Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review

The new Colorsoft brings color to the Kindle lineup in a thinner, lighter body than before. Its 7-inch paper-like display shows text at 300 ppi and color at 150 ppi, and Amazon pitches it at comics, graphic novels and travel guides. You can highlight in five colors, switch on Dark Mode for low light, and move the adjustable warm light from white to amber. Like the Paperwhite it is IPX8 waterproof and has a replaceable battery, and Amazon sells it without lockscreen ads. Battery life is rated at up to 8 weeks, a third less than the Paperwhite's 12. Storage is 16GB, with the Kindle Store and Kindle+ built in, and US library loans come through Libby, per OverDrive. As with the other Kindles, books bought here stay inside Amazon's system, and the standard model has no page-turn buttons. Its US price could not be checked from our location, which keeps its value score cautious.

Who it is for

Kindle Store readers who want color for comics, graphic novels and travel guides.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• 7-inch paper-like color display at 300 ppi for black and white and 150 ppi for color
• Highlights in yellow, orange, blue, pink and green
• Adjustable warm light and Dark Mode
• Waterproof to IPX8, up to 8 weeks per charge
• Replaceable battery and no lockscreen ads

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Color on a Kindle with the full Kindle Store
• Strength: Sold without lockscreen ads
• Strength: Same 7-inch size as the Paperwhite
• Weakness: Shorter rated battery life than the Paperwhite
• Weakness: No page-turn buttons on the standard model
• Weakness: Library route limited to US libraries through Libby

Key facts

• Display: 7 in color, 300 ppi B&W / 150 ppi color
• Storage: 16GB
• Battery: Up to 8 weeks
• Waterproof: IPX8
• Ads: None

Where it ranks

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft is No. 6 in our Best E Readers verdict.