Kindle Colorsoft Review: …and there was color

I've been devouring all my books on an e-reader for over ten years. My Kindle Paperwhite has followed me on every trip, saving me from carrying several kilos of paper. While many people remain attached to the feel of a book "in the flesh and on paper," I finally turned the page: the e-reader simply has too many advantages. To name just a few: carrying hundreds of books in less than 300g, enjoying a backlit screen so you can read absolutely anywhere, holding the device with one hand and turning the pages with your fingertips...

Today, I have the chance to test the latest addition to the Amazon range: the Kindle Colorsoft 2025As its name suggests, this new e-reader has a color screen.

For this test, Amazon kindly sent me a copy of the device, and here are my very first impressions, in all honesty.

Design and handling of the Kindle Colorsoft

First of all, let's talk about unboxing this Kindle Colorsoft 16 GB ! As usual, Amazon does things right. The e-reader's packaging is simple and elegant, and the cardboard box features the device... in color. The cardboard is sturdy and gives a real impression of a high-end, solid product.

A little nod for the more observant, the inside of the box lid very discreetly reveals the emblematic image associated with the Kindle range: a child reading under a tree.

I really like this introduction; it suggests great attention to detail.

Inside, the device is well wedged in a molded cardboard box in which you will also find all the elements delivered with the Kindle:

• a USB-C cable for charging (without charging head)
• a quick start leaflet
• a small product information booklet

In terms of handling, no surprises, it's very high quality! Nothing sticks out, the finishes are very clean and the material used is very pleasant to the touch.

The flush-mounted glass front has a light oleophobic coating: you won't completely escape fingerprints, but they're much less visible than on the glossy screen of a tablet or smartphone. After a few chapters, a simple microfiber cloth is enough to restore the shine; no need to carry a cleaning spray in your bag. In practice, it's an acceptable compromise—especially since the matte coating reduces reflections without sacrificing sharpness.

Regarding the weight of the Kindle Colorsoft, it shows 215g on the scale. This is barely more than the Kindle Paperwhite and its 211g, for very similar dimensions. In concrete terms, weight is not a problem since the device weighs roughly the same as a 300-page paperback book (from 150 to 250g depending on the type of paper).

In any case, one thing is certain: the screen seems huge compared to a 2016 Kinlde Paperwhite (and its 205g)!

Otherwise, the e-reader is relatively thin with a thickness of only 7.8 mm and reasonable dimensions (127.6 x 176.7 mm) which seem neither too small nor too large for comfortable use.

Express start via Bluetooth

When you first turn it on, Colorsoft offers you the option to configure it directly. from your smartphone : Open the Kindle app, turn on Bluetooth, and follow the instructions. In less than a minute, your phone will locate the e-reader, transmit your Amazon credentials and Wi-Fi password, and the screen will display your library. No need to laboriously type your codes on the virtual keyboard; three taps are enough to start reading. Of course, purists can always use manual entry, but the "app + Bluetooth" pairing saves precious time, ideal if you often change networks or if you are giving the e-reader to someone who is not comfortable with the setup.

Color screen and reading experience

Let's move on to what makes this Colorsoft so interesting: its E Ink Kaleido 3 color displayThe 7″ diagonal offers a reading surface of 10.7 × 14.2 cm, which is significantly more than a 2016 generation Paperwhite. You display more text per page and, above all, the Comics and manga finally enjoy a comfortable space.

In black and white reading, the 300 ppi matrix ensures impeccable sharpness. The pages turn without any perceptible latency ; I even sometimes wonder if the transition has really taken place, it is so fast. Above all, full refreshes no longer display the "black flash" of yesteryear and do not leave no ghost trace.

Small drawback: the background of the screen appears slightly grayer than a Paperwhite. This is the price to pay for color: the RGB filter placed in front of the ink layer "swallows" a little light. You quickly get used to it, especially since the reading light supports 25 levels of light and a setting of temperature ranging from cool white to soft amber for nighttime reading.

Let's move on to color

If you plan to devour your manga or comic books on the Kindle Colorsoft 2025, know that the Kaleido 3 screen is a clear game changer without turning the experience into a fireworks display. 4,096 shades add real depth to covers, introductory pages, and full-page illustrations. The colors remain cake compared to an LCD or OLED tablet; this is a compromise inherent in E Ink technology.

On black and white manga, fine lines remain crisp: the page appears as precise as a paper print. As soon as a page combines a lot of colors and small details—for example, a large setting or complicated textures—the image becomes a little less precise, because the color part of the screen is half as defined as black and white. In very busy panoramas, you can also feel that the e-reader takes a short half-second to display the page, and a slight "ghosting" effect can appear if you zoom in or turn the pages very quickly. To put it simply: this is perfect for manga and children's comics, while very detailed European albums remain perfectly readable, but with a slightly softer rendering.

Multicolored highlighting

New discreet, but extremely practical function: four highlight colors (yellow, orange, pink, blue). You can therefore code your passages as you wish, distinguishing for example important dates, striking quotes, strong ideas, etc. The markers stand out clearly from the text and, when you export your notes to the Kindle application or by email, the color code is kept identical so that you can immediately find your bearings on any device.

Touch responsiveness: finally the feeling of a “living” screen

The capacitive panel responds without perceptible delay : touch to turn the page, pinch to zoom, drag to highlight, everything follows the movement. This sensation is due to a simple, but effective hardware pairing — 2 GHz dual-core processor et 1 GB of RAM — combined with the new generation of E Ink controllers. While reading, you no longer experience the once-typical slowdown: the dictionary appears immediately, the context menu appears without blinking, and even PDFs of several dozen megabytes move with very decent fluidity.

In everyday life, this changes everything: you turn the pages of a novel as if you were on paper, you navigate through a comic strip by zooming in on a detail without breaking your immersion, and the text selection is done to the nearest millimeter.

Autonomy and recharge: two weeks, 79% remaining

After 14 full days of actual use — between 30 minutes and 1 hour of daily reading, a few trips to the store and color highlighting tests — the gauge still shows 79%At this rate, we're easily approaching the 2 months of endurance promised by Amazon before having to look for a cable. In fact, Amazon announces up to 8 weeks of autonomy for 30 minutes of reading per day...

On the charging side, the USB-C port accepts any charger; count Last approximately 2h30. to go from 0% to 100% with a 9W power adapter.

Formats, ecosystem… and little extras to know

On the 16 GB version, there remains approximately 11,25 GB free : more than enough to store several thousand novels or hundreds of digitized comics. Colorsoft now acceptsePub in addition to home formats AZW/KFX, PDF and archives CBR/CBZ for scanned manga. Add your files by simple drag and drop via USB-C, email, or via the "Send to Kindle" browser extension.

The Amazon ecosystem is perfecting everything:

• whisper sync keeps your page between e-reader, mobile app and browser;
• le Bluetooth 5.1 allows you to pair headphones and switch to the Audible version of a book with one tap;
• Kindle unlimited (optional) opens the door to over a million titles;
• un dark mode reverse text and background for night reading;
• the parental controls block the store and purchases with a PIN code;

IPX8 waterproof: peace of mind at the water's edge

The Kindle Colorsoft is certified IPX8, meaning it can survive complete immersion up to 2 meters deep for 60 minutes without suffering the slightest damage. In practical terms, you can read in the bath, by the pool, or in a surprise downpour without worrying about a breakdown or running to get a towel. Even a coffee accidentally spilled on the screen can be simply rinsed off under the tap—a quick wipe and it's done. This robustness in no way affects the slimness of the e-reader: the joints are discreet and the glass front remains perfectly flush, with no unsightly protrusions. In short, IPX8 transforms the Colorsoft into an all-terrain companion that fears neither splashes nor accidental dives.

Integrated web browser

Another interesting element is that Amazon has integrated a web browser into its Kindle Colorsoft. Of course, the device isn't the most suitable for web browsing, but with its color and highly responsive screen, the idea makes a bit of sense. With the E Ink screen, browsing remains a bit less fluid and the colors a bit dull...

In practice, this browser is mainly there to help out, but still... it has the merit of existing.

Models and prices

Le Kindle Colorsoft 16 GB - sold €269,99 – is the entry ticket to Amazon's color universe. With its already comfortable internal space, it easily accommodates several thousand novels and a good pile of comics; for the rest, you benefit from the same 7″ screen, the same touch responsiveness and IPX8 waterproofing as the high-end version. Nothing restricted, nothing removed: it's the "all-inclusive" formula for those who simply want to taste color without breaking the bank.

Le Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition 32 GB, proposed €299,99, adds extra comfort: double storage for heavy consumers of manga and PDFs, Qi wireless charging which eliminates the desk cable, and ambient light sensor automatically adjusting the intensity of the LEDs. For €30 more, you gain space and practicality, while retaining exactly the same panel, the same battery life and the same IPX8 robustness as the 16 GB model.

Kindle Colorsoft Features

What I think of the Kindle Colorsoft 2025 after several weeks in my hands

After several weeks on the clock, I must admit that the Kindle Colorsoft made me completely forget my old Paperwhite. The large 7″ screen adjustable lighting which changes from cool white to soft amber, the velvety-feel materials and IPX8 certification (tested and approved during a too prolonged bath) provide a comfort of use that is difficult to leave, especially when theautonomy easily exceeds the month without recharging. I also appreciated the almost instantaneous reactivity : turning a page, zooming in on a box, highlighting in color... everything is done without the slightest latency, and the display quality remains impeccable, whether you're reading a novel or a dense PDF.

The icing on the cake is that the color adds a real plus: comics can finally be read in good conditions and the on-board library comes to life thanks to the bright covers, which makes the Kindle home page surprisingly "cool." In short, if your pleasure lies in comics, manga, or any illustrated material, the Colorsoft—especially the Signature Edition—is clearly worth the investment; otherwise, recent black-and-white Kindle models will do the job for less, at the cost of a slightly less sparkling visual experience.