Amazon Unveils Its First-Ever Kindle E-Reader With A Color Display

It's been 17 years since Amazon introduced its first Kindle e-reader, and since then, there has never been a model with a color e-ink display. That is, until now—meet the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is arguably the highlight of Amazon's lineup of refreshed Kindle devices. Amazon also released new versions of its regular Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite (including the Signature Edition), and Kindle Scribe.

According to Amazon, the color display does not come at the expense of viewability. What makes Kindles and other e-ink readers so great is that they're easier on the eyes for reading text compared to an LCD screen. Amazon says it designed the Kindle Colorsoft's 7-inch display "specifically for reading" and is promising "none of the harsh glare or intense light of a conventional backlit screen."

"Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition packs a suite of innovations that make every hue and shade pop. Those include custom formulated coatings between the display layers to enhance the color, a light guide with micro-deflectors to minimize stray light, and an ultra-thin coating in the display stack to improve optical performance. We built the display on an oxide backplane for sharper contrast, faster page turns, and better image quality," Amazon says.

Some of those innovations include nitrite LEDs and custom algorithms to enhance color and brightness without washing out details. Amazon says you can zoom in on images without worrying about pixelation. The new Kindle Colorsoft also offers a choice between standard and vibrant color styles.

Beyond the color display, you're looking at 32GB of built-in storage, an auto-adjusting front flight, wireless charging, waterproof features, and up to eight weeks of battery. That's four weeks less than the Kindle Paperwhite and Scribe, though two weeks more than the the base Kindle.

If you're interested, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is available to preorder for $279.99. It releases on October 30, 2024.

Meanwhile, Amazon is pitching its newest Kindle Paperwhite as the fastest Kindle to date. According to Amazon, it's "more snappy and responsive with 25% faster page turns." Additionally, it's been upgraded with an oxide thin-film transistor that Amazon says gives it the highest contrast ratio of any Kindle. And it's sporting a 7-inch display, the largest yet for the Kindle Paperwhite.

You can order the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for $199.99 at Amazon, which comes with 32GB of built-in storage and no lockscreen ads. Alternatively, the standard Kindle Paperwhite with 16GB of built-in storage is available to order for $159.99 with lockscreen ads, or $179.99 without ads. Both come in black, jade, and raspberry color options. Models are in stock now.

Amazon also introduced a new Kindle Scribe with a redesigned 10.2-inch display. It now features white borders and a "smooth, paper-like texture" on the screen that is supposed to make it feel more like you're writing on a piece of paper.

There's also an artificial intelligence (AI) angle being pitched, and specifically AI notebook tools.

"Recap your notes easily with the new notebook summarization feature. You can also refine the text, converting your handwritten words into a script font for a more elegant look," Amazon says.

The Kindle Scribe with 16GB of built-in storage is available to preorder for $399.99 and releases on December 4, 2024. Other storage options are available as well, including 32GBfor $419.99 and 64GB for $449.99. Color options include tungsten and metallic jade.

Finally, Amazon refreshed its lightest and cheapest Kindle. The newest model sticks with a 6-inch e-ink display (300 pixels per inch), but it now gets 25% brighter at the max setting and boasts a higher contrast ratio. It's also faster.

The regular Kindle (16GB) is available now for $109.99 with lockscreen ads, and $129.99 without ads. It's offered in black as well as a new matcha color option.