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If your monochrome-screened Kindle is feeling a little long in the tooth, it’s possible Amazon could make it feel even more out of date if the latest e-reader leak is anything to go by. Images posted to social media site Reddit claim to show a prototype of a small-screen Kindle with a colour screen in what is claimed is a lower cost option the firm is testing.
Amazon already sells its Kindle Colorsoft, its first ever colour screen Kindle, but prices start from a hefty £239, too much for many to justify the spend. But the leaked photos suggest Amazon is considering a smaller, and hopefully lower cost, colour alternative.
One of the photos shows the name ‘Kindle Petit Color’, but the Reddit poster said this might not be the final product name if the Kindle ever turns into a real release.
Posting in Portuguese in a post that has now been deleted, the Reddit user said “Amazon broke their part of the contract, so I came to break mine.” They posted several images that have been reported by news sites including The Verge.
The Reddit user also said the screen’s colours are “much better” than that of the Colorsoft, a Kindle whose screen I found imperfect when I reviewed it. It would certainly be notable if Amazon were to release a cheaper Kindle with a better screen than one of its most expensive options.
Then again, this is a prototype, so it could be that it is a test of new screen technology rather than confirmation of a cheaper colour Kindle. We could be looking at the next generation of Colorsoft, or we could be looking at a product that will never be released.
Either way, Amazon only just launched a slightly cheaper version of the Colorsoft with 16GB storage, so any sequel is surely months if not years away at this stage. But the leak seems to confirm that Amazon is testing new E Ink display technologies to see how to improve its Kindle line up. E-readers are difficult to improve as they have always performed their very basic main function incredibly well.
Other features the Reddit post mentions are the ability for the user to change the colour of certain icons, or the option to have the text of a book change colour via four different shades to give you a idea of how far through the book you are. That seems a little outlandish to me, but this is a prototype, after all.
So, if you are thinking of upgrading your Kindle, this could be a peek into what’s next for Amazon’s line up. But if you do want a new e-reader, I wouldn’t hold your breath on this version being released in the near future.
