Reddit user claims to leak new color display Kindle

Is Amazon working on a cheaper version of its color display Kindle?

According to allegedly leaked photos posted on Reddit, the answer is yes. On Wednesday, a redditor shared images of what they claim is a prototype of a smaller Kindle with a color display, via The Verge. The user, writing in Portuguese, said it's a smaller version of the Kindle 11, Amazon's latest e-reader. The prototype has a color display like the Kindle Colorsoft which launched in 2024.

The biggest complaint about Amazon's first colorized e-reader is the cost. The Colorsoft debuted with a flagship version called the Signature Edition for $279.99. This past July, it launched two other iterations for a slightly cheaper price: the Kindle Colorsoft for $249.99 and the Kindle Colorsoft Kids for $269.99. For reference, the black and white standard Kindle costs $109.99 and the Kindle Paperwhite, $159.99. So the Kindle Colorsoft is a steep markup just for reading in color.

In the images of the alleged prototype, the device is called the Kindle Petit Color. But the user says the name isn't finalized yet, so that could change. The user also shared that the device has "progressive" color so that the text and status bar changes color as you progress and the color quality is much better than the current Kindle Colorsoft.

The anonymous user's claims haven't been verified, so take this leak with a big grain of salt. But if this turns out to be a real prototype for an upcoming budget-friendly version of the Kindle Colorsoft, that would make many Kindle readers very happy.