Kindle e-readers are nothing new as a replacement for printed books, but it wasn’t until late 2024 that Amazon released a version of its popular Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition with a full-color display. This upgraded display allows users to view colorful photos, charts, and graphics integrated into popular eBooks and digital publications (including graphic novels), and see the content how it was meant to be seen…at least, sort of.
The folks at Amazon provided me with the new Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition e-reader, and as an avid reader with more than 30 years experience writing about consumer technology, I was eager to test it out. As you’d expect, this e-reader is waterproof and has enough internal storage (32GB) to hold thousands of eBooks (or hundreds of audiobooks). It’s also lightweight and comfortable to hold.
Keep reading to discover if having an e-reader with a full-color Paperwhite display will enhance your own reading experience, and whether it makes sense for you to invest $279.99. But first, here’s some initial good news: If you trade in your existing Kindle e-reader when purchasing the Kindle Colorsoft from Amazon, you get a 20% discount on the purchase price of the Colorsoft Signature Edition, plus an Amazon gift card for the trade-in value of your existing model.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
Specifications
MSRP Price: $279.99.
Display Type: Full-Color Paperwhite.
Display Size: 7 inches.
Display Resolution: 300 ppi (black & white), 150 ppi (color).
Max. Display Brightness: Up to 94 nits.
Storage Capacity: 32GB.
Average Battery Life: Up to eight weeks.
Product Dimensions: 5 inches wide x 7 inches long x 0.3 inches deep.
Weight: 7.7 ounces.
Waterproof Rating: IPX8.
Pros
- Amazon’s first e-reader with a color display.
- Glare-free display can be easily viewed in any lighting situation.
- Long-lasting battery life.
- Waterproof design.
- Plenty of storage space.
Cons
- Laggy user interface.
- Displayed colors are easily discernible, but muted.
- Charges using supplied USB-C cable, but a wireless charging dock is sold separately ($39.99).
Who the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Will Appeal To
Being able to see colors displayed on a Kindle e-reader for the first time definitely enhances the reading experience, especially when viewing content that contains colorful photos, graphics, charts, or graphs. Thus, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition will appeal to any avid reader who enjoys fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, or the digital edition of their favorite magazines.
When you invest in any Kindle e-reader, you’re not just getting a well-designed e-reader device: You also get access to the Kindle ecosystem, which includes full integration with the Kindle eBookstore, where you can choose from more than 15 million eBook titles and audiobooks. The device is also fully compatible with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service. So, for the monthly subscription fee of $11.99, you get unlimited access to a portion of the Kindle bookstore’s vast library. Plus, if you subscribe to Amazon’s Audible service, your collection of audiobooks becomes readily accessible from the Colorsoft Signature Edition.
For someone who wants to be able to read indoors or outdoors, and not have to worry about damaging their e-reader if it gets wet while being used in the bathtub, near a swimming pool, or at the beach, this Kindle e-reader is a great option. While at the beach, I was not bothered at all by the sun’s glare on the screen. This is not something that could be said about any traditional tablet. What really sets this device apart is its full-color Paperwhite display, which provides an even more authentic reading experience when compared to other Kindle e-readers.
The Full-Color Paperwhite Display Makes a Huge Difference
Anyone who enjoys reading will appreciate the convenience of an e-reader that can be taken and used almost anywhere. The Paperwhite display can easily be read in any lighting situation, from direct sunlight to a dark room. This makes reading at the beach or in your bedroom a pleasure, without causing eye strain. An eBook’s text appears sharp, and the way the content gets displayed is fully customizable: As you’re reading, you can change the font, font size, background color, and other features that impact the appearance of what’s being displayed with a few on-screen taps.
On the downside, I discovered that the colors displayed on the Kindle Colorsoft’s display often appear muted, so you won’t see the bright and vibrant colors that can be displayed on a traditional tablet’s screen. On the other hand, you won’t be distracted by unwanted glares or experience eye fatigue during extended reading sessions. Another perk of the color display is that as you’re reading, you can add virtual highlights to text using any color digital highlighter, using your finger as the stylus.
My biggest complaint about the new full-color Paperwhite display is its slow refresh rate. There is some flicker and delay when turning the page of an eBook, or when tapping on a displayed button or navigational icon. This delay is definitely noticeable, but does not detract too much from the overall reading experience.
After spending years reading eBooks using various generations of the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition with a monochrome display (which is still available), I found that seeing book covers displayed in full-color, and being able to see photos or graphics as they were intended by the publisher, really enhanced my overall reading experience.
The Colorsoft e-reader’s Hardware
From a form factor, size, weight, and durability (waterproof) standpoint, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is virtually identical to the version with a monochrome display. The device can be charged via the supplied USB-A to USB-C cable, or using an optional wireless charger. Battery life is up to eight weeks. While the device itself is rather durable, I’d recommend investing in an optional screen protector and/or cover to prevent scratches or damage when transporting the e-reader in a purse, bag, or pocket, for example.
The Colorsoft e-reader is designed to fit comfortably in one hand, but it can also be positioned on a desk or flat surface. The screen remains easily readable from almost any angle, and the display’s auto-adjusting light adapts to the ambient light within your reading location. The USB port and power button are conveniently located on the bottom of the device. All control over the e-reader while it’s being used is done via the touchscreen.
Personally, I would have liked to see the touchscreen be a bit more responsive, but it works fine, even if the display is slightly wet (as a result of being used in the bathtub or at the beach, for example). If you’re accustomed to reading content on a traditional tablet’s screen, the sluggishness of the Kindle may become a tad annoying, though.
Since there’s no headphone jack built into the Kindle, if you want to listen to audiobooks, you’ll need to pair the device with your favorite Bluetooth earbuds or headphones. The pairing process needs to be done just once and takes under two minutes. I tested this with a pair of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation), Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. The audio sounded great with all of them.
The Colorsoft’s User Interface Makes Reading a Pleasure
What really sets the Kindle e-readers, including the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, apart from e-readers from other brands is Amazon’s well-designed interface. Navigating between the Kindle eBookstore, your stored library of eBooks, and the mode used to read the eBooks or listen to audiobooks is intuitive.
In fact, once you set up an account (you can use your existing Amazon account), browsing through titles, making a purchase, and then reading or listening to the content purchased is a straightforward process as long as the device can connect to a Wi-Fi network for internet access. Once eBooks, audiobooks, or other content is loaded and stored within the Kindle, it can be accessed and read without requiring an internet connection.
I’ve mentioned that this Kindle e-reader can also be used to listen to audiobooks. To accomplish this, you’ll need to load one or more audiobook titles into your device. This can be done by purchasing titles one at a time from the Kindle eBookstore, by subscribing to Amazon’s Audible service, or by borrowing audiobooks from a public library. A smaller selection of audiobooks is also available to Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime subscribers.
If you use a service like Libby to borrow eBooks or audiobooks, you’ll need a library card from a participating library. Content can be acquired via a computer and then transferred to your e-reader. However, when acquiring content from the Kindle eBookstore or Audible, this is done directly from the e-reader.
The user interface of the Kindle Colorsoft is identical to what’s offered by most other Kindle e-readers (with the exception of the Scribe). Thus, if you’re upgrading from a different Kindle model to this one, upon setting up the Kindle Colorsoft and signing into your Amazon and/or Audible account, the new device will be populated automatically with the eBook and audiobook content you’ve already acquired. Be warned, if you’re not familiar with navigating around a Kindle, there is a slight learning curve.
Enjoy Amazon Bookstore and Kindle Unlimited Integration
For someone who doesn’t consider themselves to be tech-savvy, the way the Kindle Colorsoft integrates with the Kindle eBookstore and Audible makes finding, acquiring, storing, and accessing eBooks and audiobooks a straightforward process. From a financial standpoint, if you’re an avid reader (or audiobook listener), it makes sense to subscribe to the Kindle Unlimited service. This means you get access to millions of book and audiobook titles, along with digital additions of some newspapers and magazines, for a flat monthly fee. You can keep selected titles stored within your device and access them any time, as long as your Kindle Unlimited subscription remains active.
The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition comes with a free, 30-day trial of Kindle Unlimited. After this trial period, you’ll automatically be billed $11.99 per month. There is no long-term contract, so you can cancel at any time. Without a Kindle Unlimited membership, individual eBook titles are typically priced almost the same as their printed paperback or hardcover counterparts and can be purchased one at a time.
Meanwhile, without a Kindle Unlimited or Audible subscription, individual audiobooks can be purchased on an a la carte basis. The Kindle eBookstore offers a selection of more than 15 million eBook and audiobook titles, across all subject categories, that can be purchased individually. The Kindle Unlimited library includes access to more than four million titles.
How the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Compares to Other e-readers
Amazon is not the first company to offer an e-reader with a full-color e-ink display. There’s also the Kobo Clara Colour ($159.99), Kobo Libra Colour ($229.99), and Boox Go Color 7 ($269.99). Each of these devices lack access to the comprehensive Amazon Kindle ecosystem that makes finding, acquiring, and accessing eBooks and audiobooks so convenient.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
My Final Thoughts
The speed of the Kindle’s interface and the refresh rate of the display were my biggest complaints with this device. It’s also important to note that the display’s 300 dots-per-inch resolution is only usable when viewing monochrome content — the resolution drops to 150 dots-per-inch any time full-color content is displayed.
That said, for existing Kindle users or those looking to experience an e-reader for the first time, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is a great option. It’s well designed, has a proven selection of services, and provides easy access to a vast selection of free, paid, and subscription-based content. The addition of the color display adds authenticity to the reading experience. Plus, I love the size and weight of the device, along with the viewability of the seven-inch Paperwhite display.
