Amazon is supposedly looking into the issue
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A new slate of Kindles only hit shelves last month, but problems are already being reported. New owners of Amazon’s ereader, the Kindle Colorsoft, have documented an issue where the device is sporting a discolored, yellow-like band at the bottom of the screen.
As first reported by The Verge, Reddit users have highlighted the issue, stating the yellow discoloration is noticeable when the Kindle “is supposed to be evenly lit and colored like a piece of paper”. Some users have reported the issue to Amazon and have exchanged the faulty device for a new one or returned it, while others have only noticed the strip while using the ereader’s edge lighting mode.
Several users have contacted Amazon’s customer support to report the issue, with support agents suggesting that the problem may be software-related, and could be fixed by a software update. However, others have reported that the yellow tinge only occurred on their device after updating to the latest operating system.
There’s no confirmation of how widespread the problem actually is, but an Amazon spokesperson told The Verge that the e-commerce giant was aware of the issue. They also suggest that customers contact the customer service team if they notice any discoloration on their devices.
Is the pricier Kindle worth it?
In our Kindle Colorsoft review, we gave the device an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5, praising its sharp and vibrant color display. While we didn’t experience any of the discoloration that’s been reported by users, we had already knocked a few marks off as we thought the device was “decidedly expensive” as it is $120 more than the entry-level Paperwhite and $80 more than the Paperwhite Signature Edition.
Reviews on the Kindle Colorsoft listing are also rather mixed — with an average of 2.6 stars out of 5 over 363 ratings. The ereader is the first Kindle that allows users to read their titles in color, sparking popularity among graphic novel fans. However, one of the top reviews on the listing gives the device 1 star, as the screen was muted and the user found the yellow band to be rather “distracting” and disruptive to the reading experience that Kindles typically provide.
The Kindle Colorsoft is only available on Amazon US, so here’s hoping that any issues will be fixed before Amazon rolls out the model globally. As always, we will keep you updated if this problem continues to persist.
