Amazon's first color Kindle is making people cringe. Between yellowish screen and disappointing autonomy, users are disillusioned.
The release of Amazon's first color Kindle was highly anticipated, because the competition is already there. Unfortunately, the first feedback from users is far from enthusiastic.
To go further
Here is the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft: the famous e-reader finally goes color
A screen that sees life in yellow
The main problem reported by users concerns the display. A yellowish tint, particularly visible in the lower part of the screen (Reddit), spoils the reading experience. This defect apparently affects all marketed devices.
Amazon acknowledged the problem via its customer service, it appears to be a software bug. A corrective update is reportedly in preparation, but no deployment date has been communicated. This situation is all the more problematic as the company does not have sufficient stock to offer exchanges to dissatisfied customers.
Users also report more general display issues: blurry text, grainy rendering and dull colors, even with the brightness set to maximum.
And autonomy?
If the display quality is a problem, the autonomy is not left out. While Amazon promises up to eight weeks of use (at half an hour of reading daily, or around 28 hours of continuous use), the reality seems very different. Some users report the battery dropping to 36% after just three hours of use.
This autonomy represents a real step backwards for a Kindle, these devices being renowned for their endurance. It calls into question the very point of opting for an e-reader rather than a traditional tablet, whose autonomy would ultimately be comparable.
