Discolored Yellow Strip Spotted by Early Kindle Colorsoft Buyers

Users of Amazon’s latest e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, are complaining about a yellow strip appearing near the bottom of their device. 

According to Reddit posts first spotted by The Verge, some users are trying to get replacements and refunds for their new $289 color Kindles. The Colorsoft, which debuted on Oct. 30, offers e-book fans the chance to read their titles in color on a Kindle for the first time, which could be a big win for comic and graphic novel fans. 

But one Reddit user says the yellow tinge is: “incredibly noticeable when the device is supposed to be evenly lit and colored like a piece of paper.” Another poster says the strip only appears on their device when they use the Kindle’s edge-lighting feature. 

Complaints about the yellow strip also filtered into the Amazon reviews of the product, with one user calling the yellow undertone “distracting.”

Several Reddit users claim Amazon’s customer support says the problem may be software-related and could be fixed in an update shortly.

in a statement, an Amazon spokesperson told us, “We’re aware of a small number of reports from customers who see a yellow band along the bottom of the display.”

They added: “We take the quality of our products seriously and are looking into it. If customers notice this on their device, they can reach out to our customer service team.”

Outside of the release of Colorsoft, Amazon also released new versions of all its flagship Kindles recently. That includes its budget-conscious standard Kindle, its higher-end alternative, the Kindle Paperwhite, and its writing-focused Kindle Scribe. The Kindle Scribe debuted in July and, in another first for the product line, allowed users to put pen to digital paper, though it may fall short of the demands of serious digital artists. 

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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