be extra note-taking gadgets than e-readers.
Watch this: Kindle Colorsoft Evaluation: Amazon’s New Luxurious E-Reader
And sure, a bigger coloration pill, no matter show know-how it makes use of, appears higher suited to studying comedian books and graphic novels. That mentioned, I believe Amazon has performed a pleasant job creating an interesting first-generation coloration E Ink e-reader that appears to get essentially the most out of the present E Ink coloration know-how.
Whereas the Colorsoft is slightly too expensive at $280, I felt the identical manner in regards to the Oasis when it first got here out. That mannequin ultimately went on sale as all Kindles ultimately do, and you’ll commerce in your previous Kindle to get a 20% low cost on most new Kindle fashions.
It is secure to say that the brand new, improved Kindle Paperwhite or entry-level Kindle are higher choices for most folk. However should you’re a Kindle aficionado and wish one thing really totally different from earlier 7-inch Kindles, the Colorsoft is the one to get. I definitely most popular it over the Paperwhite.
