I see your true colors: the new Kindle Colorsoft already angers readers with color bleeding

Oh, no: Amazon's brand-new Kindle Colorsoft may have a serious problem! The e-reader that allows owners to enjoy color content on it is apparently prone to color bleeding (the effect of areas of colored inks or dyes spreading into unwanted areas).

Unveiled just a few weeks ago, the Kindle Colorsoft promises up to eight weeks of battery life (pretty impressive), support for books and novels in color, and also the option to highlight in different colors:


So far, so good.

This, however, is Amazon's first attempt at a color-supporting e-reader and like with other first-generation gadgets, things are far from perfect. Adding a color Kindle to Amazon’s lineup seemed like a sure win. Longtime Kindle fans could stick with the monochrome models, while the new color option would help Amazon retain users who might otherwise be tempted by competitors that have offered color displays for years.

It seems that excitement over the Kindle Colorsoft has been dampened by unexpected issues, as users are reporting issues with the new device.

The main issue, as detailed in a Reddit post by user TheVloginator, involves a yellowish tint that appears along the bottom of the Kindle Colorsoft’s screen. Not fun. Although color displays are naturally different from monochrome ones (the user also noted a visible "crosshatching" effect), the color is showing up in unintended areas, which is… well, plain wrong and annoying, to say the least.

While screen issues like this often suggest hardware defects, Amazon seems to think that software may be the culprit. The company has announced an upcoming software update to address the yellowing. Ahead of the update, though, Amazon is delaying Colorsoft shipments, likely to coordinate the device’s release with the patch’s availability.

In a statement shared by TechCrunch, Amazon acknowledged the issue and said they are aware of "a small number of reports from customers" who see "a yellow band along the bottom of the display". The Kindle team assures users that they are taking the quality of their products "seriously" and that they are "looking into it". Naturally, if customers notice this defect on their Kindle Colorsoft, they should contact the customer service team.