Why Colorsoft’s New, Cheaper Kindle Is (Probably) Not Worth the Savings
Either Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft isn’t selling well enough, or its competitors are doing better, because the company seems to have quietly released a new, cheaper version since late yesterday. When I opened it this afternoon, it was all over my Amazon app, and it’s being promoted so heavily that I can’t find the old model except in bundles and direct links. The problem? It comes with a ton of compromises, and it’s only $30 cheaper .
However, it does fill a gap in the Kindle lineup. Previously, the Colorsoft Kindle was only available in a “Signature Edition,” which meant bonuses like wireless charging, automatic brightness control, and extra storage. The new model finally brings Colorsoft to the “standard” version, but is it worth it?
The upside is that there are no ads on the lock screen, which is a premium on Kindles other than the Signature Edition. But for that $30 discount, you’re only getting the bare minimum. If you’re like me, you can probably live without wireless charging and automatic brightness, but the new Colorsoft Kindle has half the storage, at 16GB instead of 32GB.
That’s a lot of space to sacrifice for a mere $30 savings. To be fair, you can store tens of thousands of text books on this device, but add in audiobooks or comics, which is what the Kindle Colorsoft seems designed for, and you might start running into storage limitations more often.
With that in mind, I’d probably still go with the Signature Edition, especially since you can buy competing budget color models like the Kobo Clara Color and even the more expensive Kobo Libra Color for less than this new budget Colorsoft. The Clara is certainly a bit smaller in screen size per inch, but the Libra does beat the Colorsoft in a few ways, like the page-turn buttons and stylus support. Plus, it shares the same 32GB of storage as the Colorsoft Signature Edition.
In my testing, I’ll admit that Amazon’s approach to color e-ink tends to look more vibrant and have fewer artifacts than its competitors, but it’s still a compromise compared to more traditional screens. If you’re willing to make sacrifices, you might be the type to trade off device loyalty for the sake of savings. If money is your top priority, even Colorsoft’s pared-down version isn’t the best option, especially since it locks you into Amazon’s Kindle ecosystem and pricing structure.
If you’re willing to pay a little more and get to grips with the Kindle ecosystem, I still have a lot of positive things to say about the Colorsoft Signature Edition. It’s hard to find these days, as Amazon seems to be looking for bundles with cases and wireless chargers more often than the device itself. But it’s still available via a direct link here . You can also get a little more value for your new Colorsoft Kindle by buying the Kids version , which costs $20 more but includes a year’s worth of Amazon Kids+, which is normally $8 per month.