As someone who still values and likes writing my thoughts down on paper, e-ink devices feel like a tech innovation I can get behind. I’m still lusting after the reMarkable 2, so Amazon finally deciding to enter the space through its line of Kindle devices is intriguing for me. The newest Kindle is called the Amazon Kindle Scribe, and the company wants you to replace your use of paper entirely with it.
The Kindle Scribe gets a 10.2-inch E Ink screen paired with a stylus you can attach to the side of the device. It is the company’s first 300ppi, front-lit display Kindle with adjustable warm light. Kevin Keith, a vice president of product and marketing at Amazon, told The Verge the company took its time to release the Scribe because it wanted to ensure there wasn’t any compromise between the reading and writing experience.
The Amazon Kindle Scribe’s writing experience
Larger e-ink displays are known to have lower resolution displays. But Keith promises you can expect the Kindle’s typical contrast and clarity on the Amazon Kindle Scribe while adding the tech needed to make it possible to write on the screen.
There are two stylus options for the Scribe. The Basic Pen or a Premium Pen gets a customizable shortcut button and an eraser sensor on top. Both use Wacom’s EMR technology and don’t need batteries recharged.
The Scribe gets new note-taking capabilities built into it, where it will store your handwritten notes in your Kindle collection alongside everything else. However, you can’t view these notes on other devices yet. Amazon promises that feature is coming soon.
As expected, you can scribble on PDF files. Amazon even partnered with Microsoft to add a button in Word that lets you export a document into your Kindle.
But it misses the option to write directly on ebooks you’ve bought from Kindle publishers. You can attach notes to specific points in a book, but you can’t underline a sentence or write in the margin. I hope that comes even through a software update.
Exploring the design
Its asymmetric design is similar to the Kindle Oasis, with a chunky bezel on one side for easier handling. The Amazon Kindle Scribe is 5.8mm thick and weighs 430g, making it a little thinner and lighter than the latest iPad Air.
What about battery life?
The Amazon Kindle Scribe promises that long battery life still. But you have to temper your expectations depending on your usage.
You can get up to 12 weeks based on half an hour of reading daily. Now, if you write on it for half an hour each day, you’ll only get around three weeks of use on a single charge. Writing on the Scribe will require the screen to refresh far more than if you’re just reading.
Amazon Kindle Scribe price and availability
The Amazon Kindle Scribe is already available for pre-order at a starting price of USD 339.99. You’ll shell out an extra USD 30 for the Premium Pen. Amazon says the Kindle Scribe will ship out before the holidays.
Have you thought of ditching physical books and paper for an e-ink solution? We’d love to know what you think! Share with us what other cool pieces of tech you’d want to see!
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