My 2 cents guys. Bought the Colorsoft. Tried it a few days, and had to return it. The screen was too dark, and a tiny bit grainy. You can compensate for the darkness with the brightness slider but not the sharpness. As for the color, not that impressive. If you like comics, use an ipad for example. I got the Paperwhite instead, and man, I love it. Text sharpness is awesome and when reading under acceptable lighting conditions you do not need the brightness slider at all, extending battery life. Cheers.
I have a Kobo libra black and white and the color version and for someone that doesn’t read comics, I don’t see any need for the color one, and to be honest, the bw version will always be the best option due to its brighter screen.
Your 2 cents are hilarious man. 😂 The fact you expected the colors on the Kindle Colorsoft to be like the colors on a tablet is 😂🤣 - and automatically invalidates the rest of the “review” as it shows you haven’t the slightest clue on how Kindles’ (and e-readers’ in general) e-ink technology works. 🤦♀️
Thanks so much for doing this. I wanted to like the Colorsoft but the compromises just aren't worth it for me right now. I appreciate you doing the side by side comparison as that was really what I needed to see.
I've got the Colorsoft, and unlike others I see no issue with the B&W text. It's well defined, there's no distracting "screen door effect" or whatever; the background might show a very slight texture but I don't find it disturbing in any way. Colors are what they are, that's what the available technology can do. There is a slight yellowing in the lower part, though, more or less noticeable depending on the settings; but if that gets fixed, I'd be very happy with the Colorsoft.
I had to return the Colorsoft after a week. Loved the look and feel, especially when reading comics. I had to send it back after several hours of reading a black-and-white book. The lower resolution color filter left a fuzzy haze over the text that would make me feel cross-eyed and a bit dizzy after about 30 to 40 minutes of reading. I wanted to love it, and if I had unlimited money, I definitely would have kept it around just for comics, but it didn't work for normal books.
Requesting Kobo Clara BW vs Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen updated comparison. Many people, like me, would be confused between the two ecosystems and looking forward to buying either.
Fact is this is still the best color e-ink screen on offer at the moment - folks have to have realistic expectations - this is still early color e-ink tech at the end of the day. I personally went into this knowing the limitations - the extra layer adds a slight "grain" - as it does on the other color e-ink products offered by other companies - this was to be expected. I'm personally enjoying the colorsoft for what it is - a first gen iteration of this screen tech. Still more pleasant to use for hours of reading than an ipad screen.
I have a last generation paperwhite. It’s still great after 3 years, so I’ve no need to upgrade. If I want colour, I will use my iPad to read magazines on my kindle subscription.
Nice comparison. I have colorsoft. It is great. Nice colors. Great for comics. With b&w Books, it is still good. My wife has the PW signature 2024, nice too: but she prefers full b&w as she reads no comic.
i hated even a paperlike screen protector on my palma, i feel like i’d hate this even more. probably best to wait until the next generation of color screens
My color soft sadly has looks like its been smoking for a couple years. It was suprising to ask customer support if there was a fix coming and they had no idea what I was even talking about. Like, do you not have a itinerary when you have a huge launch failure as a company?
... it is a technical limitation and not a failure. This is the state of colored e-ink screens. If you put some color layers above the black and white one, it is getting a bit grainy and darker. You have to adjust it with lightning. We have to accept it or choose a paperwhite, which only has the single black/white layer.. or better the lowest kindle which don´t have the "glass" layer like paperlike/colorsoft... then the text is on top of your eyes and looks sharper again... color on e-ink is a compromise, if you need much colors then an iPad is the better choice. I am happy with my new Paperwhite and for come comics or books with many illustrations, i use my iPad.
Color EReaders are really for specific use cases, if you read graphic novels, manga, comic books, Kids Books, and very dependent on color highlighting, etc. then the color EReaders are a positive/enjoyable experience but if you only read books that are text heavy (and do NOT highlight passages) then color might be a luxury or a trend setter item but not a necessity.
Thanks for the comparison video! Curious how a map from a Fantasy book would look on the colorsoft? Is it better than how pixelated it looks on a Paperwhite?
if I compare my kobo libra color with my fresh new paperwhite signature model ... both screens are about same size. And yes the color has color, and colored markers and so on. Useful. But for JUST reading books, BW screens win. They are sharper!
How about testing beyond the visual. I tried listening to Audible books with the Colorsoft using my AirPod Pro 2 and after 15 minutes there was static and it stopped playing. I started the audio again and it kept cutting out. I switched to the Beats Studio3 and it did play but there were clicks and dropouts in the audio making it impossible to enjoy. Both of my headphones work perfectly elsewhere. I don't have any non-Apple headphones to try.
I purchased both and had to return both, unfortunately. Not a fan of the overly yellow Paperwhite screen. As for the Colorsoft, I had the same issues as everyone else with the yellow band towards the bottom. For reading, the contrast was significantly poorer than the Paperwhite. This is such a big miss for Amazon, hopefully they get their act together. On a positive note, I did like the new Kindle basic. Aside from the very cheap materials, I thought the screen was very nice.
@@techbyjules there's an option in the accessibility settings that lets u adjust something called the "white point". apparently it adjusts white pixels (which are the most eye straining) separate from the overall brightness and makes oled panels more tolerable for reading, etc. have u tried that?
If you don't get sick from technology easily it's fine, but if you're like me and feel sick from using the screen after only an hour, e-readers are a lot better.
I would not want to be person who made the decision to ship this thing. I'm sure it'll get worked out but damn, this thing is a mess right now. The reviews are consistently bad.
My 2 cents guys. Bought the Colorsoft. Tried it a few days, and had to return it. The screen was too dark, and a tiny bit grainy. You can compensate for the darkness with the brightness slider but not the sharpness. As for the color, not that impressive. If you like comics, use an ipad for example. I got the Paperwhite instead, and man, I love it. Text sharpness is awesome and when reading under acceptable lighting conditions you do not need the brightness slider at all, extending battery life. Cheers.
I have a Kobo libra black and white and the color version and for someone that doesn’t read comics, I don’t see any need for the color one, and to be honest, the bw version will always be the best option due to its brighter screen.
Your 2 cents are hilarious man. 😂 The fact you expected the colors on the Kindle Colorsoft to be like the colors on a tablet is 😂🤣 - and automatically invalidates the rest of the “review” as it shows you haven’t the slightest clue on how Kindles’ (and e-readers’ in general) e-ink technology works. 🤦♀️
Thanks so much for doing this. I wanted to like the Colorsoft but the compromises just aren't worth it for me right now. I appreciate you doing the side by side comparison as that was really what I needed to see.
I've got the Colorsoft, and unlike others I see no issue with the B&W text. It's well defined, there's no distracting "screen door effect" or whatever; the background might show a very slight texture but I don't find it disturbing in any way. Colors are what they are, that's what the available technology can do.
There is a slight yellowing in the lower part, though, more or less noticeable depending on the settings; but if that gets fixed, I'd be very happy with the Colorsoft.
I had to return the Colorsoft after a week. Loved the look and feel, especially when reading comics. I had to send it back after several hours of reading a black-and-white book. The lower resolution color filter left a fuzzy haze over the text that would make me feel cross-eyed and a bit dizzy after about 30 to 40 minutes of reading. I wanted to love it, and if I had unlimited money, I definitely would have kept it around just for comics, but it didn't work for normal books.
Requesting Kobo Clara BW vs Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen updated comparison. Many people, like me, would be confused between the two ecosystems and looking forward to buying either.
Yes I need this as well
Paperwhite 6 and Voyage comparison please! I need to know if Amazon finally beat the Voyage when it comes to black and white contrast!
Fact is this is still the best color e-ink screen on offer at the moment - folks have to have realistic expectations - this is still early color e-ink tech at the end of the day. I personally went into this knowing the limitations - the extra layer adds a slight "grain" - as it does on the other color e-ink products offered by other companies - this was to be expected. I'm personally enjoying the colorsoft for what it is - a first gen iteration of this screen tech. Still more pleasant to use for hours of reading than an ipad screen.
Just got mine the other day and I fully agree! Upgraded from and older paper white and don’t miss it like I thought I would
I really hope the colorsoft goes on sale 🤣 ty for the comparison
When you highlighted the text, do the text become 150 ppi?
I have a last generation paperwhite. It’s still great after 3 years, so I’ve no need to upgrade. If I want colour, I will use my iPad to read magazines on my kindle subscription.
I almost had fomo but im good with my paper white
Nice comparison.
I have colorsoft. It is great. Nice colors. Great for comics.
With b&w Books, it is still good.
My wife has the PW signature 2024, nice too: but she prefers full b&w as she reads no comic.
i hated even a paperlike screen protector on my palma, i feel like i’d hate this even more. probably best to wait until the next generation of color screens
How are you viewing the screensaver photo with the front light on? I can't figure this out... the light turns off when mine goes to screensaver mode.
My color soft sadly has looks like its been smoking for a couple years. It was suprising to ask customer support if there was a fix coming and they had no idea what I was even talking about. Like, do you not have a itinerary when you have a huge launch failure as a company?
... it is a technical limitation and not a failure. This is the state of colored e-ink screens. If you put some color layers above the black and white one, it is getting a bit grainy and darker. You have to adjust it with lightning. We have to accept it or choose a paperwhite, which only has the single black/white layer.. or better the lowest kindle which don´t have the "glass" layer like paperlike/colorsoft... then the text is on top of your eyes and looks sharper again... color on e-ink is a compromise, if you need much colors then an iPad is the better choice. I am happy with my new Paperwhite and for come comics or books with many illustrations, i use my iPad.
🤣🤣🤣Does it have nicotine stains?
Color EReaders are really for specific use cases, if you read graphic novels, manga, comic books, Kids Books, and very dependent on color highlighting, etc. then the color EReaders are a positive/enjoyable experience but if you only read books that are text heavy (and do NOT highlight passages) then color might be a luxury or a trend setter item but not a necessity.
Graphic novels look really great on the kindle iPad app.
Thanks for the comparison video! Curious how a map from a Fantasy book would look on the colorsoft? Is it better than how pixelated it looks on a Paperwhite?
if I compare my kobo libra color with my fresh new paperwhite signature model ... both screens are about same size. And yes the color has color, and colored markers and so on. Useful.
But for JUST reading books, BW screens win. They are sharper!
How about testing beyond the visual. I tried listening to Audible books with the Colorsoft using my AirPod Pro 2 and after 15 minutes there was static and it stopped playing. I started the audio again and it kept cutting out. I switched to the Beats Studio3 and it did play but there were clicks and dropouts in the audio making it impossible to enjoy. Both of my headphones work perfectly elsewhere. I don't have any non-Apple headphones to try.
I purchased both and had to return both, unfortunately. Not a fan of the overly yellow Paperwhite screen. As for the Colorsoft, I had the same issues as everyone else with the yellow band towards the bottom. For reading, the contrast was significantly poorer than the Paperwhite. This is such a big miss for Amazon, hopefully they get their act together. On a positive note, I did like the new Kindle basic. Aside from the very cheap materials, I thought the screen was very nice.
just a heads up, the twitter link on the blog is broken.
Does the difference between color and bw also apply to kobo? This makes it even worse that Kobo didn't make the Libra 3
Same :) I have the KL2 and the Kobo Clara Color. I can read still on my Kobo but I prefer the b/w reader more.
What is that little hole at the top center bezel on the Colorsoft?
It’s for the auto brightness sensor.
Isn`t it the paperwhite 5? anyways. nice video.
thoughts on reading on the m4 iPads (with the new OLED screens)?
I have one and I read on it in dark mode and it gets a lot more fatiguing than using a Kindle
Also more distracting to use the other apps on the iPad
@@techbyjules there's an option in the accessibility settings that lets u adjust something called the "white point". apparently it adjusts white pixels (which are the most eye straining) separate from the overall brightness and makes oled panels more tolerable for reading, etc. have u tried that?
I can't go back from e-ink. Reading on an emissive display feels like staring at a light bulb now.
If you don't get sick from technology easily it's fine, but if you're like me and feel sick from using the screen after only an hour, e-readers are a lot better.
Yeah its a first gen product. Its not quite there yet lmao
I would not want to be person who made the decision to ship this thing. I'm sure it'll get worked out but damn, this thing is a mess right now. The reviews are consistently bad.