I fell for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft hype and now regret it its monochrome sibling is the superior Amazon slate in my book

Date:
Thu, 27 Aug 2026 04:45:47 +0000

Description:
Until color E Ink displays can offer better saturation and come with a whiter (or brighter) background, youre better off opting for an E Ink Carta 1300 display instead.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ive been reviewing ereaders and epaper writing tablets for nearly a decade now and, in that time, I dont
think Ive been more excited about an E Ink device as much as Amazon s Kindle Scribe Colorsoft .

When it was announced in October 2025, I was keen to see how well Amazon had implemented the E Ink Kaleido 3 screen technology on the 11-inch note taker, especially since I found the 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft ereader to be one of the better-optimized displays in this category of tablets. I had to wait over six months after it was initially available to buy in the US living in Australia meant I could finally lay my hands on it in June this year but I happened to try the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight first. Following that up with the Colorsoft version was probably a bad idea because I think the 2025 Kindle Scribe is arguably the best Kindle Amazon has made to date: its fast, the implementation of the monochrome E Ink Carta 1300 screen is fantastic and the battery life remains just as impressive as on any other Kindle. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, in comparison, lacks luster. For the most part, its not really Amazons fault that its monochrome sibling outshines it its
the limitations of color E Ink display tech after all but the one thing that really stands out to me is very much under Amazon's control. Why so blue, Amazon? I love the new wallpaper artwork on the 2025 release of the Scribes. They're beautiful, different and, after seeing them first on the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe in black and white, I was keen to appreciate
them in color. You may like Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: the best Kindle ever and also the most expensive Kindle Scribe (2025) review: third time's the charm for Amazon's E Ink note taker, if you can spare the cash Why buy a Kindle Scribe Colorsoft when buying its composite parts is cheaper? All the lockscreen artwork looks blue on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (Image credit: TechRadar / Sharmishta Sarkar) Strangely, the dominant color you see on the lockscreen artwork on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is blue. From the start screen, showing the silhouette of the boy reading under the tree, to the red-and-white balloon hovering over a lake and forest, every default artwork just looks blue.

Now, I know some of this is due to the screen itself the color filter array (CFA) layered over the screen tends to shift hues towards a grey-blue. But if Boox can ensure the other colors pop in the default wallpapers on its large-screen color devices, so can Amazon. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The wallpaper on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (left) looks duller compared to the Boox Note Air5 C (right) (Image credit: TechRadar / Sharmishta Sarkar) I thought Id get used to it but, two months
on, and Im left feeling well, blue every time I wake up the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. I dont typically like displaying book covers on the lockscreen,
but thats what Ive reverted to recently just to avoid the dominance of that one color. Its there in black and white OK, Ill admit that I sound like Im nitpicking with the wallpapers, but it highlights one big issue with color E Ink displays theyre darker than the monochrome E Ink Carta screens and, unless you bump up frontlight brightness, the colors dont really pop. You can see that with not just the wallpapers, but with book covers and comics too on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

This is because of the RGB layer integrated into the display and it affects every single color ereader and digital notebook, not just the Colorsofts.
That means the white background isnt as white as it would be on a similar device using the E Ink Carta 1300 screen (like the 2nd and 3rd generation Kindle Scribes) which, in turn, makes colors look dull. What to read next The best Kindle in 2026 Why settle? The Kindle Colorsoft is so cheap for Prime
Day that it no longer makes sense to choose the Kindle Paperwhite The best ereader for 2026 With excellent contrast and fast performance, the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe is the better Amazon digital notebook (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) But increasing frontlight brightness to enjoy those colors means youre draining battery life quicker. In the two months Ive been using the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, Ive had to charge it every 2 to 3
days with an average use of 5 hours a day mostly reading, but some writing too, and browsing the Kindle Store with auto-brightness settings and Wi-Fi on. In comparison, the 2025 Kindle Scribe lasted me about 5 days on a single charge with the same settings and similar use case.

Annoyingly, the Colorsoft edition takes much longer than the standard Scribe to recharge as well. Color isnt always necessary If color reading really is important to you, youre better off with an iPad or a Samsung tablet to be honest color E Ink just isnt there yet. Moreover, most of us who use an ereader dont necessarily even need color; we tend to mostly read text-heavy books and note-taking also, similarly, is mostly black ink.

On the Kindle Colorsoft Scribe, the color ink isnt even as dark as Ive seen
on the Boox Note Air 5C , so it really doesnt offer as much value for your hard-earned cash compared to some of its competition.

In comparison, its monochrome sibling is the overall better performer as Ive said in my Kindle Scribe (2025) review , its arguably the best digital notebook Amazon has made to date and, if it wasnt so expensive, it would have scored full marks. You'll be better served opting for a monochrome digital writing tablet, or even the Boox Note Air 5C if you want color (Image credit: TechRadar) If you want a note-taking Kindle, I would still recommend the 2024 release of the Kindle Scribe you might as well pick it up as long as it's still available. I suspect Amazon will discontinue it soon, but its a heck of a lot cheaper even at full price, is often discounted even outside of major sales and, according to Good Ereader , it will get the new software features that released with the current Scribe models, including Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive connectivity, AI search and the refreshed homescreen layout.

If youre willing to explore other E Ink writing tablets, Id suggest looking into the reMarkable Paper Pure or even the Boox Go 10.3 series if you prefer an Android device that will also double as an ereader. A word of caution on the Boox devices, though: you'll need to deal with some ghosting. Today's
best prices on digital writing tablets Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) 379.99
View Deal See all prices ReMarkable Paper Pure 358.98 View Deal See all
prices Boox Go 10.3 Lumi Gen II 429.99 View Deal See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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