Last week Amazon released a new 16GB version of the Kindle Colorsoft, along with a kids bundle. They’re exactly the same as the original Kindle Colorsoft that Amazon released last fall, minus the Signature Edition upgrades, and the original is still available to purchase, but now Amazon is making it very difficult to find it on their website.
Amazon is going out of their way to make it seem like the original Kindle Colorsoft no longer exists. There’s not a single link or the slightest mention of the Signature Edition Colorsoft on the product page for the new 16GB Colorsoft. You’d think they’d make some attempt to upsell the more expensive model, but you’d never know it existed going off the new page or any other current Kindle product page.
The original Kindle Colorsoft is mysteriously missing from all the Kindle comparison tables and Kindle links on Amazon’s various Kindle product pages. They all link to the new 16GB page instead, which, as mentioned above, doesn’t contain a single link to the original version.
What’s even crazier is the fact that the original Kindle Colorsoft no longer appears in search results on Amazon’s website. Yeah, they removed it from search even though it’s still in stock and available to purchase. If you run a search for “Kindle Colorsoft” on Amazon’s website, it will only show the new model and the kids bundle. Bundle packages still show up for the original, but not the main product listing.
There’s only one place where you can still find a link to the original Kindle Colorsoft on Amazon’s website, and that’s on the main Kindle landing page where they’re advertising all three Kindle Colorsoft variants at the top of the page.
I think it’s pretty obvious why Amazon is putting in all this effort to conceal the listing for the original Kindle Colorsoft. They’re trying to hide all the negative reviews about the yellow frontlight issue that plagued the Kindle Colorsoft when it first launched. They even removed the “We want you to know” disclaimer about the frontlight issue from the Colorsoft’s product page when they released the new version.
The original Kindle Colorsoft has a 3.6-star rating at Amazon. That’s by far the lowest rating a Kindle has ever had. This new 16GB Colorsoft gives Amazon an opportunity to reset the reviews. Hopefully they fixed the manufacturing problems and now they can see how the reviews will go without the yellow band issue.
The 16GB version currently has a 3.5-star rating so that strategy might backfire on Amazon, but a lot of the early reviews aren’t legit, and some are clearly for the original Colorsoft because they say they’ve had it for months. It’ll be interesting to see what the rating is on the new Kindle Colorsoft after a couple months.
*Color* me shocked.
After experiencing the SE edition of the PaperWhite, I don’t think I would want the ColorSoft if it wasn’t the SE edition
I have the Colorsoft SE and would not want one without 32GB of memory. I like to have all/most of my books loaded. You never know when the urge to read something in your backlog will hit.
I download what I can as Amazon can change the rules at any time!
It’s amazing how much 32gb Oasis holds!
My next Kindle will be like the Kindle 2 or the DX, easy to change batteries! Hopefully an SD slot ’cause Alexa said I can take it with me!
My Oasis 1’s battery is about done and the nicest Kindle dies too. Somebody, please make an Oasis 1 battery!
Totally Agree.
Why go back and forth?
I have a lot of home repair and some cookbooks that take up 200 to 4oo k files.
Yep, Amazon would like to bury poor reviews.
The 32 GB is better if you download graphic novels. I am curious if the 16 GB does indeed get rid of the yellow band issue,
Well, given they have fixed the problem, it makes sense they would want a fresh start. From one video I saw, there is a different between the original colorsoft and the new one, the color is different type of black and there is now some printing on the back of the device. The original doesn’t have anything printed on the back. Also, the screen problem has been fixed. So, no point on showing reviews that no longer apply to the new fixed colorsoft. I don’t see it as anything nefarious. Just starting fresh with it. What I thought was kinda dirty is that they started to sell the new models the day after Amazon prime sale was over. Fortunately my colorsoft that I got a few months ago has a good screen, and the one I got for my wife seems to also have a good screen.
You’re article may only be relevant to Amazon USA. The UK page shows the link; https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CX8MQF7R/
The links and ratings are still there and so are the terrible ratings. Just type/search colorsoft and you will see the same image you have at the top of your article. Scroll down and it will show three variations of colorsoft including the SE 32gb flavor.
*sigh*
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9S85GiF.jpeg[/img]
It’s not hidden. There it is in all its glory.
It’s a different story on Amazon UK than it is on Amazon US, as is often the case with Amazon’s various international storefronts. I guess I should’ve specified which Amazon site I was referring to. I forgot that Amazon automatically redirects Amazon US links to Amazon UK for UK residents so I understand the confusion if you followed the links in the article.
To be frank, I think this is a nothing story. It’s not being discontinued or cancelled – Amazon are just moving things around on their websites. I think people are leaping on this in the wrong way. The best way to find out if Amazon are going to discontinue an item is to actually ask them, rather than speculate.
Sorry to reply again, but just checked on Amazon USA – and this is the state of play:
https://imgur.com/agdEfu4
The Colorsoft is listed in the main drop-down menu and goes straight to the Signature Edition.
No disrespect intended, but this is a nothing story. Amazon reworked their website, they didn’t discontinue the Colorsoft.
I never said or implied they’re discontinuing it; they’re just making it more difficult to find. Congratulations, you found it on a menu I’ve never even seen before! It’s probably the one place they forgot to update the link to the newer version. My point stands: If somebody didn’t already know the 32GB SE version existed, they wouldn’t find out about it from the new page or any of the other individual Kindle product pages. If you don’t think that’s odd for a product that hasn’t been discontinued then there’s nothing left to be said.
Ok,
On Amazon USA, click on the “All” menu, then click on “Kindle Readers & Books”, then click on “Kindle Colorsoft” – which takes you straight to the Colorsoft Signature Edition.
It’s not hidden, it’s not hard to find it (if I can find it, anyone can).
As for the rest: Amazon have just *refreshed* the Colosoft SE, with a new screen, updated mainboard and better wireless charging. Make of that what you will, but it hardly screams discontinued or don’t buy me.
It’s disconcerting that the 16GB edition, with half the storage of the original 32GB edition, is only $30 cheaper. Perhaps that makes sense — storage is probably one of the cheapest parts in the thing. Still doesn’t scream “bargain” to me.
Even with the terrible reviews that hasn’t stopped people from buying it, so it makes no sense for Amazon to hide the original colorsoft as it’s still selling extremely well. Probably their best selling Kindle with 10,000 sales per month or at least on par with the Kindle Paperwhite.
The Colorsoft has never sold anywhere close to as well as other Kindles: Kindle Best Sellers List. The new one is currently #10, and the SE doesn’t appear on the list at all because Amazon is hiding the listing (some people still don’t believe me but the signs are everywhere, and that’s yet another sign because it should surely be on that list somewhere). The Colorsoft’s sales numbers were at 4k before Prime Day, while the Paperwhite and basic are always at 10k (that’s as high as the number goes for Kindles so it’s hard to judge).
I clicked on the original Colorsoft link that you provided in this article. When you click on “without Kindle unlimited option”, it says that it has sold 10,000 within the past month. I was going by that.