Amazon has been at the forefront of the ebook industry for more than 15 years. With the launch of Kindle and the rise of ebook reading, it ushered in a new era of publishing. Many ebook reader brands, large and small, have followed in its footsteps, but Amazon remains the market leader in this field. It has the largest market share for ereaders and is the most popular brand. When it comes to ebooks, most would think of Amazon and its flagship Kindle devices.
Many tech companies have already launched successful color ebook readers, including Amazon’s biggest competitor Kobo, which has recently released Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour, as well as Boox’s Kindle Oasis clone.
But the technology that powers these devices, color e-ink, is not exactly a new invention; it has been widely used on ereaders for many years. With widespread adoption, these color ereaders aren’t even considered novelty devices anymore. Still, despite the fact that color e-ink is nothing new, Amazon’s foray into color ereaders would be something unmissable.
With new color ereader devices being launched left and right, why is Amazon holding back on releasing such a device? Is there any plan to sell one at all?
Why Hasn’t Amazon Launched a Color Kindle Yet?
It may be that Amazon hasn’t seen the need for it. Novels make up a large portion of what people read on Kindles, and they are printed in black and white. However, now that manga, comics, and webtoons are gaining popularity, Amazon should take stock of the current publishing landscape.
Still, even if the demand for these formats are undeniable, the current technology has limitations. Reading in color e-ink is much slower than black and white, so e-ink must improve first before it’s embraced by Amazon. Reading on a black and white Kindle can be slow at times; how much slower will it be in color? Consider reading manga in black and white e-ink: it’s painfully slow compared to reading them on an iPad. I imagine the experience will be frustrating in color e-ink. In addition to lagging, color e-ink has rendering issues.
Color ereaders employ two types of technology that are based on e-ink, which are Gallery 3 and Kaleido 3. Gallery 3 renders colors somewhat faithfully, but it’s generally slow, making it awkward for reading. Meanwhile, Kaleido 3, which is now used by the majority of color ereaders, is much faster, but it doesn’t always accurately represent the actual color.
What Would a Color Kindle Look or Feel Like?
In March, rumors circulated that Amazon would release color Kindles in early 2025. According to the grapevine, it will use Gallery 3, which means that the device will most likely be sluggish despite rendering sharper colors.
If that’s the case, it’s not a fair comparison to Kobo’s and Pocketbook’s color ereaders as these use Kaleido 3, which means they’re faster but with the caveat that the colors can be inconsistent. In addition, they appear washed out with the front light turned on, and without it, the screen feels too dark.
How Much Would Be the Price of a Color Kindle?
Given that the technology uses colored e-inks, a color Kindle would be more expensive than black and white models.
When looking at the prices of Kobo’s color ereaders, however, the prices don’t soar too high. The Kobo Clara Colour is currently priced at 149.99 USD, while the Kobo Libra Colour costs 219.99 USD. Meanwhile, the Pocketbook Inkpad Colour costs 329 USD. For comparison, the Kindle Paperwhite currently costs 149.99 USD, while the discontinued Kindle Oasis is priced at 250 USD. Clearly, Kobo Colour ereaders cost less than some black and white Kindle devices.
What Would Be the Best Books to Read on a Color Kindle?
Ideally, anything that’s image-rich is best read on a color ereader, which includes manga, comics, cookbooks, and children’s books purchased from Amazon or ComiXology. You can also read magazines or sideloaded documents in full color.
Still, the performance may not be as fast, and the colors may not be as accurate.
Do Readers Even Want Color Kindles?
Some readers are hesitant to purchase a color Kindle, wondering what the point is. Most books, especially if you’re just reading for pleasure, are printed in black and white; a full-color version is unnecessary, according to these readers. And they’re not about to splurge on something that would only gather dust on the night stand.
On the other hand, some readers would prefer to see book covers in full color rather than the dull black and white. Some would also like to be able to see maps and other images in nonfiction books in full color, as well as highlight text in color.
The ebook business is agonizingly a slow-moving industry with little development. Color e-ink is not exactly a new technology, and Amazon’s reluctance to release color Kindles continues to perplex many people.
With the rise of webtoons, Amazon may seize the opportunity — if it can develop a functional color ereader that is fast and capable of rendering colors correctly. It’s long overdue anyway, and launching a color Kindle would be the best way to give everyone access to this exciting format.
While we wait for any news or confirmation on the rumors, here are the best Kindles to buy, ranging from the Kindle Scribe to the basic Kindle.