Amazon’s color Kindle is getting its biggest makeover since the Colorsoft first arrived, and all of it comes at a higher cost. The new Kindle Colorsoft starts at $289.99 with 16GB of storage, while the upgraded Colorsoft Signature Edition costs $319.99 with 32GB. Both are going up for preorder on a rolling basis across the US and several other markets. Compared to the previous generation, this marks a $40 jump. Though there’s more than just a new paint job accompanying the price hike.
What’s new with the latest Kindle Colorsoft?
Amazon is offering the new Kindle ColorSoft in a regular version as well as a signature edition. The Signature Edition gets a more premium metallic shell and doubles the storage capacity to 32GB. It also comes in a new fig color, which is similar to the Kindle Scribe ColorSoft, even though there is no stylus support available on the non-Scribe model. One of the differences that the signature edition offers is the convenience of an auto-adjusting front light sensor to tweak the brightness output based on the ambient light situation.
| Spec | Kindle Colorsoft | Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $289.99 | $319.99 |
| Display | 7-inch Colorsoft color display | 7-inch Colorsoft color display |
| Display design | Flush-front, edge-to-edge color | Flush-front, edge-to-edge color |
| B&W resolution | 300 ppi | 300 ppi |
| Color resolution | 150 ppi | 150 ppi |
| Front light | Adjustable warm light | Auto-adjusting front light |
| Storage | 16GB | 32GB |
| Battery life | Up to 8 weeks | Up to 8 weeks |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C + pogo-pin charging dock support |
| Double-tap page turn | No | Yes |
| Page-Turn Cover support | No | Yes |
| Housing | Standard housing | Aluminum rear housing |
| Water resistance | Waterproof / IPX8 | Waterproof / IPX8 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Colors | Graphite | Graphite, Fig |
| Weight | About 7.5–7.6 oz | About 7.7 oz |
| Color highlights | Yellow, orange, blue, pink | Yellow, orange, blue, pink |
| Dark Mode | Yes | Yes |
On both models, you get a 7-inch glare-free color display with 300 PPI sharpness output, but the pixel density drops to 150 PPI in color mode. Amazon says the device lasts up to 8 weeks per charge. For comparison, the regular Kindle Paperwhite with a monochrome display lasts up to 12 weeks. The vanilla Kindle Colorsoft is priced at $289.99 in the US, while the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition will set you back $319.99. The new models also happen to be thinner and lighter than their respective predecessors.
The build is waterproof (IPX8 rating), and Amazon claims that these new e-readers come equipped with an updated edge-to-edge color panel. “Our latest Kindle Colorsoft has a completely redesigned display, using the reverse printing technology we applied across the lineup for edge-to-edge color. The light guide contains micro-deflectors that minimize stray light and improve uniformity, and an ultra-thin optical coating in the display stack improves clarity,” says Amazon.
In our review of the original Colorsoft, we found its display appealing for comics and magazines, so these upgrades should make the reading experience even better.
Wait, there’s more
To go with its new Kindles, Amazon is also launching a wireless-based turner device called Kindle Click, and a new Page-Turn Cover. The latter is a magnetic case with built-in physical page-turn buttons and costs $79.99. Furthermore, Amazon is also adding a dedicated charging dock to its portfolio, and this one supports the new Paperwhite Signature Edition and the Color Soft Signature Edition readers. Finally, there are now cover options on the table, ranging from knit fabric and plant-based leather to pebbled premium leather finish.
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