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Why hasn't Amazon released a color Kindle yet?

Amazon has been a pioneer in the e-book industry for more than 15 years. With the introduction of the Kindle and the rise of e-book reading, the company ushered in a new era of publishing. Many e-book reader brands, large and small, have followed in its footsteps, but Amazon remains the market leader in this field. The company has the largest market share in e-readers and is the most popular brand. When it comes to e-books, most people think of Amazon and its flagship device, the Kindle model.

Many technology companies have already launched successful color e-book readers, including Amazon's biggest competitor Kobo, which recently released Kobo Libra Color and Kobo Clara Color, as well as Boox's Kindle Oasis clone.

But the technology that powers these devices, color e-ink, isn't exactly a new invention; it's been widely used in e-readers for many years. Because of their widespread adoption, these color e-readers aren't even considered novelties anymore. While color e-ink is nothing new, Amazon's foray into the color e-reader space would still be something to behold.

New color e-readers are coming out all the time. Why is Amazon holding off on releasing such a device? Are there any plans to sell one at all?

Why hasn't Amazon launched a color Kindle yet?

It may be that Amazon hasn't seen the need for this. Novels make up a large portion of what people read on Kindles, and they're printed in black and white. However, now that manga, comics, and webtoons are becoming increasingly popular, Amazon should take a closer look at the current publishing landscape.

While the demand for these formats is undeniable, current technology has its limitations. Reading with color E Ink is much slower than black and white, so E Ink needs to be improved before Amazon will embrace it. Reading on a black and white Kindle can be slow at times; how much slower will it be in color? Think about reading manga with black and white E Ink: it's painfully slow compared to reading on an iPad. I can imagine the experience with color E Ink will be frustrating. In addition to lag, color E Ink also has display issues.

Color e-readers use two types of technology based on e-ink: Gallery 3 and Kaleido 3. Gallery 3 reproduces colors reasonably accurately, but is generally slow, making reading difficult. Kaleido 3, which is now used by most color e-readers, is much faster, but does not always reproduce actual colors accurately.

What would a color Kindle look or feel like?

In March, rumors began circulating that Amazon would launch color Kindles in early 2025. Rumor has it that they will use Gallery 3, meaning the device will most likely be sluggish despite reproducing sharper colors.

If that's the case, comparing it to Kobo and Pocketbook's color e-readers isn't fair, as they use Kaleido 3, which means they're faster, but with the caveat that colors can be inconsistent. Additionally, they look washed out with the front light on, and without it, the screen looks too dark.

How much would a color Kindle cost?

Because the technology uses color E-Ink devices, a color Kindle would be more expensive than a black and white model.

However, when you look at the prices of Kobo's color e-readers, the prices don't increase too much. The Kobo Clara Color currently costs $149.99, while the Kobo Libra Color costs $219.99. The Pocketbook Inkpad Color, meanwhile, costs $329. For comparison, the Kindle Paperwhite currently costs $149.99, while the discontinued Kindle Oasis costs $250. Kobo Color e-readers clearly cost less than some black and white Kindle devices.

Which books are best to read on a color Kindle?

Anything with lots of images is best read on a color e-reader. This includes manga, comics, cookbooks, and children's books that you can buy from Amazon or ComiXology. You can also read magazines or side-loaded documents in color.

However, the performance may not be as fast and the colors may not be as accurate.

Do readers even want color Kindles?

Some readers are hesitant to buy a color Kindle because they wonder what the point is. Most books, especially those read for pleasure, are printed in black and white; a full-color version is unnecessary, according to these readers. And they are not willing to spend money on something that will just gather dust on their nightstand.

On the other hand, some readers prefer to see colored book covers rather than boring black and white. Some also want to see maps and other images in non-fiction books in color and to highlight text in color.

The e-book business is a painfully slow industry with little development. Color e-ink devices are not really a new technology, and Amazon's reluctance to release color Kindles continues to confuse many people.

With the rise of webtoons, Amazon could seize the opportunity – if it can develop a functional color e-reader that is fast and can render colors correctly. This is long overdue anyway, and launching a color Kindle would be the best way to give everyone access to this exciting format.

While we wait for news or confirmation of the rumors, here are the best Kindles to buy, from the Kindle Scribe to the basic Kindle.

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