One of the best e-ink tablets for writing
The Modern Kindle Scribe fixes some of the enceinte ill we had with the original , both in terms of hardware and software , but there ’s still more employment to be done with the latter .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Amazon ’s first - gen Kindle Scribe looked to fill a grow niche , offering a ready to hand blend of on - the - go reading and note - pickings – but it was n’t perfect , garner 3.5 stars in our critical review .
However , the update Kindle Scribe ( 2024 ) fixed most of the big charge that we had with the original , including a more ergonomic stylus , meliorate software package smarts , and more – but does it do enough to strike hard the tremendously popularRemarkable 2from its commode ?
After spending tight to two month using the Kindle Scribe as my main version and bank note - taking gadget , here are my last thoughts .
Design
When it comes to the essence design of the Kindle Scribe ( 2024 ) , there ’s not much to report on , looking extremely alike to its predecessor – for better and for bad .
There are subtle change , like more or less thinner bezels on three of the four sides of the screen and a new white bezel that aid it look more like a notebook than a traditional e - reader .
However , away from that , it ’s very much business as usual ; it ’s a premium e - ink tablet with a 100 % recycled aluminium framing that feels coolheaded to the skin senses , and sports a slightly thickheaded bezel on one side that makes it easier to hold without accidentally tapping the screen .
The small rubber feet on the back of the completely flat rump also make a return , adding some extra hold when the machine is placed on a tabular array while also control it does n’t get scratched .
However , it does n’t fix any of the large complaint we had with the late machine ; it still lacks the strong-arm clit to change pages quickly that were found on theKindle Oasis , and there ’s still no kind of IP valuation for water and junk aegis despite this being present on others inAmazon ’s 2024 Kindle range .
The machine ’s footprint is also not to be understated ; while it ’s slender ( 5.7 mm ) and brightness ( 433 gigabyte ) enough to splay into a handbag , I have noticed the sheer size of the machine in utilisation , specially when read one - handed . It ’s something I line up myself resting on my leg or a table , rather than holding it upright like with my even Kindle .
It also means it ’s not quite as portable or convenient for reading on the go as a regular Kindle . I try it several time on my morning commute to the business office , and while I love the big - screen reading experience , it just felt a minute unwieldy on a busy wagon train . I also felt a little awkward , as I caught people glance at me with my ridiculously sized e - proofreader .
That said , it ’s very much something you ’ll either use at home or in the berth – so do n’t dump that steady Kindle just yet .
Screen and Pen
When it comes to the presentation , there ’s no huge modification here ; it ’s still a 10.2 - inch e - ink screen with a glare - reducing screen cover , but there are subtle dispute . Amazon has tweaked the texture of the filmdom to better copy that pen and paper experience with slight feedback when spell , and the colour temperature has been tweaked ever so slightly .
The latter is n’t that noticeable in tangible - world use , but the former certainly is , making the already excellent writing experience even better this meter around – an authoritative rise for a product that ’s reasonably much exclusively market around its note - taking capacity .
The backlit screen automatically adjust depending on your environment , though I wish it ’d do the same with color temperature , total an orange tinge when in an environment with lovesome light and a blue / white tinge in cool environments – one for the next - gen Scribe , maybe .
Still , the 35 light-emitting diode lights dismount the screen door are a massive supporter when compose and reading in low - illumination conditions , and unlike cheaper e - readers , provide a consistent lighting experience with no notably shiny or dark spots across its 10.2 - inch canvass .
I ’ve also noticed just how reactive the e - ink cover feel in comparison to other e - readers , earlier Kindles included . It ’s not as responsive as a regular tablet concealment , of course , but there ’s much less of a lag when tapdance the blind to change Page when reading , and indeed , there ’s no detectable latency between piece of writing and digital ink appearing on the screenland .
utter of , the bundled agiotage playpen is an out-and-out treat to take notes with . The overall weight and step have been reduced to bring it closer to the feeling of a unconstipated playpen while still managing to be fresh , featuring a button on the side that lets you temporarily toggle a different style of pen for authorship .
The soft - tipped eraser at the other closing is another nice soupcon , feeling so vivid in use that I ’ve had to hold out the temptation to pass over rubbings off the screen like I would when wipe off pencil fool on newspaper publisher .
Combined with the matte finish cover , I think the Kindle Scribe has one of the best piece of writing experiences around , possibly save for the dead fantasticRemarkable 2 . It ’s way more responsive than competing big - CRT screen option like theOnyx Boox Tab Ultra , with a more ergonomic stylus design that make all the difference in everyday use .
The only literal weakness of the Scribe and its accompanying stylus is storage .
As with both Apple’siPad collectionand theOnePlus Pad 2 , the stylus snap onto the side of the Scribe when not in active purpose , though like the rivalry , this easily separates in bags and rucksacks . I ’ve spent more time than I ’d like research through my packed - out backpack for the relatively slimline calamitous stylus over the past span of months .
There is no clear solvent here either ; you could incorporate it into the body , but doing so would result in either a thicker Kindle or fragile , less ergonomic stylus , or you could pop the question a case that holds the stylus tight like you get with Samsung ’s book - style zee Fold 6 while sacrifice the lightweight blueprint of the eastward - lecturer . Neither is idealistic , really .
Software and features
While the Kindle Scribe hardware has always been comparatively top - nick , the same ca n’t be said for the package . As my fellow Max put it in hisreview of the 2022 model , “ for a machine designed as a note - pickings tool , the deficiency of mystifying feature of speech in this area makes the Scribe gruelling to recommend . ”
Well , Amazon has taken some truly useful steps in the correct direction with the latest translation of the banker’s bill - taking e - ink tablet . first off , it now allows for the long - awaited ability to take notes and write directly onto eBooks , not just PDF files , as part of Amazon ’s young participating Canvas system .
It goes a step beyond simply permit you take notes in the margins too ; as you write your notes , the textbook will automatically wrap around the handwritten note to make it fit better . The banknote stays anchored to text nearby , even if you change the font or sizing of the text later on down the line .
And , if you want a cleaner meter reading experience , the tap of a button will direct all handwritten notes in a out of sight side panel , recalled at will .
This is a big improvement on what was a very canonic effectuation in the Scribe ( 2022 ) that fundamentally allow you to summate sticky tone only visible via tap an icon at the side of the eBook text edition . This is way more natural , offer a nice blend of honest-to-goodness - school note - taking in the margins and unexampled - school text anchoring .
An option to wrench off the automatic reformatting would ’ve been nice though , as the manner that text reorganises itself on the page can be a little chaotic at times . think back append an image to a Word document and having the Sir Frederick Handley Page gross out out ? It ’s like to that , albeit more or less less egregious .
There are also fresh AI smart because , of course there is – it ’s 2025 , the year of AI in dead everything , after all .
To Amazon ’s credit , it has n’t tried to shoehorn random AI feature in for the sake of it ; instead , it ’s moderately tame , limited to translate your handwritten scrawl into text for apportion via e-mail – and surprisingly , it even solve with my ( avowedly painful ) handwriting without a single error .
However , it still does n’t offer full OCR ( ocular character recognition ) support , one of the openhanded complaint about the premature - gen machine compare to the the like of Remarkable which rent you search through your notes for specific words or idiom .
There ’s no well-off elbow room to translate your handwritten greenback into regular textual matter either , limited to transition when share notes via e-mail . I would ’ve like the choice to transcribe on - equipment without needing to send it via email , just to tidy up my ( admittedly messy ) handwriting after down the line .
Elsewhere , it ’s very much business organization as common for the Kindle Scribe ; you ’ve got a customised version of the same oxygen present on other late Kindles , albeit with a dedicated Notebook tab for your notes . These handwritten government note will also integrate into your late items displayed at the top of the feed among book I ’ve been reading lately , making it ready to hand to start back into to - do leaning and the like .
And , of row , the reading experience is fantastic with such a with child , pixel - dense atomic number 99 - ink screen , perfect with plenty of formatting customisation pick that permit you dial in the reading experience to your precise tastes .
Battery life
As with other e - readers , the Kindle Scribe and its e - ink cover can last for utterly old age on a unmarried bang . I received the pad in early December 2024 , and as of late January 2025 , I ’ve only had to charge it once , showcasing its potential longevity .
That ’s with component like auto - brightness participating , with Wi - Fi on constantly , so there ’s potential for even better efficiency if you ’re truly compulsive – but in my experience , you really need n’t go to such extreme .
For address , Amazon claims that the Kindle Scribe can last for 12 weeks on a individual charge with more cautious exercise , and after using the vitamin E - reviewer for the past couple of month , I ’ve got no material reason to oppugn those claims .
When it does finally need a top - up , a side - mounted USB - speed of light porthole will take you from flat to full – though with just 9W charging , it ’ll take you around two and a one-half minute to achieve a full rush . gratefully , you wo n’t call for to do that too often !
The only oddity is the lack of wireless charging , pass that it ’s a feature of speech of the cheaper ( but still premium)Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition . I do n’t leave out it , especially given the telling standby times on offer from the Scribe , but it would ’ve helped rationalize its bounty damage ticket .
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Final Thoughts
I ’m a big sports fan of the experience the Kindle Scribe offer ; first and foremost , it offer up one of the most innate writing and doodle experience of any einsteinium - ink tablet I ’ve used , possibly even bringing the competitiveness to Remarkable , and note - focused tweak to the O like Active Canvas are massively welcomed , even if there ’s still some elaboration needed to make it the best it can peradventure be .
However , it does still fall myopic in several area , lacking any kind of informatics rating , no automatonlike temperature registration , the omission of wireless charging , and even the lack of buttons , all of which would ’ve helped Amazon excuse the Scribe ’s £ 379.99 starting toll that little bit more .
It ’s also worth pointing out that it’snota Kindle design for read on - the - go ; while the indication experience on such a with child screen is keen , it ’s not a one - handed gadget that you could quickly force out on a packed gear , so it ’s very much something you ’ll be using at abode or the office for reading .
Still , I think it ’s a notable betterment on the rogiinal that fixes some of our big complaints , make it a worthwhile leverage if you want to commingle note - taking and reading on a single gimmick .
Trusted Score
Should you buy it?
With a 10.2 - column inch e - ink canvas and a superb writing experience , the Scribe is the ideal option .
The Kindle Scribe might be excellent for reading and scribbling , but the 10.2 - inch screen means it ’s nowhere near as portable as a regular Kindle .
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FAQs
Yes , unlike the premature Scribe , the 2024 variant comes with the Premium Pen as standard .
No , there ’s no variety of IP evaluation so it ’s best to keep this tablet by from the tub and pocket billiards .
