Which Kindle Should You Actually Buy? NEW Paperwhite vs Colorsoft [In-Depth]

Today I’m taking a look at the new Kindles from Amazon: the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Colorsoft, each in the regular and Signature Edition, plus the new Slim Cover. The regular Paperwhite starts at $199 and the Paperwhite Signature is $250, so in this in-depth comparison I go through the design, the screens, color vs black and white, and every feature difference so you can figure out which Kindle is actually right for you.

My Honest Take: all four share the same 7-inch flush-front, edge-to-edge design, an adjustable warm light, IPX8 waterproofing, and USB-C, and the only thing in the box is the Kindle itself and some paperwork. The Signature Editions step up to a cold-to-the-touch aluminum back that resists fingerprints, 32GB instead of 16GB, pins for the wireless charging dock, an auto-adjusting front light (with a little black sensor bar up top), and no lock screen ads, while the regular models have a soft matte rubber back that feels warmer in your lap but picks up grease over time. Side by side, the Colorsoft has a cooler, slightly blue-tinted white, doesn’t get as bright, and its screen feels pushed a little further back, with noticeable backlight bleed in dark mode, while the Paperwhite looks crisper with more contrast and a warmer page that my eyes kept gravitating to. On its own, though, the Colorsoft still looks fantastic, and seeing book covers and comics in color makes the library feel a lot more fun.

Watch the full comparison to see the brightness and warmth tests, the dark mode backlight test, and the Slim Cover up close. Final thoughts: if you read a lot of comics or books with color images, the Colorsoft is worth it and you won’t regret it, but if you mostly read text and just think colorful covers would be cool, I’d go Paperwhite for the sharper, higher-contrast page, and only grab a Signature Edition if you want the aluminum, extra storage, auto brightness, and wireless charging. Thanks to Amazon for sending these over to check out.