In Kindle's new e-reader lineup released last fall, the most groundbreaking addition was probably the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (7/10, WIRED Reviews), featuring Kindle's first-ever color display. For the past nine months, it's been the only color Kindle Amazon offered. That changed today.
First thing this morning, Amazon announced both a cheaper 16-GB version of the Kindle Colorsoft ($250) and a new Kindle Colorsoft Kids ($270), and both models are available now. They're both a little less expensive than the $280 Signature Edition that came out last year. The Signature Edition has had some issues with faulty devices, and only time will tell (plus our testing, which is coming soon) if these new versions will have the same problem.
But if you're in the market for a new Kindle and were hoping for a color option, here are all the details on the two new models you can start shopping today.
Color for Kids
There's already a Kindle Kids ($130) and Paperwhite Kids ($180) with black-and-white screens, but the Kindle Colorsoft Kids ($270) takes those features and packs them into a color screen. Like the regular model, it comes with 16 GB of storage, USB-C charging, an illustrated cover, one year of an Amazon Kids+ digital subscription, and a two-year warranty. The new Colorsoft version also has a 7-inch display like the Paperwhite Kids—larger than the base Kids model, which has only a 6-inch display.
While both the base Kids model and Paperwhite Kids model have three covers to choose from ("Ocean Explorer," “Space Whale,” and “Unicorn Valley” for the base option, and “Cyber City,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and “Starfish” for the Paperwhite model), the Colorsoft Kids has just two—the vibrant and colorful “Fantasy River” and “Starlight Reading." The River option has a river at dusk surrounded by pink clouds, various trees, and a mix of leaves and bubbles floating through the air, while the starlight design has a star-filled pink sky with a child looking out at it.
Like other Kids models, the Colorsoft Kids will come with a year's subscription to Amazon Kids+. Amazon Kids+ offers tons of age-appropriate books and content (like audiobooks!) for a reading kiddo, and Amazon said even more books will be added this summer. Kids+ runs $6 a month, with an available free one-month trial if you aren't purchasing a new Kids Kindle.
The color screen will be a great option for graphic novel and comic readers, especially. If your kid is more of a classic book reader, they'll still be able to enjoy colorful covers on the homepage and highlight their current book with colorful highlight options.
Cheaper Color
If price is what steered you away from investing in the Colorsoft, the new, cheaper base model might be your perfect Kindle. It's $30 cheaper, retailing for $250, and includes an adjustable warm light like the Kindle Paperwhite (8/10, WIRED Recommends). That warm light is one of the reasons the Paperwhite is our favorite Kindle over the cheaper options, though the Colorsoft Signature Edition has an auto-adjusting front light, which is a nice upgrade.
There's also a storage difference between the two models. The new base model has 16 GB of storage, similar to the non-color Kindles, while the Colorsoft Signature has 32 GB of storage. The other Kindle models, like the Paperwhite, also have 16 GB of storage, so this is a pretty normal setting and plenty of storage for books. Longer mangas and graphic novels are likely to fill up the storage faster than the same number of longer, text-only books, but it really depends on what you read and what you're downloading to your Kindle. You can always change around what books are currently downloaded if storage becomes an issue, or splurge on the Colorsoft Signature Edition if you're worried about storage.
The new, more affordable version still has the 7-inch display size and similar battery life of the Signature model. All three Colorsoft Kindles promise up to eight weeks on a single charge, depending on your use. The cheaper Colorsoft will only have USB-C charging, while the Signature has both USB-C and wireless Qi charging. It'll come with three months of Kindle Unlimited as well, which gives access to a library of books and content to read on demand. Kindle Unlimited is usually $12 a month, with a one-month free trial when you aren't purchasing a new Kindle.
Both the new Colorsoft ($250) and the Colorsoft Kids ($270) are available now on Amazon. We're testing both soon, so keep an eye on our guide to the Best Kindles to see how these models stack up against the rest of Kindle's lineup.
