Amazon has quietly confirmed that its new colour Kindles aren’t the best choice for serious readers.
Recent updates to the FAQ pages for the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and Kindle Colorsoft make it clear that if you want the sharpest text and fastest page turns, you’re better off with a Kindle Paperwhite or the 2024 Kindle Scribe.
Colour e-paper has been a buzzword for a while, promising vibrant comics and magazine pages on an e-ink display. But Amazon (via Good eReader) now openly acknowledges that Colorsoft displays, which use a colour filter layer, don’t match the crisp clarity of their black-and-white counterparts.
“The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is designed to provide a high-quality reading and writing experience in both color and black and white,” Amazon says. “If you are looking for a slightly crisper black and white reading experience, you may want to check out Kindle Scribe.”
This isn’t a surprise for us, as it matches what we said in our Kindle Colorsoft review. While we liked a lot about the device, our reviewer said, “My biggest issue with the Kindle Colorsoft screen is that text is not as sharp as it is on the Paperwhite. While the resolution is still 300PPI (this drops down to 150PPI when displaying colour), there’s a colour layer required over the display that adds a fuzzy finish. Look closely, and the text lacks the clean finish found on other Kindles.”
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This is a rare case of transparency from a tech giant, especially one selling both types of screens side by side.
Why colour e-paper still lags behind
The issue lies in the E Ink Kaleido 3 technology used across most colour e-readers. While it allows for colour content, the filter layer only supports 150 PPI in colour, compared to 300 PPI on black-and-white displays. That means text looks softer and less contrasty, which is not ideal for novels or essays.
Competing brands like Kobo, Onyx Boox, and Meebook also use Kaleido 3 but don’t mention these trade-offs in their product descriptions.
Black and white still wins for book lovers
Despite the rise of colour e-readers, Amazon’s messaging is clear that if you care about readability, stick with monochrome. The Paperwhite remains the best Kindle for contrast and comfort, while Colorsoft models are better suited for illustrated or multimedia content.
