If you’re on the fence about getting the new Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, read on. I got mine 3 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience as a reader.
My old Kindle was a gen 10 I bought back in 2019. I don’t know what got me looking into upgrading my old one for a new, shiny version, but here I was, researching the different editions for a new Kindle. There was talk online that a new gen 12 release would be imminent, so I waited patiently for the announcement, compared the versions, then decided on which Kindle to ultimately purchases to replace my old Kindle Paperwhite.
When the new Kindles hit the Amazon sales pages in October, I compared the features of my 3 possible choices I was interested in, the Kindle Paperwhite, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, and, oh boy, the shiny Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (quick note, these are Amazon affiliate links and earn me a tiny commission at no cost to you). Spoiler alert, I ultimately went with the Colorsoft, of course.
Why the Colorsoft?
- It’s in color.
- It’s still e-ink.
- Still has an 8-week battery life despite some reduced efficiency due to the color display.
- It can be wirelessly charged—yes, I splurged and got the wireless charger.
Next are my thoughts after using it for about two weeks after it arrived.
Pros:
I love that my library screen and title page now has colors. So awesome! You can even highlight text in different colors, which is super helpful if I read non-fiction.
It also has a cool dark mode for reading at night that’s easy on the eyes. No need to hide under the covers with a flashlight. 😁
Also, it loads books and flips pages much faster than my old Kindle and has a slightly larger screen, which is just right. Plus, it’s light, even with the cover, and it easily fits into my purse. Finally, if you do get a cover, the Kindle goes into sleep mode when you close the cover, saving your battery.
Cons:
For a Kindle, at $249 the price of this edition is not for the faint-hearted. Also, my daughter, an avid reader, had pointed out that she wanted the Colorsoft for Christmas, but she had heard about the yellow banner on the bottom of the screen. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I looked closer. Sure enough, there’s a very faint yellow line toward the bottom of the screen.
Now, I barely noticed it and you might see it on the photos above, but once I saw it myself, I couldn’t unsee it. However, it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me. You’ll see a lot of ugly comments online regarding this issue, but Amazon assured it’s a software glitch and they’re working on a fix to be included with an upcoming software update. Again, it’s new technology, and it doesn’t bother me all too much.
It’s worth mentioning that the color is not as crisp or bright as you’d find on a tablet or your phone. If you remember the muted and fuzzy colors of old super-8 movies, that’s what I would liken the feel of the color images on the Kindle Colorsoft.
Is the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Worth the Price?
Compared to the Kindle Paperwhite ($159.99) I was originally going to upgrade my old Kindle with, the additional features of the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition really sucked me in. For an additional $40, I would get the wireless charging capability, an auto-adjusting front light sensor, and 32 GB storage which is double the space of the regular Kindle Paperwhite. Do I need the extra space? No. because I never even filled up the 8 GB of my old Kindle. Do I need auto-adjusting front lights? No. It’s too easy to adjust the lighting manually. Do I need wireless charging? No. I can just plug it in ever couple of weeks. BUT… the color screen of the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition made me fall in love.
Yes, I spent $120 more than I would have getting the regular Paperwhite upgrade. And yes, I got the $40 wireless charging dock, which also works as a nice stand when reading in bed. But, boy, I couldn’t resist it and I don’t regret purchasing it. Remember, all this is MY opinion as a reader.
For you, cost may be a factor. Or you may not be able to get past the yellow bar that’s still visible and may distract you from enjoying your story. In that case, I would recommend the regular Kindle Paperwhite for now. Despite the steep price, I love the Colorsoft.
However once I found out that the yellow band issue was caused by the screen adhesive and not software that would be fixed with another update, I decided to return the Kindle and will purchase it again when the issue is fixed in a few weeks. It’s tough, but I will patiently wait… 🙂
I hope my review helps you decide which Kindle edition is right for you this holiday season.
