E-readers are now available with a colour display. Several manufacturers have done it, and now Amazon have finally done it with the Kindle Colorsoft.
The Kindle Colorsoft (you will have to excuse the US spelling of this, even though it is sold internationally all around the world, Amazon has done with a spelling that is US-centric and US-only) allows to reader to read in colour opening up many more reading experiences, such as comics and picture books (but keep in mind the Kindle does not support the usual cbr comic file format).
Coming with this new 7-inch colour display is a much more premium display, “enhanced with custom coatings for richer colour.” This hopefully means a more comfortable and enjoyable reading experience.
The Kindle Colorsoft is available for purchase for AU$399, with 16GB of storage, and the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is available at AU$449, with 32GB of storage.
I am an avid reader, often switching from Kobo to Kindle, depending on my needs at the time. I currently have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, so I was keen to put the new Kindle Colorsoft to the test.
The new display
Before we get into the colour side of things, I feel I need to discuss the standard everyday reading of non-coloured books.
Side by side, I can see the difference between the two displays – although the warmth and zooms are not exactly the same, but as close as I could get them. Using the new ColorSoft display, I felt as if I was viewing a crisper, easier-to-read display. The text seemed to have enhanced clarity, which was easier on the eyes.
According to Amazon, the display:
“uses an oxide backplane with custom waveforms for fast performance and higher contrast on both colour and black-and-white content. It’s a custom Colorsoft display includes a new light-guide with nitride LEDs that, when combined with Amazon’s custom algorithms, enhances colour and increases brightness without washing out details.”
This is what I experienced as well.
The colour side of the equation, because everyone wants something different from their e-readers, especially the coloured variety. I only use the coloured version for the occasional comic I consume, but I much prefer my OPPO tablet because, even though these new e-readers support a colour display, their colours are incredibly muted compared to the standard OLED and LCD display.
Side by side with the Kobo Colour (yes, Kobo chose the spelling the vast majority of the English-speaking world uses), the Kindle Colorsoft looks amazing. The colours are punchier, and the contrast is much better. The Kobo seems to make their colours ‘brighter’, which some may prefer, but for an overall colour display experience, the Kindle takes the cake for me.
You can see the differences in the images below.
When comparing the display to that in a tablet, you can see just how inadequate it is – but the Kindle Colorsoft is not trying to be a tablet.
Design
When thinking of the design, think Kindle Paperwhite – it is, to the eye, the same. It is so much the same that the folio cover I bought (from Aliexpress) for my Paperwhite fits perfectly with the Colorsoft. Now if only Amazon sold better quality folio covers for these Kindles – the ones where they stand the book up for you (that Kobo do so well).
The Colorsoft includes a battery that provides “up to 8 weeks of battery life.” For me, with my preferred brightness etc, I’m not seeing that, more along the lines of several weeks, which is easily good enough. The e-reader charges with a standard USB-C connection, so if you are going on holiday, you can easily plug in your phone charger to quickly charge your Kindle.
The Kindle Colorsoft is also waterproof so you can read it in the bath without having to worry about damaging the e-reader with any splashes or even a drop of it into the water – don’t go testing this out yourself though just in case the bath salts etc that yo’ve added to the bath do infact damage the iner workings of the device.
I was sent the standard Colorsoft, which has less functionality in some aspects than that of the Paperwhite Signature Edition. The Colorsoft lacks an auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging compared to the Paperwhite Signature and the Colorsoft Signature Edition. It also only has 16GB of storage compared to the 32GB in the Signature Editions. Neither of these really makes much difference to me and I suggest you think about whether you need them before forking out the extra $50 Amazon is asking for the Signature editions.
Accessories
As mentioned above, Amazon only offer a simple book-style case. I prefer my display cover to fold behind the book and help hold it up – whether I’m reading at a table, on my lap, or in bed – not having to hold the book at the right angle myself makes for a much more relaxing experience. Lift your game Amazon. 😀
For those who want the Amazon-branded covers, fabric, plant-based leather and premium leather covers are available from Amazon.com.au for the Kindle Colorsoft, starting from AU$59.95. Fabric and plant-based leather covers are available in three colours – Black, Jade and Raspberry – while premium leather covers are available in Ruby and Walnut.
Unlike the Kobo Libra Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft does NOT support any form of stylus or pen, so you will be stuck using it as an e-reader essentially. You can highlight words and have your Kindle search for their meaning, open a Wikipedia page about them or translate them into your language.
There is also the ability to mark or highlight passages but you’ll be stuck doing that with your finger. You can add notes to each highlight, but your Kindle Colorsoft will not be your university or work note-taker.
Software
The software is essentially the same on the Colorsoft as it was/is on the Paperwhite. The file support is not as extensive as that on a Kobo, but you do have the extensive Kindle Store for all your book needs. The Kindle itself supports Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively and PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.
I prefer the Kobo software, but the Kindle Store is keeping me on the Kindle for now. The Kobo Store is also fairly extensive and offers most of the same books – although not all.
Final thoughts
The Amazon Kindle Colorsoft is a good upgrade from the standard Kindle Paperwhite. It has a better display for standard black and white books and, when it needs to, can display colours — albeit a bit muted as all coloured e-ink displays tend to be. The colours are acceptable for an e-reader, with good contrast, resulting in pleasing coloured images.
At RRP $399, the Kindle Colorsoft is priced at $100 more than the standard Kindle Paperwhite, which doesn’t seem to be too bad considering the improved display and the fact that the colours open more options. If you can’t ever see yourself using the coloured display as it is intended to be used then the Paperwhite is probably a better option.
The Colorsoft is easy to read and is gentle on the eye, with long reading sessions possible without much eye strain at all, and for this reason, it is easy to recommend.
Kindle Colorsoft with 16GB of storage is available for AU$399 with three months of Kindle Unlimited included, and Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is available at AU$449 and adds an auto-adjusting front light, wireless charging, and 32 GB of storage. The Kindle Colorsoft is available from Amazon.com.au and leading Australian retailers including JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks.
Fabric, plant-based leather and premium leather covers are available from Amazon.com.au for the Kindle Colorsoft, starting from AU$59.95. Fabric and plant-based leather covers are available in three colours – Black, Jade and Raspberry – while premium leather covers are available in Ruby and Walnut.
Scott is our resident open technology expert. If you can mod it, or want to use it your way, Scott has probably done it. From Laptops to phones, headphones and game consoles, he’s played with it and wants to see the next generation.
