Yellow display discoloration on Kindle Colorsoft: Amazon offers exchange

Some copies of Amazon's first color e-reader have problems with display discoloration: Several users are complaining about a yellowish stripe at the bottom of the screen. Amazon is aware of the problem and wants to exchange affected devices, according to a statement.

Amazon assures that new devices will no longer be delivered with the yellow tint error. Anyone who already owns a Colorsoft and notices a yellow tint should contact support for an exchange. Users have shared sample images of the yellow stripe on Reddit.

It is unclear how long this exchange will take. The Kindle Colorsoft is currently sold out on Amazon, with a delivery window of February 10 to April 17. It is not known whether Amazon is pausing sales due to the possible hardware problem, reserving new units for exchange or simply cannot meet demand.

Not all devices affected

There have been reports about the yellow edge on the Kindle Colorsoft for several days. Apparently not all models are affected by the error to the same extent – The review sample from heise online, for example, shows no yellow edge. Amazon initially spoke of a software problem. The fact that affected devices are now being exchanged suggests that the problem cannot be solved by a software update.

The Kindle Colorsoft is the first e-reader from Amazon with a color display. Amazon does not provide any information on the origin of this screen, which it simply refers to as the "Amazon Display". The specifications – 7 inches, a resolution of 300 ppi in black and white mode and 150 ppi in color mode – indicate a display with Kaleido 3 color technology. This is the same technology used in other currently available e-readers with color displays. In contrast to the competition, Amazon's color display appears somewhat sharper – despite the identical resolution.

(dahe)