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Kindle Paperwhite vs Kindle Colorsoft

A side-by-side look at Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft to help you pick the right one.

Spec	Kindle Paperwhite	Kindle Colorsoft
Display	7" glare-free, 300 ppi	7" Kaleido 3, 300 ppi B/W, 150 ppi color
Storage	16 GB	32 GB
Battery	~12 weeks	~8 weeks
Waterproof	IPX8	IPX8
Weight	211 g	219 g
Front light	Adjustable warm/cool, 17 LEDs	n/a
Wireless	Wi-Fi 6, USB-C	Wi-Fi 6, USB-C
Price	From $159 (ads) / $179 (ad-free)	From $279 (ad-free standard)
Released	October 2024	October 2024

Kindle Paperwhite

Pros

7-inch glare-free screen reads fine in direct sun
About 12 weeks of battery per charge in normal use
IPX8 waterproof so the bath, the pool, and the beach are all fine
Warm-tunable front light is genuinely better for late-night reading
Lightest of the premium Kindle line at 211 g
Snappier processor noticeably reduces page-turn lag versus the 2021 model
USB-C charging finally replaced micro-USB
Wi-Fi 6 for faster ebook downloads on home networks

Cons

You are locked into Amazon and the KFX format
No physical page-turn buttons; touch only
Page turns are still slower than the discontinued Kindle Oasis
The cheap version has lock-screen ads unless you pay $20 extra to remove them
No color screen if you want covers and highlights in color
No stylus support for note-taking

Check Kindle Paperwhite price Read the full Kindle Paperwhite review

Kindle Colorsoft

Pros

First Kindle with color e-paper
Book covers, magazine pages, and highlights all in color
Same waterproofing and 7-inch size as the Paperwhite
Color does not really hurt battery life
32 GB storage vs 16 GB on the Paperwhite
USB-C charging and Wi-Fi 6

Cons

Colors are muted compared to a tablet (intentionally)
Around $280, which is $80 over the Paperwhite
Early units had reports of a yellow tint along the bottom edge
Comics and manga still look better on a tablet
No physical page-turn buttons
No stylus support

Check Kindle Colorsoft price Read the full Kindle Colorsoft review

Bottom line: both Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft are solid choices. Use the pros, cons, and specs above to decide which fits your needs, then check the latest price through the links.

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