Amazon Kindle's first color display compatible e-paper device 'Kindle Colorsoft' Unboxing ceremony & reading full color manga
The Kindle Colorsoft , the first color-compatible E-ink display model in Amazon's Kindle e-reader series, was released on July 24, 2025. The display uses an E-ink screen (electronic paper), which allows manga spreads, frontispieces, and pictures and illustrations that appear in the work to be displayed in color. We unboxed an actual Kindle borrowed from Amazon and enjoyed reading color manga.
Amazon launches three Kindle Colorsoft models with color displays on July 24th - About Amazon | Japan
Kindle Colorsoft package. In addition to the Kindle Colorsoft, there are three types of Kindle Colorsoft: the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition , which adds 32GB of storage, auto-brightness adjustment, and wireless charging, and the Kindle Colorsoft Kids Model, which is equipped with convenient features for children and parental control functions. The Kindle Colorsoft I borrowed this time was the 16GB storage Kindle Colorsoft.
The contents include the Kindle Colorsoft itself covered in a cover, a USB-C cable for charging, and instruction manual.
The Kindle Colorsoft looks like this: It measures 176.7mm high x 127.6mm wide x 7.8mm thick, has a 7-inch anti-reflection E-ink screen, the same as
Amazon's smiley face was engraved on the back.
The Kindle Colorsoft has no buttons on the top or sides, only the bottom has an LED indicator, USB-C port, and power button.
Press the power button to start it up.
Once you start it, first set the language.
The loading screen was also displayed in color.
There are two ways to set up your Kindle: 'Set up with this Kindle,' which involves logging in by entering your Wi-Fi settings, email address, and password on the Kindle, or 'Set up with smartphone,' which allows you to easily set up your Kindle by connecting via Bluetooth to a smartphone running the Kindle app.
For more information on setting up your Kindle, please see the article below:
I logged in to my account and downloaded a color manga. The covers in my library were displayed in color.
When I opened a full-color manga, I was able to read not only the cover but the main story in color. While it can be enjoyed as a color manga, because it's e-paper, it feels more like a 'color print on non-glossy paper' than a color display, and even when the screen brightness is set to maximum, the colors appear duller than when reading on a smartphone or tablet. This doesn't bother me much when reading color books like how-to guides for drawing or English conversation books, but those who are used to reading full-color manga on a display may find the colors lacking.
Even black-and-white manga and novels are displayed in color if the cover is in color. Also, if there are color illustrations in light novels, you can enjoy the color illustrations.
Tap the top of your Kindle device to display the settings screen.
You can change the screen brightness and color warmth.
A setting specific to Kindle Colorsoft is 'Color Style.' Tap the triangle icon on the right.
There are two settings: 'Standard,' which displays balanced colors perfect for everyday reading, and 'Vivid,' which enhances colors in desaturated images. Tap 'Vivid.'
Below is a manga page displayed with 'Standard' on the left and 'Vivid' on the right. Comparing the characters in the second and third panels, the image on the right, which is set to 'Vivid,' shows that the colors are more saturated and the hair and skin tones are more clearly displayed than the image on the left, which is set to 'Standard.'
'Page Color' allows you to switch between light and dark modes.
When I set it to dark mode, the outer parts of the manga pages were displayed in black.
When you open a novel, the background is black and the text is white, which is useful when a white page can be too bright.
The Kindle Colorsoft maintains the same improved user experience as the 2024 Kindle, allowing for smooth swipes and taps. While the color display isn't as vibrant as when reading color manga on a smartphone's Kindle app, it's easy to read and feels like a color page printed on paper. The Kindle Colorsoft also comes with a 16GB storage capacity, while the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition comes with a 32GB storage capacity, making it ideal for those who collect a large number of color works, which tend to take up a lot of space.
In the next article, we plan to provide a more thorough review of the sensations of reading the work, comparing the color display and the appearance of monochrome manga with other Kindle devices, the Kindle app for smartphones, and paperback versions, so please look forward to it.
The Kindle Colorsoft is available for purchase on Amazon, with the Kindle Colorsoft priced at 39,980 yen, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition priced at 44,980 yen, and the Kindle Colorsoft Kids Model priced at 42,980 yen.
Amazon.co.jp: New Amazon Kindle Colorsoft | 16GB Storage, Waterproof, 7-inch Color Display, Color-Adjustable Light, Up to 8 Weeks of Battery Life, No Ads, Black (Released in 2025): Amazon Devices & Accessories
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