Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/05/29/colour_kindle/

Colour Kindle in development, says Amazon

Launch a long way off, though

By James Sherwood

Posted in Personal Tech, 29th May 2009 13:02 GMT

Amazon has designed a colour version of its Kindle e-book reader, but this week warned that customers shouldn’t hold their breath while they wait for a launch.

The online retailer’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, said that a colour version of the Kindle isn’t imminent.

“I known it’s multiple years [away],” he told news agency AFP. “I don’t know how many years but it’s years.”

He admitted that he’s seen colour e-ink displays in the lab, but he claimed they’re “not ready for prime time”.

Blacklit colour LCDs are widely available in Kindle-friendly sizes, but presumably Amazon doesn't believe any of them are sufficiently power-efficient or readable outdoors to offer instead of the e-ink screen the current Kindle uses.

Colour e-book reader screens have been talked about for some time. Fujitsu, for example, began selling its colour Flepia reader back in April. It’s being sold in Japan through... er... Amazon. ®