What Amazon says about Kindle Colorsoft's screen discoloration issues

Imagine investing nearly $300 in the first full-color Kindle, only to notice a subtle yellow tint at the bottom of the screen that doesn't seem to go away. This has been a common observation shared by some new Kindle Colorsoft users on social media, with responses ranging from mild annoyance to refund requests.  

Amazon introduced the Kindle Colorsoft a few weeks ago, sparking excitement among fans. This new full-color Kindle is especially appealing for readers of comics and graphic novels, and even those upgrading from older Kindles can now enjoy vibrant, full-color book covers.

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Though we can't say for certain, the yellow bar could be part of a software problem, as some users report that this digital coffee stain wasn't visible until a recent software update, so it can likely be remediated with another over-the-air update. ZDNET recently reviewed the Kindle Colorsoft, and Allison Murray, the writer currently testing the e-reader, reports she can't see a yellow tinge on the screen while reading, though it is noticeable in pictures (see above). 

If this is only a software issue, it shouldn't stop customers from buying the new full-color Kindle. However, if the sight of the yellow tinge bothered me enough to return a device because of it, I'd hold off on buying a Kindle Colorsoft until the issue was fixed.

"This is incredibly noticeable when the device is supposed to be evenly lit and colored like a piece of paper," a Reddit user wrote in a post sharing his dissatisfaction with the Kindle Colorsoft. "I contacted Amazon about it and they are sending a replacement device under warranty. I will see if this new one is any better, but may be returning it in the end and keeping my years old Paperwhite if this new one is not up to expectations for a $300 device."

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The mysterious yellow bar isn't glaringly obvious, but it's enough to bother many users, which I wouldn't judge when they've paid $280 for the device. It's the kind of thing that once you see it, you just can't unsee it. 

"It's like anything, where it bothers some people a lot and others not. Even if it's not a huge thing, though, I understand wanting such an expensive device to look the way it's supposed to," another Reddit user commented.

ZDNET contacted Amazon for comments on this issue, and a spokesperson acknowledged the problem and clarified that only "a small number" of users had reported the discoloration issues. The company is instructing customers to contact customer service for a replacement or refund, which could indicate that this is more of a hardware issue than a software one.

"A small number of customers have reported a yellow band along the bottom of the display," Amazon said. "We take the quality of our products seriously—customers who notice this can reach out to our customer service team for a replacement or refund, and we're making the appropriate adjustments to ensure that new devices will not experience this issue moving forward."

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It appears the order for customer service to offer a refund or replacement is new, as some Kindle Colorsoft users said that they had issues getting a replacement before Amazon issued its latest statement.

"I got my Kindle an hour ago and noticed the yellow stripe immediately. When I open the book, it stretches to the sides as well. I contacted the customer services and I chose the refund though they didn't offer me the option to exchange," another Reddit user added.

Aside from a yellow bar on the display, some Kindle Colorsoft users complain of a crosshatching effect, likely due to the E Ink Kaleido 3 color e-paper technology. This type of display overlays a color filter array onto a standard black-and-white e-paper layer, rendering up to 4,000 colors at 150 ppi resolution for color content. Black-and-white content with the Kaleido 3 color display is rendered at 300 ppi.