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Amazon doesn't refresh its best-selling Kindle lineup very often. Unlike Android phones and tablets, e-readers see updated models once in two to three years. It probably doesn't make sense to upgrade such devices as often as phones because the improvements would be too minimal.
Every single one of Amazon's Kindle e-readers have had black and white displays to date. It's not like the technology for color e-paper doesn't exist, though. Competitors like Onyx Boox and Pocketbook have long since taken advantage of the E Ink Corporation's color e-paper displays.
Now that color e-ink displays are several generations old, it seems like Amazon might cash in.
Earlier this month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo — who mainly focuses on Apple products and trends — predicted that Amazon is likely to roll out color E Ink devices as early as 2025. Despite the high cost associated with color e-paper screens, Kuo's predictions suggest that color Kindles will come with the latest Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP) display.
Amazon generally plays it very safe with its e-readers, but Kuo's insight leans towards a potentially risky move. See, the cost of e-paper screens is the most expensive part of any e-paper device. Color e-ink displays cost more than double the price of B&W e-ink screens.
This means that a color Kindle would probably cost nearly twice as much as a regular old Amazon e-reader and that spells trouble for the brand. One of the major selling points of a Kindle is that it is darn cheap and accessible. Feature-wise, it loses out to competitors like Onyx Boox in nearly every single category except for waterproofing.
Amazon limits the potential of its Kindles, filling them with ads and removing access to the Google Play Store. On the other hand, other popular e-readers like the Boox Palma give you unfettered access to the Play Store, and you are free to install whatever app you want. Then there are other factors like e-ink tablets with styli, speakers, a mic, and microSD card slots.
When such fully-featured e-readers exist, the only reason why people buy Amazon's limited paper tablets is obviously money. And when an expensive color Kindle rolls around with just as narrow a use case as all the rest of the Kindles, it just won't make sense to the consumer anymore.
If you don't believe me, just take a look at the Kindle Scribe, which comes in at around $340 apiece. For the same amount of money, you can purchase something from Onyx Boox with far superior specs and a stylus that supports better pressure sensitivity levels with unrestricted access to the Play Store. Add a little more money and you can even score one with a color screen.
There was a lot of talk about a Kindle with a stylus up to its release, but once everyone saw the price of the Scribe, they weren't as interested anymore. The general consensus is that the device doesn't deliver much value for money.
Aside from the price, the only other factor keeping Kindles at the top is the battery life. As we have tested and discovered time and time again, color e-paper tablets don't last anywhere near as long as monochrome black-and-white ones.
Naturally, you won't be able to squeeze out weeks upon weeks of battery life from a color Kindle, at least not unless you are very miserly with your usage or Amazon bumps up the battery capacity significantly. Neither of those scenarios is optimal because you either sacrifice performance or the price goes up even more because of the larger battery.
At the end of the day, I am forced to ask a simple question. Who benefits from a color Kindle? Is this even something we want to see? Based on my own judgment, I wouldn't say so.
Instead, I would much rather see a Kindle with the Play Store, speakers, more apps, a microSD slot, or something else practical along those lines. Give me fast charging or better stylus support. I want a better Kindle, not the same old thing in color.
