Amazon’s latest Kindle collection offers a range of upgrades and even a completely new entrant: the Kindle Colorsoft, the first-ever Kindle with a colour display.
The question is, how does the new Kindle Colorsoft compare to the popular, yet premium, Kindle Paperwhite? While there are noticeable differences, such as the former offering support for colour, there are other subtle differences between the two that might sway your vote one way or the other.
Here’s how the two popular e-readers compare.
Price
The Kindle Colorsoft is priced at £269.99/$269.99 and is available to buy now following release on 30 October 2024.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) was announced on the same day as the Kindle Colorsoft and is also available to buy right now. The latest Paperwhite model is priced at £159.99 with ads or £169.99 without ads, making it £100-£110 cheaper than the Colorsoft depending on which version you choose.
The Kindle Colorsoft is the only Kindle with a colour display
The Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon’s first e-reader to come equipped with a colour display.
This means you can see book covers in the Kindle Store and your library in all their glory, view the photos and images within books how they were intended and highlight text in colour to save the passages you want to return to. You can also choose between standard and vibrant colours for a specific look.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) has the more typical 16-level greyscale display, though it does have the highest contrast ratio of any Kindle. The screen also has an adjustable colour temperature, so you can read in both bright sunlight and low-lit environments.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) lets you turn the page faster
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024), on the other hand, holds the title of the fastest Kindle around.
This means you can quickly swipe through pages and navigate your way around your library when you want to explore other titles with the snappy and responsive device.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) boasts a longer battery life
If you rely on your Kindle for entertainment when travelling or during your daily commute, the Kindle Paperwhite (2024) will appeal with its huge 12-week battery life. This is based on 30 minutes of reading per day.
The Kindle Colorsoft has a shorter battery life, which makes sense considering the additional power required to display colour pages. A single charge will last you around 8 weeks, based on the same 30 minutes of reading a day.
Though shorter than the battery life of the Kindle Paperwhite, this is still a long time, giving you ample time to get through a full novel on a particularly long journey or flight.
Both Kindles can be charged from 0 to 100% in 2.5 hours using a 9W USB-C adapter.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) is available in three finishes
Despite the Kindle Colorsoft’s vibrant display, the e-reader only comes in one finish. The Metallic Black shade isn’t the most exciting, but the neutral finish should allow the colours on the display to pop against its borders.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024), meanwhile, comes in three shades, including Metallic Black and the more vibrant Metallic Raspberry and Metallic Jade.
Of course, you can also personalise your Kindle further with a matching or contrasting case.
Early verdict
Both the Kindle Colorsoft and the Kindle Paperwhite (2024) bring key updates to Amazon’s popular e-reader series.
The Colorsoft is undoubtedly the standout release here being the brand’s first color e-reader, but that doesn’t mean you need it. If you aren’t overly fussed about viewing book covers and images in colour, you can save yourself £100 by opting for the Kindle Paperwhite (2024) with its faster page turning and longer battery life.
However, we’ll save our final verdict for once we’ve completed more testing.
