Kindle Colorsoft overview: Amazon’s new e-reader will get color display improve | Amazon

Amazon’s first Kindle with a color display had been a really very long time coming after which suffered a tough touchdown final 12 months, plagued with yellowing display points and delivery delays. However with these issues fastened, is a splash of color the revolution the Kindle wants?

Amazon isn’t the primary to make use of a color e-ink display in an e-reader, however it thinks its upgrades meaningfully enhance on the tech utilized by others corresponding to Boox and Kobo over the previous 4 years by providing better distinction and pace.

Costing £270 (€300/$280) the Kindle Colorsoft towers above the £125 black and white Paperwhite on which it’s primarily based, and is costlier than high color e-ink rivals. Having phased out the posh Oasis, the Colorsoft is Amazon’s high 7in mannequin, sitting under the large 10.2in Scribe pill.

Regardless of the brand new display the Colorsoft doesn’t break with the fundamental Kindle formulation. It seems to be and feels similar to the “signature version” of the Paperwhite with a clean black plastic again and a matt touchscreen on the entrance. The facility button subsequent to the USB-C port on the underside edge is the one bodily button, that means all controls, together with web page turns are touchscreen-only.

Black and white books look ever so barely greyer than the Paperwhite. However in any other case the web page turns are quick and textual content is crisp and straightforward to learn. The entrance gentle has 24 ranges of brightness with automated management and it will possibly change the tone of white primarily based on the time of the day. It really works very effectively.

The color display makes shopping your library or the Kindle retailer a lot simpler, as e-book covers are in color so they’re extra recognisable at a look. In-book diagrams, maps or photos are actually in color and much more intelligible. And you’ll spotlight passages in varied colors to mark them out for later. The entire display flashes on web page turns when color photos cowl greater than about one-third of the display, much like a few of the authentic black and white e-readers, which you rapidly get used to.

The matt display will not be as daring or vibrant as a cellphone or pill, wanting extra like newspaper print than a shiny journal or picture, however with the brightness turned up a bit and the vivid color mode turned on, the Colorsoft does an honest job of presenting the artwork of graphic novels.

Studying the textual content in speech bubbles may be tough as a result of the 7in display is simply too small when displaying a full comedian web page. The Kindle has a panel view mode that shows a couple of panels at a time however it’s a bit clumsy. I want pinching to zoom and pan on the Colorsoft’s touchscreen, which is quick and clean sufficient to rapidly learn sections whereas nonetheless getting an appreciation of the entire web page.

One of many huge benefits of the Kindle is Amazon’s huge e-book retailer, which is equally massive for comics and graphic novels. Amazon purchased graphic novel specialist Comixology in 2014 and has since built-in its library into the Kindle retailer, together with current purchases.

The Kindle may be loaded up with ePub or pdf information, permitting you to purchase books elsewhere, although solely paperwork despatched by way of Amazon’s Ship to Kindle service confirmed up in color on the Colorsoft.

One factor that wants enhancing is library administration on the Colorsoft, significantly you probably have a variety of comics or books. The Kindle has filters for books and comedian strips, however it didn’t recognise any of the graphic novels I personal as comics, leaving all of them bundled in a large number with common books and arduous to browse. The filters do work on the Kindle app on a pill, nevertheless.

Specs

• Display screen: 7in color e-paper (B&W 300ppi; Color 150ppi)

• Dimensions: 127.6 x 176.7 x 7.8mm

• Weight: 219g

• Water resistance: IPX8 (2m as much as 60 minutes)

• Connectivity: Wifi 5, Bluetooth

• Storage: 32GB

• Battery life: 28 hours of studying

The battery life is a little more variable than different Kindles due to the color display, however it lasted longer in my testing than Amazon’s estimates. I noticed about 45 hours of studying of standard black and white books with about 40% brightness, which reduces to about 32 hours when studying color graphic novels with the brightness set to about 70%. Standby battery life was superb too, dropping lower than 1% per day with the ability save possibility enabled.

Sustainability

The Colorsoft will obtain software program and safety updates for no less than 4 years after it’s final out there new from Amazon. The corporate doesn’t present an anticipated lifespan for the battery however it ought to final in extra of 500 full cost cycles with no less than 80% of its authentic capability. Entry to restore choices varies by nation. It comprises 28% recycled supplies together with cobalt, magnesium and plastic.

Amazon breaks down the Kindle’s environmental influence in its report and gives trade-in and recycling schemes.

Worth

The Kindle Colorsoft prices £269.99 (€299.99/$279.99).

For comparability, the Kindle prices £79.99, the Kindle Paperwhite prices £124.99, the Kindle Scribe prices £379.99, the Kobo Libra Color prices £199.99, the Boox Go Coloration 7 prices €279.99 and the iPad prices £329.

Verdict

Regardless of its troubled begin, the Colorsoft proves that color e-ink may be nice. It seems like it’s going to finally be the norm for e-readers, changing black and white for books, not simply comics and graphic novels.

Seeing your covers and in-book photos in color instantly lifts the expertise with out creating an enormous draw back in contrast with the most effective monochrome fashions. Comics additionally look fairly good and are simpler to learn outside on the Kindle than a pill. However the 7in display simply isn’t sufficiently big to do justice to graphic novels; for that you’d want a color model of the ten.2in Scribe or an iPad with its a lot bolder and extra saturated show.

On the identical time the Colorsoft doesn’t really feel like a luxurious Kindle in the best way different high-priced fashions such because the Oasis managed. Regardless of its meaty price ticket, it feels utilitarian similar to a Paperwhite.

That leaves the Colorsoft in a hinterland. The color display is nice, however struggles to justify the additional price at this dimension of display suited most for normal textbooks. Purchase it on a deal and also you gained’t be disenchanted. And you probably have one already that has a yellow tint on the backside of the display, contact Amazon’s help for a alternative.

Execs: color and black and white, in-book photos and covers look nice, significantly better for comics, speedy pinch-and-zoom, waterproof, gentle, good battery life, auto entrance gentle, USB-C.

Cons: display flashes on web page turns for color excess of black and white, no page-turn buttons, costly, 7in display too small for comics, colors not as vibrant as pill, locked to Amazon’s ecosystem.