Amazon’s color Kindle is late to the party – I’m now firmly in the Kobo camp
There was a time when the Kindle series set the example for other ereaders, but looking at Amazon’s new 2024 Kindles, I’m pretty sure that time is over. Now it looks like Amazon is doing just that just now enough to keep up with Kobo and that especially applies to the new Kindle Colorsoft.
The very first colored Kindle isn’t coming to Australia (where I live) until 2025 – date and price TBA – so I haven’t even seen it yet, but I’m just going by what my colleagues in the US have said about it I’m here not convinced it should cost a whopping $279.99 / £269.99 (about AU$420).
By comparison, both of Kobo’s 2024 color erereaders – the Libra Color and the Clara Color – are more affordable, with the former actually offering much more bang for your buck. Oh, and they’re both repairable too, which neither of the new Kindles are, as far as I know.
Show me the features
There were rumors (via Good eReader) that would feature Amazon’s first color Kindle stylus support and could use the new E Ink Gallery 3 screen technology, which promised better saturation than the current E Ink Kaleido 3 screens used in other ereaders including the Kobo Libra Color and Clara Colour.
Neither, as we now know, is true. The Kindle Colorsoft uses the Kaleido 3 panel and there are no writing functions. Although it has the same screen size as the Libra Color (7 inches) and the same amount of internal storage (32 GB), it lacks the ergonomic construction of its Kobo counterpart and the stylus support. Both also offer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, but the Kindle Colorsoft allows you to charge wirelessly.
However, given how tricky wireless charging was to use on the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, I’m not entirely sure this one feature alone should explain the higher price versus the $219.99/£199, 99 / AU$359.95 from the Libra Colour.
I’m still not convinced
Without the asymmetrical thickness and the page-turn buttons, the Colorsoft appears to be in direct competition with the Kobo Clara Color, which retails for $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95. However, this price is for a 6-inch ereader that uses the same screen technology and only has 16 GB of onboard storage.
Despite the color display, the Clara Color is cheaper than the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite ($159.99 / £159.99 / AU$299), which now has a 7-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display. I’m very curious to see this screen in action on the new Paperwhite, as I loved it on the Kobo Clara BW. Not only did it turn out the pages turned faster, but I also said it was the best display on any monochrome ereader yet in my Kobo Clara BW review. If Amazon has managed to properly optimize it for its new 7-inch ereader, I could justify purchasing the 2024 Paperwhite, but I’m struggling with the Colorsoft in context with the competition.
While the entire Kindle lineup (except the Scribe) really needed a facelift, I’m not completely sold on the new releases. That said, I haven’t seen (or tried) them in person yet and I’ll be happy to be corrected once I’ve done the usual in-depth testing I do for ereaders. Until then, if I had to recommend ereaders, I’d probably say go for a Kobo.
And Amazon, where the heck is an updated Kindle Oasis? It was too beautiful an ereader to be killed!