The new Kindle Colorsoft is a pricey big step forward for Amazon's e-reader range

By Henry Burrell, Deputy Technology Editor covers the latest consumer tech news that affects you, from broadband to software, and reviews new gadgets to recommend the best buys

07:00, Wed, Oct 30, 2024

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Kindle Colorsoft

Kindle Colorsoft (Image: Amazon)

Believe it or not it has been almost 17 years since the first ever Amazon Kindle hit virtual shelves around the world, pretty much inventing the e-reader market. Since then, it’s easy to argue that Amazon has done little to iterate the Kindle aside from adding illuminated screens, removing the physical keyboards, taking away page turn buttons, and slimming the things down to the most svelte frames possible.

2022’s Kindle Scribe saw a big screen Kindle for the first time with the option to draw and take notes with a stylus, though the high-end Kindle Oasis has since been retired, ending page turn buttons, incredibly thin design, and a protective cover that acts as a battery top up.

Amazon recently launched four new Kindle models in what was the biggest Kindle announcement ever. Alongside a base Kindle, new Kindle Paperwhite and a second-gen Scribe, we got the Kindle Colorsoft, Amazon’s first ever Kindle with a colour screen.

That’s a big deal. It’s odd that Amazon has taken so long to introduce colour to Kindle given it’s the clear market leader. Competitor Kobo beat Amazon to the punch by releasing the excellent Kobo Libra Colour earlier this year - a £199 e-reader that undercuts the Kindle Colorsoft’s high £269 asking price.

It’s this catch that could put you off buying the Colorsoft, particularly if you mainly read books that will display, as normal, with black text on a white background.

Amazon trialling new paper-packing machine

But if you read lots of colour comics or think you’d enjoy seeing colour come to book covers in your existing library or when browsing the Kindle Store, this could be a big upgrade for you.

The Colorsoft has a decent size 7-inch touchscreen, charges via USB-C or optional wireless charging dock, and is fully waterproof for poolside peace of mind. It’s basically a Kindle Paperwhite with a colour screen, which means you can highlight text in four different colours.

“Everything about Kindle Colorsoft was meticulously designed to deliver rich, paper-like colour,” Amazon said. “It uses an oxide backplane with custom waveforms for fast performance and a higher contrast on both colour and black-and-white content. Its custom Colorsoft display includes a new light-guide with nitride LEDs that, when combined with our customer algorithms, enhances colour and increases brightness, all without washing out details.

“You can zoom in on images without worrying about pixelation and you can choose between standard or vibrant colour styles.”

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Amazon claims the battery will last eight weeks on a charge, a claim - along with all the others made - that Express.co.uk will put to the test in our full review, which is coming soon to the Express Tech section.