Amazon’s first Kindle with a color display screen had been a really very long time coming after which suffered a tough touchdown final yr, plagued with yellowing display screen 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 screen in an e-reader, nevertheless it thinks its upgrades meaningfully enhance on the tech utilized by others reminiscent of Boox and Kobo over the previous 4 years by providing better distinction and velocity.
Costing £270 (€300/$280) the Kindle Colorsoft towers above the £125 black and white Paperwhite on which it’s based mostly, and is costlier than prime color e-ink rivals. Having phased out the luxurious Oasis, the Colorsoft is Amazon’s prime 7in mannequin, sitting under the large 10.2in Scribe pill.
Regardless of the brand new display screen the Colorsoft doesn’t break with the essential Kindle components. It seems and feels identical 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, which 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 simple to learn. The entrance mild has 24 ranges of brightness with computerized management and it will probably change the tone of white based mostly on the time of the day. It really works very properly.
The color display screen makes shopping your library or the Kindle retailer a lot simpler, as ebook covers are in color so they’re extra recognisable at a look. In-book diagrams, maps or footage 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 screen flashes on web page turns when color pictures cowl greater than about one-third of the display screen, much like a few of the authentic black and white e-readers, which you shortly get used to.
The matt display screen is just not 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 could be difficult as a result of the 7in display screen is simply too small when displaying a full comedian web page. The Kindle has a panel view mode that shows just a few panels at a time however it’s a bit clumsy. I favor pinching to zoom and pan on the Colorsoft’s touchscreen, which is quick and clean sufficient to shortly learn sections whereas nonetheless getting an appreciation of the entire web page.
One of many large benefits of the Kindle is Amazon’s huge book retailer, which is equally giant 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 present purchases.
The Kindle could be loaded up with ePub or pdf information, permitting you to purchase books elsewhere, although solely paperwork despatched through 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 if in case you have a number of comics or books. The Kindle has filters for books and comedian strips, nevertheless it didn’t recognise any of the graphic novels I personal as comics, leaving all of them bundled in a multitude with common books and onerous to browse. The filters do work on the Kindle app on a pill, nonetheless.
Specs
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Display: 7in color e-paper (B&W 300ppi; Color 150ppi)
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Dimensions: 127.6 x 176.7 x 7.8mm
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Weight: 219g
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Water resistance: IPX8 (2m as much as 60 minutes)
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Connectivity: Wifi 5, Bluetooth
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Storage: 32GB
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Battery life: 28 hours of studying
The battery life is a little more variable than different Kindles due to the color display screen, nevertheless 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, shedding lower than 1% per day with the facility save choice enabled.
Sustainability
The Colorsoft will obtain software program and safety updates for not less than 4 years after it’s final out there new from Amazon. The corporate doesn’t present an anticipated lifespan for the battery nevertheless it ought to final in extra of 500 full cost cycles with not less than 80% of its authentic capability. Entry to restore choices varies by nation. It accommodates 28% recycled supplies together with cobalt, magnesium and plastic.
Amazon breaks down the Kindle’s environmental affect in its report and gives trade-in and recycling schemes.
Value
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 could be nice. It seems like it can ultimately be the norm for e-readers, changing black and white for books, not simply comics and graphic novels.
Seeing your covers and in-book footage in color instantly lifts the expertise with out creating an enormous draw back in contrast with the very best monochrome fashions. Comics additionally look fairly good and are simpler to learn outdoor on the Kindle than a pill. However the 7in display screen simply isn’t large enough 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 identical to a Paperwhite.
That leaves the Colorsoft in a hinterland. The color display screen is nice, however struggles to justify the additional value at this dimension of display screen suited most for normal textbooks. Purchase it on a deal and also you gained’t be disenchanted. And if in case you have one already that has a yellow tint on the backside of the display screen, contact Amazon’s assist for a alternative.
Execs: color and black and white, in-book pictures and covers look nice, a lot better for comics, speedy pinch-and-zoom, water-proof, mild, good battery life, auto entrance mild, USB-C.
Cons: display screen flashes on web page turns for color way over black and white, no page-turn buttons, costly, 7in display screen too small for comics, colors not as vibrant as pill, locked to Amazon’s ecosystem.
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