Amazon’s 16GB Kindle Colorsoft has been available for less than a month, yet it’s already discounted to $219.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Similarly, the new Colorsoft Kids comes with a 12-month Amazon Kids Plus subscription, a two-year extended warranty, and a cover-style case, all for a reduced price of $239.99 ($30 off) at the same retailers. These ad-free e-readers boast a seven-inch color E Ink display, IPX8 waterproofing, and a battery life that can last up to eight weeks on one charge.
The 16GB Colorsoft is Amazon’s latest color e-reader, sharing many features with last year’s Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. It offers comparable page-turn speeds and performs well with both monochrome and color books. However, similar to the Signature Edition, the resolution decreases from 300ppi to 150ppi for color books, which was noticeable but not overly problematic during our tests. Viewing PDFs in color through the Send to Kindle service on the Signature Edition was satisfactory, but transferring them via USB-C from a computer caused a loss of color.
In general, Amazon’s basic Colorsoft model stands out as the best color e-reader at its price point. If you’re a fan of graphic novels or illustrated books, this device provides a far more immersive experience than a monochrome Kindle and is gentler on the eyes compared to phones or tablets. However, transitioning from the Signature Edition means losing features like wireless charging support and an auto-adjusting front light. The Signature Edition comes with twice the storage capacity (32GB) and reportedly an extra four weeks of battery life, though extended use of the basic model is necessary to verify this claim.
