My Son Wanted a Kindle.. so I Made Him Test Them All

Quick Overview

The Kindle Colorsoft is generally a good device for reading, especially for graphic novels due to its color E Ink display, but it suffers from slow page turns and lower PPI compared to its monochrome counterparts, leading to mixed feelings from users who experienced screen yellowing issues despite Amazon's promises to fix them.

Key Points: The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is priced at $189.99 (on sale for $159.99), compared to the standard Paperwhite 5 at $139.99-$159.99. The Colorsoft features a 7" glare-free color display with 300 PPI for black/white content, but only 150 PPI for color, which is less sharp than the Paperwhite 5's 300 PPI monochrome display. Battery life for the Colorsoft is rated up to 8 weeks, significantly less than the Paperwhite 5's up to 12 weeks. The Colorsoft has a faster dual-core 1GHz processor and 512MB RAM compared to the Paperwhite 5's single-core 1GHz processor and 256MB RAM. Despite hardware upgrades, page turns on the Colorsoft are noticeably slower than the standard Paperwhite, especially when viewing color content. The device includes an E Ink Kaleido 3 display which uses an extra color layer, making color content more immersive but increasing the time needed for particles to reach the surface, causing slowness. Early customer reviews indicate issues like yellow screen tinting (yellow gradient at the bottom), leading to disappointment and replacements, though later reviews suggest Amazon claims to be fixing the issue.

Context: This video reviews the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, comparing it primarily against the standard Kindle Paperwhite 5 to assess the value of its new color E Ink display technology. The review explores performance metrics like processing speed, battery life, and display characteristics (PPI, color quality, refresh rate) while also referencing user feedback regarding early hardware defects like screen yellowing.

Detailed Analysis

The video reviews the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, contrasting it against the standard Kindle Paperwhite 5. The Colorsoft costs $189.99 (or $159.99 on sale) and features a 7-inch color E Ink display with 300 PPI for black and white content, but only 150 PPI when displaying color due to the added color layer. The Paperwhite 5 offers a consistent 300 PPI monochrome display. While the Colorsoft has a faster dual-core processor (2C @ 1GHz vs 1C @ 1GHz) and more RAM (512MB vs 256MB), page turns are slower than on the Paperwhite 5, especially when displaying color images, which require more time for the color particles to move. Battery life is also significantly reduced on the Colorsoft (up to 8 weeks) compared to the Paperwhite 5 (up to 12 weeks). Despite the color capability, the reviewer notes that reading standard text feels better on the monochrome Paperwhite due to its sharper 300 PPI display. The device also includes a web browser and features like IPX8 waterproofing, which allows submersion in fresh water for up to 60 minutes at 2 meters. However, early customer reports show significant negative feedback regarding a yellow tint/bar appearing on the screen, indicating hardware quality control issues upon launch, despite Amazon claiming to be fixing the issue.