Amazon's New Kindle Colorsoft Costs $290: Price, Battery & What's New
Amazon's redesigned Kindle Colorsoft starts at $289.99 with a 7-inch color screen, but battery life drops to eight weeks. Here is the price, specs and verdict.
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SEATTLE, Nov. 15, 2026 — Amazon's redesigned Kindle Colorsoft is now on sale in the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan, and the first full reviews are in: the screen is better, the device is thinner, and the price is $40 higher than the model it replaces.
Amazon announced the redesigned Kindle family on October 1, with the Colorsoft reaching American buyers on October 28 and Britain, Germany and Japan on November 11. It is the company's second color e-reader after the 2024 original, and it arrives as Amazon says Kindle reading has grown at a double-digit rate for three straight years.
Key Takeaways
- The Kindle Colorsoft starts at $289.99 with 16GB of storage; the Signature Edition costs $319.99 with 32GB, an aluminum back and auto-adjusting light.
- The 7-inch color E-Ink display shows black-and-white text at 300ppi and color at 150ppi, behind a flush edge-to-edge screen.
- Battery life is up to eight weeks, four weeks less than the Paperwhite's up to 12 weeks.
- The device is waterproof, 1mm thinner and 7 grams lighter than the 2024 model, with a repositioned power button.
Kindle Colorsoft Price: What $289.99 Buys and What the Signature Edition Adds
The $289.99 price covers the base Colorsoft in Graphite with 16GB of storage. The $319.99 Signature Edition doubles storage to 32GB and adds an aluminum back, an auto-adjusting front light, double-tap page turning and pogo-pin dock charging. It comes in Graphite and a maroon-like Fig.
The price is $40 higher than the 2024 Colorsoft, which started at $250. The gap to the rest of the range is wide: the basic Kindle starts at $149.99 and the Paperwhite at $199.99, making the Colorsoft $90 more than the Paperwhite.
| Model | Starting price | Storage | Battery life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindle | $149.99 | 16GB | Up to 6 weeks |
| Kindle Paperwhite | $199.99 | 16GB | Up to 12 weeks |
| Kindle Colorsoft | $289.99 | 16GB | Up to 8 weeks |
| Colorsoft Signature Edition | $319.99 | 32GB | Up to 8 weeks |
Kindle Colorsoft Display and Battery: Color Screen, 8-Week Life
The Colorsoft's 7-inch display uses a nitride LED light guide that Amazon says improves color and brightness, with an oxide backplane and custom waveforms for faster page turns and higher contrast. A reverse-printing process carries color to the edges, so the front sits flush with no raised border.
In testing, colors looked muted next to a tablet display, but color covers, comics, graphic novels and cookbooks all gain from it. The screen's color temperature can be adjusted toward a warmer tone for night reading.
The battery is the trade-off. Amazon rates the Colorsoft at up to eight weeks, against up to 12 weeks for the Paperwhite. The device is waterproof, and the power button has moved from the bottom edge to the top-right.
Is the Kindle Colorsoft Worth It? Who Should Buy It and Who Should Skip It
The Colorsoft makes most sense for readers of comics, graphic novels and cookbooks, and for anyone who highlights passages in different colors. For those readers it is the only Kindle with a color screen, and early testing found the experience comfortable, with few screen refreshes.
Owners of the 2024 Colorsoft have little reason to upgrade: the core color display is unchanged, and the main differences are the flush front, the thinner body and the moved power button. Readers who only read novels are better served by the $199.99 Paperwhite, which costs $90 less and lasts four weeks longer on a charge.
It is the latest gadget launch of the month, after Samsung and Google's AI smart glasses and Ring's home drone camera.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Kindle Colorsoft cost?
The Kindle Colorsoft starts at $289.99 with 16GB of storage in Graphite. The Signature Edition costs $319.99 with 32GB, an aluminum back and an auto-adjusting light, in Graphite or Fig.
How long does the Kindle Colorsoft battery last?
Amazon rates the Colorsoft at up to eight weeks, four weeks less than the Paperwhite at up to 12 weeks.
Is the Kindle Colorsoft waterproof?
Yes. The Colorsoft is waterproof, so it can be used by the pool or in the bath without damage from splashes.
Should I upgrade from the 2024 Kindle Colorsoft?
Probably not. The core color display is unchanged from the 2024 model; the main changes are the flush screen, thinner body and moved power button. The upgrade suits first-time color e-reader buyers more than existing owners.
The next date to watch is Black Friday on November 27, when Amazon's Kindles usually go on sale.
