When Kobo released the Kobo Aura One back in 2016, it was the first ebook reader to have a frontlight with adjustable color temperature. There were apps to filter out blue light on LCD screens, but it was the first E Ink ebook reader to offer a color-shifting feature using a frontlight.
Since then just about every new frontlit ereader that comes onto the market has copied the idea. It’s gotten to the point where Kindles are basically the only current models without warm frontlights.
But not anymore.
After years of ignoring the idea, Amazon has finally released a new Kindle Oasis with adjustable frontlight color.
Like other models that have the same feature, the light can be adjusted from a cool white color to a warm orange tone.
You can blend the two colors together or use the extreme settings for just cool or warm light colors.
You can adjust the color manually with a slider or you can set it to automatically adjust based on the time of day or times that you set.
Hopefully Amazon will bring the warm frontlight to the Kindle Paperwhite line eventually too because it does make a big difference, and it’s nice to have control over what frontlight color you want.
It may have taken Amazon longer to add a warm light, but the new Kindle Oasis does have the nicest frontlight on the market now, with no shadow cones or blotchy brighter areas. Of course with 25 LEDs the light should be even. By comparison the entry-level Kindle only has 4 and the Paperwhite has 5.
Looks more yellowish even if the warm leds are all off, both models set to same 13 level in the clip
Not sure if it’s an optical illusion or not, but even with the frontlights evenly white, the new one looks like it has better contrast. And the warm light makes it even better looking.
The cool light is just a touch warmer on the Oasis 3, but I don’t see any contrast difference overall.
Nice video, I wish Kindle font sizes were as subtle as their temperature control.
You can customize the font sizes and make them as subtle as you want. But that means you’ll have to sideload your books, as customized sizes don’t work with direct downloads. It’s a question of how much you want custom sizes vs convenience.
The Oasis 3 just might be the device that brings me back from Kobo. I received mine yesterday. I love the colored light and the fact that when you invert the screen the letters are amber on light black- a front lighted version of Apple’s backlit night shift which I always switch to at night. Kobo’s warm lighted screens are still too bright for me in a dark room and at the level of 2 brightness the words are hard to see. Not so now on the new Oasis. Amazon did a great job with this version in my opinion. Now I wish Kobo would also allow the invert screen option along with the clock display in your book.