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Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft is the company’s first color e-reader, and while it’s got great hardware, it’s still ultimately a Kindle. Depending on how invested you are in the Amazon ecosystem, that may be inconsequential to you, but as a comics reader, it’s a big problem for me. Luckily, Amazon isn’t the only player in the color e-reader game.
Even if the competition doesn’t always have Amazon’s hardware quality, it does have one benefit: Android. Amazon adamantly stands by its proprietary software, but smaller companies are more willing to play ball with more open ecosystems, and that opens these devices up to a whole new world of content. When color is in play, that’s extra important.
Here’s why the Kindle Colorsoft can’t stack up to Android e-readers, no matter how good its screen is—plus the Android devices I recommend.
What the Kindle Colorsoft gets right
I’ll start with a few compliments. Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft easily has the best color e-ink screen I’ve ever used. It’s bright, low on pixelation and artifacts, fast on refresh rate, has a responsive enough touch screen, and while the rainbow effect that can plague black-and-white content is still an issue here, I’ve noticed it less on this device than on competitors like the (unfortunately non-Android) Kobo Libra Colour.
It still technically uses the same E Ink Kaleido 3 screen as pretty much all color e-readers, but Amazon’s clearly put in some extra work modifying it, and the company said as much when it was announced. While I initially wrote that off as bragging and buzzwords, I’ll admit that images do look more true-to-form, and shadows and contrast appear more like they would on an actual page.
If all you want to do is use the Kindle Colorsoft to read your Amazon library and enjoy the occasional highlight or book cover in color, then this is a great choice. But you can do so much more with a color e-reader, and because of the rainbow effect, I honestly wouldn’t recommend one unless you plan to really take advantage of that. That’s where the Colorsoft really starts to run into limitations.
Why you might want an Android e-reader instead
The Kindle Colorsoft is limited to Amazon’s proprietary operating system, which means it can only read content from the Amazon store, or that you manually send over to it. Given how many types of content having color on your system opens up, that’s just not good enough for me.
Amazon's file format restrictions
The Kindle Colorsoft has the same restrictions as every other Kindle, which means a lack of native support for the popular EPUB format. This free and open-source e-book file type is commonly used by both authors and libraries—and yet, to get EPUB files on your device, you’ll have to use the clunky Send to Kindle tool via another device, or test your luck with a third-party alternative. In the process, unfortunately, you may find your formatting isn’t the same as before, and even if you don’t encounter difficulties moving files onto your Kindle, you might not have the same luck transferring your Kindle books to other devices. In short, Kindle interoperability is best avoided if you can, and the Kindle Colorsoft doesn’t move the needle there.
The Kindle Colorsoft doesn't have comics apps
But really, the bigger issue to me is the lack of apps. As an adult, and someone who reads a lot of picture books, the content I’m most likely to read on a color e-reader is comic books. And the Kindle’s software just isn’t built for that right now.
For about $10 a month, both Marvel and DC have apps you can subscribe to that will give you access to pretty much everything they’ve ever published, barring some more recent comics that are saved for higher subscription tiers. As much as I like buying-to-own, the value there is just too good to pass up, especially since buying an issue on its own, whether physical or digital, usually costs around $5.
Neither of these apps, however, are available on the Colorsoft. Instead, you’ll have to rely on Kindle’s own store, and while some comics there are available via Prime or Kindle Unlimited, the selection is far less varied, and is unlikely to let you read most comic runs from start to finish. You can buy issues piecemeal, or just stick to indie comics that aren’t on the Marvel or DC apps anyway, but that’s pretty limiting and gets expensive fast.
Android e-readers don’t have this problem. If not being able to access the big two’s comic apps is an immediate disqualification for the Colorsoft for me, then this is the reason to go for Android, any hardware weaknesses aside. You can download whatever comics app you want from the Google Play Store, including other options like the Shonen Jump app, and you’ll be able to access your library, browse, and read just as you would on any other tablet.
Better web browsing
Having Play Store access means you don’t have to stop there. You could also, for instance, download Chrome (or whatever internet browser you like). While the Kindle does have a basic web browser included, the device’s low memory and the browser’s incapability to use tabs or sync with other devices makes it hard to recommend. Again, with an Android e-reader, you don’t have those limitations. If you’re not a big comics fan, that’ll be a huge boon for you, as you’ll be able to see your favorite websites in full color (which can help with formatting and images), but now much easier on the eyes than they would be on a more traditional screen.
Gaming and other creative use cases
You can even get cheeky with your app downloads. While e-readers have low refresh rates, an Android e-reader can technically stream video or even play games, albeit at low frame rates, if you want some lo-fi entertainment. Retro gaming YouTuber Wullf Denn has a whole video on how he turned his pocket-sized Boox Palma into a decently convincing Game Boy clone, and while it’s mostly a novelty, an Android e-reader may actually make for an acceptable, more easy-on-the-eyes way to play games that are less about reaction time, like Pokémon.
Having Android on an e-reader lets you get way more creative with how you use it, and while that’s not strictly essential if all you can display is black-and-white, having a color screen that can only access the Amazon store feels like getting a Ferrari and only driving it to church on the weekends. From reading comic apps to going off the beaten path and turning your e-reader into a smart home hub, you can do so much more.
Which Android e-reader should you buy?
There are a few color e-readers that run Android and are strong alternatives to the Kindle Colorsoft, many of which have personally passed through my colleague Joel Cunningham’s hands. Not all of them have as good of a screen as the Kindle Colorsoft, but some come close. And even if they don’t, here’s a secret: A good color e-ink screen is still a mediocre screen overall. Color e-ink can only display 4,096 colors at this point, and you’re never going to escape its overall dull and muted look no matter which device you get. So if you’re already making compromises, it might be worth it to get a slightly less accurate display to get a much more open operating system.
On that note, here are some of the best Android color e-readers I would recommend over the Kindle Colorsoft. Note that I'm linking both to Amazon and the manufacturer's sites, so you can compare prices and convenience as you prefer.
This Android e-reader currently costs $280, which is the same as the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (my preferred model). For that price, you’ll get a similar seven-inch screen, and $50 on top of that will snag you a stylus. Unlike the Colorsoft, it comes with a roomy grip on the left-hand side, along with physical page turn buttons. It’s about the closest experience you’ll get to using a Kindle. The original model has also been discounted to $220 if you can find it, although it has a weaker processor and is currently sold out on the official Boox site.
The Boox Note Air 4C costs more than the Kindle Colorsoft, going for $510 on IFTTT
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