I reckon my wallet better learn to like it rough, as I've been having a blast with this thing! Like many, I've been interested to see how it stacks up against the Kobo Libra Color, which I tried out (and returned) in early September. Sure, the color screen is based on the same tech, but with the modifications the Kindle team has made, there was a good chance its performance might be a bit better. Comparisons around the web show the KLC and the Colorsoft trading wins depending on the specific color image displayed. The smooth, muted shades of color offered by the aptly-named Colorsoft are pleasing to the eye, and more than adequate for most tasks. Vivid mode boosts the color saturation at the expense of some detail in dark areas; which mode is better depends entirely on personal preference. I've found the standard mode best more often than not. The color is obviously not going to compete with that of a decent tablet, but if you want a color ereader, the Colorsoft does the job admirably. However, most of my time will still be spent reading black text on a white-ish background, and that experience was a bit too compromised for my liking on the Kobo Libra Color. So, how does the addition of color affect the Colorsoft's actual reading experience?
Pretty damn well, thankfully. The first thing you're likely to notice (after that gorgeous startup screen) is how dark the screen is compared to a standard B&W ereader. This is due to the color overlay, and while the darker tone isn't ideal, that's what the light is for. The color layer doesn't taint the standard B&W reading experience much to my eyes; whereas the KLC had a bad "screen door effect" that was like having a layer of static between my eyes and the screen, the Colorsoft has a more gentle graininess that actually looks pretty good to my eyes. It's not as clean as the Paperwhite or basic model, but it looks more like actual paper, oddly enough. Text is still very sharp, and the contrast suffers surprisingly little. Like I said, this was my number one concern, and I am very pleasantly surprised at how the Kindle team pulled this off!
In the few days the Colorsoft has been available, there's been a great deal of discourse about the lighting, specifically how most models have a darker yellow-ish tint to the lower bit of the screen. Some aren't bothered by this, and some absolutely hate it. I can just perceive it on mine; had I not been specifically looking for it, I might not ever have noticed it! Either I won the device lottery, or else my eyes just aren't as sensitive to such things as others' are. The auto light sensor works pretty well, especially after doing a bit of calibration.
As pretty much a modified 12th-gen Paperwhite, the Colorsoft benefits from the massive speed boost of that model. It's a hair slower on page turns, and color pages are a bit slower than that, but still well within a comfortable range. The device is a bit faster than the 11th-gen devices are after the speed boost they received from the most recent software update. Books download and open instantly, and typing, menu navigation, and even browsing the Kindle store are a breeze! Ghosting is kept to a minimum, and while the page refreshes much more frequently when reading in color, I didn't find that distracting. This will never be my device of choice for reading comics as long as I have a big tablet with an OLED screen sitting at the ready on my nightstand, but it performs the task more than adequately.
A few cool, random tidbits: In addition to the color startup screen mentioned previously, there are some nice new screensavers, some of them appealing enough to make me reconsider setting my book cover as the lock screen image. The Amazon logo on the back has a nice iridescent finish, and while that's not as nice as the metal casing it should have had, it's a nice touch that adds some visual interest to the otherwise dull design. It's also worth noting that, while most cases for the 11th-gen PW do not fit the new models, if you have one of those gel cases, it just might do the trick. It's a tight fit, but it'll offer the device some protection while we wait for more case options from third parties! The device charges quickly, and it works with the 2021 model wireless charger. Battery life seems quite good so far, but obviously, it's too early to judge long-term performance on that front. Based on any Kindle not called the Oasis, I don't anticipate any problems.
On the less positive front, the screen is the usual fingerprint magnet. The bezels, in particular, drive me up the wall with how fast they get all smudgy. It's easy enough to apply some washi tape to the bezels to eliminate that, as well as personalizing your device. The lack of buttons are a sore spot for many, and I dearly wish they had built some into the side in the style of the 4th-gen Kindle. It is what it is, though. The Colorsoft also lacks the stylus support offered by the Kobo Libra Color. This is not a drawback for me, but it's something to consider if you desire that feature. In the "likely a glitch" department, there appears to be no universal dark mode. You can apply it to the books you're reading, but menus will display as normal. PDF files added via USB also display in B&W, not color. PDFs sent via the Send to Kindle app work just fine. I expect both of these issues to be fixed with an update.
The option to download your purchased books via a USB connection has been disabled on the new devices. Many of us like to download the books we purchase from Amazon to make our own backups, so this is an issue for many Kindle owners. It's unclear at this point whether or not this is intentional or an oversight, but be aware of the issue if you typically download your purchased books. Sideloading books onto your Kindle still works normally.
As much as I like the Colorsoft, it feels overpriced. A metal casing, a la the Oasis or the Voyage, would have helped sell it better as a premium device. Taking advantage of the trade-in program certainly helped, but when you get right down to it, Amazon is offering a device that lacks a few features of its competitors in this space, and charging us more for the privilege. True, they are delivering a mostly-superior experience, and many of us are already ensconced in the Amazon ecosystem, but that price tag is a whopper. Personally, I've wanted a color Kindle for years, and my trade-in knocked the price down to a much more comfortable level. Don't be afraid to take your time and let more of us early adopters help work out the kinks for you, and wait for a sale if you're on the fence. These things aren't going anywhere. Color has erupted into the Kindle line, and I'm excited to watch this technology develop and improve in the years to come! Keep scrolling for many more photos and comparison pics!
