Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (2026) review

Amazon's big Kindle rollout for 2026 continues apace, and fresh from testing the new aluminium model of the base Kindle, I swapped right over into the also-new Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. For the first time, these two Kindle models (divided quite heavily in price) share an obvious design language – and that's a good thing.

Still, the price of the original Colorsoft was my main objection when I tested it back in 2024, and this new aluminium version is even more expensive just a couple of years later. Does it make sense to go for the most expensive non-Scribe Kindle going? Or should you save your cash for the imminent Paperwhite instead?

Price and availability

The Kindle Colorsoft, like the base Kindle, is a more complicated proposition now that it has an aluminium version. Unlike the 'normal' Kindle, this version is called the Signature Edition, but it means there is a non-metallic, cheaper Colorsoft available if you want it (which I haven't had the opportunity to try out).

That Colorsoft costs £259.99 in the UK or $289.99 in the US, while the Signature Edition on review here is a pricier £289.99 or $319.99, and comes with double the storage (32GB instead of 16GB).

This all means that getting the metal Colorsoft is pretty pricey, and substantially pricier than the top-end version in 2024. I noted in my Kindle review that this was likely a way for Amazon to cover the rising costs of memory by using fancier materials to soften the blow, and I stand by that analysis this time around too.

Design and Features

The new Colorsoft Signature Edition might just be the most beautiful Kindle ever made – and that's quite the accolade. Amazon's new design for its Kindle lineup has come at the perfect time in some ways, since it's the only real way to soften the blow of those raised prices.

Where before the Colorsoft was finished in a soft-touch plastic on the back, regardless of which version you opted for, it's now available in the aluminium version that's been getting so much attention, with a colour screen on the front. It's genuinely gorgeous to hold, and while the pocket-sized standard Kindle is the most portable, I think this size is the one that'll have most people on board.

It's easy to hold in one hand, but big enough that you can get plenty of text onscreen, even at larger font sizes. Plus, of course, if you're going to try to read comics on it – the ideal use-case for that colour screen – then you frankly wouldn't want it any smaller, to avoid constantly having to zoom in on dialogue.

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The new Colorsoft is also really nice and lightweight, and features the same interface as the last generation – meaning it only has the single power button and no others. There's a USB-C charging and connection port at the bottom of the device, along with a couple of tiny screws.

This highlights the user-replaceable battery, which is another added benefit of the redesign. It doesn't stop the Colorsoft from being impressively water-resistant, though, with a rating of IPX8. That means even brief immersion (i.e. a drop in the bath) should be shrugged off, which is a big weight off.

In terms of features, the Colorsoft still puts its biggest one in the name – that colour display, which doesn't seem to have changed in the couple of years since I saw the original model.

That means it's still a pastel-heavy sort of screen that, while obviously miles better than black-and-white for colour content, still can't hold much of a candle to other types of displays when it comes to vibrancy.

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This display comes in at 300dpi when you're reading in black and white, but that halves to 150ppi when looking at colour content, so you lose some sharpness.

The Colorsoft also has a stated battery life of up to eight weeks, which is less than the 12 weeks boasted by the upcoming Paperwhite revision.

However, a crucial feature that the Colorsoft does share with the Paperwhite is its warm light option – which lets you choose not just the brightness of its display (which can also auto-adjust), but the temperature of that light. I find this a huge factor for comfortable late-night reading in the dark, and missed its absence on the base Kindle.

Besides that, although Amazon says the standard Kindle is 30% faster than before, it's not using that language about the Colorsoft, which means it might well be very similar internally to the last generation. Certainly, in my testing I didn't notice it feeling faster, although I had no complaints at all about its speed on page turns or refreshes.

Performance

Speaking of my testing, then, let's get on to how the new Colorsoft actually feels in use. In short, it's a grand old time – although I couldn't help reminding myself of its price throughout most of my reading.

I normally read for at least half an hour each evening before sleeping, but it's also my go-to for public transport – and living in London means I spend plenty of time on trains and buses.

The Colorsoft has been a fairly excellent ally on those trips and in bed alike, with its variable brightness making sure that I've been able to read the screen in comfort regardless of conditions.

Its extremely lightweight build also makes it even more of a banker for portability, and I really do think it can be a game-changer when you're packing for a holiday. Being able to ditch the heavy books in your bag can make a day pack miles easier to carry, and the same goes for packing before a long-haul flight.

The touch controls are also responsive and reliable – and noticeably faster than the standard Kindle, in my experience. You'll still occasionally get buried in a settings menu that feels a little clumsy compared to iOS or Android phones, but it's all decent enough.

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The display is at its best when viewing black-and-white content, paradoxically, and I'm quite disappointed that there's no tangible improvement to the colour readout, two years on from the debut. In colour mode it's still blurrier than grayscale, and while the colours can be quite nice, they're still very washed out compared to a phone screen.

This means that I'm still not totally won over by the idea of buying this as a dedicated comics or graphic novel viewing platform – and I think it's noteworthy that Amazon hasn't yet really framed it that way, either. It adds some real adaptability, but isn't a silver bullet for colour content yet.

That said, I'm also a firm believer that a Kindle is best when it's got a case, and Amazon has launched some new options on that front that are worth examining. One is particularly exciting – the Kindle Page Turn Cover. This is about a decade overdue, giving you a protective case with a cover that also adds two page-turning buttons on one side, so that you can ignore swipes and taps for your reading.

That particular cover is a huge upgrade in terms of the reading experience, letting you keep your hand in one place the whole time – but it comes at a cost of £74.99 or $79.99. Pricey, yes, but when you add it into the equation you really do have one of the best Kindle experiences ever.

Verdict

The newest Kindle Colorsoft is a beautiful bit of hardware – improving on what came before in basically every design element.

It's great to read on, although there's a big asterisk attached to its colour display, which remains fairly washed-out and less sharp than for black-and-white viewing. But if you're only occasionally dipping into colour content, then there's little downside to having the option.

Well, there's one notable downside: the price. It's the most expensive normal-sized Kindle in the lineup, so I'm therefore pretty confident it's not the most sensible choice for most readers – especially with the 2026 Paperwhite available.

For fans of both e-books and comics, the 2026 Colorsoft is indeed better than the one that came before it, thanks to its lovely aluminium finish and Signature Edition new colour-of-light feature.

Also Consider

I like to recommend devices that I've had hands-on experience in testing when I come to this part of a review – but the Kindle roll-out this year has put the Colorsoft in my hands on loan before the 2026 Paperwhite, which is the single most obvious alternative out there. I'd strongly expect this to be the most impressive all-round Kindle when its price is also factored in.