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E-readers (monochrome or colour) are still a compromise in terms of display. If you want to get the best display, the best option is the combination of the physical book (without illumination) and the tablet (with illumination). In fact this is the majority choice among readers. Those of us who use e-readers know that there are areas we cannot reach. And it is up to each user to define their own limits. E-readers did not spontaneously emerge with a 1200 Carta screen, 300 ppi and impeccable illumination. We have been using them for years with, and despite, very poor screens in terms of display. Why? If we are not able to answer this question we will never understand the e-reader phenomenon in general (let alone colour e-readers in particular).
With all their limitations (dark screen without illumination, grainy background, "pastel" colour), colour e-readers are the only electronic devices that allow you to combine colour and reading with and without illumination. This makes them unique in the market. Tablets need illumination (which, moreover, some people can't stand) and monochrome e-readers have no colour. That is why, despite the enormous quality of monochrome e-readers and tablets, there are still people who time and again ask about colour e-readers. There is an area that is not covered by those devices.
In my opinion, Kaleido 3 already offers a more than acceptable compromise for anyone who (for whatever reasons) wants or needs to combine e-ink and colour. And in this sense I think it is good that Kobo (if these models are finally colour e-readers, which remains to be seen) and other brands decide to offer this type of device. Then each user will decide whether they are interested or not. I, who have been using a colour e-reader for regular reading since this summer, believe that it is perfectly compatible (in terms of viewing) with an average user, who is not guided solely and exclusively by criteria of "excellence". In my opinion, the future of colour e-readers lies not so much in the quality of their screen (which will undoubtedly improve) as in their price. If they catch up in price with monochrome e-readers, I have no doubt that their demand will increase considerably.
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