Kindle Colorsoft Review - Amazon's First Color Kindle
The Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon finally admitting that colour e-ink is a thing, years after Kobo and Boox got there. It is a Paperwhite that can show comics, book covers and your highlights in colour, wrapped in a premium, waterproof body. Whether it is worth the jump in price over a normal Paperwhite comes down to one honest question: how much of what you read is actually in colour?
Specifications
| Screen | 7" |
|---|---|
| PPI | 300 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Frontlight | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Stylus | No |
| Storage | 32 GB |
| Weight | 219 g |
| Price | $279 |
Verdict
The Kindle Colorsoft is the easiest way to get colour e-ink if you already live in Amazon's world, and the screen is one of the better colour panels out there. But colour e-ink is still a compromise, and for pure text readers the cheaper Paperwhite is the smarter buy with slightly sharper black-and-white. Get the Colorsoft only if colour is a real part of what you read, not just a nice-to-have.
What we like
- Amazon's best colour e-ink yet, with punchier colours than some rivals
- Familiar premium Kindle: 7 inch screen, warm light, IPX8, 32 GB
- Full Kindle ecosystem, store and audiobook support
- Weeks of battery and USB-C charging
Worth noting
- Colour e-ink is dimmer and softer than black-and-white
- Early units had a yellow-band screen issue; check yours
- Noticeably pricier than a standard Paperwhite
- Locked to Amazon, with fewer sources than open-Android rivals
The Colour Screen, Honestly
The Colorsoft uses a 7 inch colour e-ink panel, and Amazon has clearly worked hard on it. For black-and-white text it stays crisp and, thanks to a colour-boosting layer, colours look a touch richer than on some rival colour readers. Covers pop, highlights actually help you find things, and comics finally look like comics rather than grey smudges.
The physics still apply, though. Colour e-ink is dimmer and lower-resolution than mono, so at the pixel level text is a hair softer than a standard Paperwhite, and colours are muted rather than vivid. The early units also had a well-publicised yellow-band issue at the bottom of the screen, which Amazon addressed, but it is worth buying from a returnable source and checking yours.
Reading Experience
Set the colour aside and this is a lovely Kindle. The 7 inch screen is a comfortable middle ground, the warm frontlight is even and pleasant, and it carries the IPX8 waterproofing and 32 GB of storage you would expect at this tier. Page turns are quick and the whole thing feels premium.
If most of your reading is plain novels, honestly, you will not see the colour most of the time, and a standard Paperwhite gives you the same reading comfort with slightly sharper text for less money. The Colorsoft earns its keep specifically when colour is part of what you read.
Software and Ecosystem
It is a Kindle, so you get Amazon's fast, familiar software, the huge store, Whispersync and Bluetooth audiobooks. It also means the same walled garden: no native EPUB, no third-party apps, and everything tied to your Amazon account, softened only by Send to Kindle.
For comics specifically, buying through Amazon and Comixology-style content works smoothly, but Boox devices running open Android still offer more sources and flexibility if colour comics are your main use.
Battery, Price and Who It Is For
Battery life remains strong, in the weeks range for typical reading, though colour content and the frontlight draw a bit more. Charging is over USB-C.
At around 279 USD it sits well above the Paperwhite. Buy it if you read comics, manga, magazines, children's books or anything where colour genuinely matters, and you want to stay in the Kindle ecosystem. Skip it if you mostly read novels (get a Paperwhite), or if colour comics are your whole reason to buy, in which case a Kobo Libra Colour or a Boox may suit you better.
Frequently asked
How good is the Kindle Colorsoft's colour?
It is one of the stronger colour e-ink screens, with a colour-boost layer that makes covers and comics pop more than some rivals. But it is still colour e-ink: dimmer and lower-resolution than mono, so think muted and pleasant, not vivid.
Is the Colorsoft worth it over a Paperwhite?
Only if you read colour content like comics, manga or magazines. For plain novels the Paperwhite gives the same reading comfort with slightly sharper text for less money.
Did the Colorsoft have a screen problem?
Early units showed a faint yellow band along the bottom of the screen. Amazon addressed it, but it is wise to buy from a returnable source and inspect your unit when it arrives.
Is it waterproof?
Yes, it is rated IPX8, so it handles accidental immersion and is fine for the bath or poolside.