Full Review of the Amazon Kindle Scribe 2024 E INK Tablet

The digital notebook space has been growing strongly for over seven years. Several companies, such as Supernote, Remarkable, and Onyx Boox, have made their entire business model in this sector. Others are more focused on e-readers but do offer some note-taking models, such as Rakuten Kobo, Hyread, iReader, iFlytek, Hanvon, and, most recently, Amazon.

Amazon released the original Kindle Scribe in late 2022 and entered this space to offer its unique value proposition. It was the first to provide a 10-inch note-taker with 300 PPI. Users could write notes in ebooks and freehand draw. Amazon releases firmware updates every few months to introduce new features and enhancements. In late 2024,  it released the Kindle Scribe 2.

The Kindle Scribe 2’s big selling point is its design. It has been modified from the original to look more like a ledger. It also has a new jade color to make it stand out in a crowd. The screen has been changed to allow more torque from the new stylus, which also received a minor revision: the tips are new, and it has a rubber eraser.

The software has been drastically changed, too. A new AI-driven notebook quickly summarizes pages and notes into concise bullet points in a handwritten-style font that can be shared from the notebook tab. You can also refine your notes in a handwritten-style font so they’re legible while maintaining the look and feel of handwriting.

Another standout feature is Active Canvas; you can write your thoughts directly into the book when inspiration strikes. Your note becomes part of the page, and the book’s text dynamically flows around it—whether you increase the font size, change the font style, or change the book layout, the note stays visible exactly where you want it, so you never lose any meaning or context. You’ll also be able to write your notes in the side panel and easily hide them when you’re done.

Hardware

The Kindle Scribe 2 features a 10.2-inch Carta 1200 E INK display with a resolution of 1860×2480 and 300 PPI. Its redesigned display has uniform white borders. The screen is flush with the bezel and protected by a layer of glass. It also has 35 white and amber LED lights that can be adjusted automatically. This allows you to read in dark or low-light environments. The light from the device does not shine directly into your eyes but spreads evenly across the screen.

You can select two colors for the Scribe 2: tungsten and teal green. There are tiny rubber feet on the back of the Scribe; this is useful so that it does not slip and slide on a desk when drawing. Amazon has several accessories for the Scribe, including fabric and leather cases.

The new Kindle Scribe pen has new colors to match the Scribe 2. The new Premium Pen also has a customizable shortcut button so that long-pressing can activate the highlighter, pen, marker, pencil, eraser, canvas, or sticky note. The rubber eraser on the top is another considerable upgrade, making it easier to erase errant notes.

Underneath the hood is a 1GHz MediaTek MT8113 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of internal storage. It has Wi-Fi 5 to download e-books from the Amazon Store. Bluetooth 5.1 is available in select markets to wirelessly connect earphones or an external speaker to listen to audiobooks. Audiobooks are unavailable in every country, such as Canada, but they can be used in the US, UK, Japan, and other international markets. A  USB-C port is available to charge the device. Amazon rates the new and original Scribes as having the same battery life — up to three weeks if you write for about half an hour a day and up to 12 weeks if you read for that same amount of time. The dimensions are 196 x 230 x 5.8mm and weighs 433g.

There are two main reasons to purchase the new Kindle Scribe 2. One can use it as a digital tablet to take notes, write in e-books, and use current and future AI-driven enhancements. The other is to use the large screen to read Kindle Books. Reading e-books is the sole reason I use the Scribe regularly. The Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, and Kindle Colorsoft all have around 7-inch screens, whereas the Scribe is 10 inches. I love sitting on a couch or in bed and reading a book. It makes me stop using my phone 24 hours a day, and of course, since it has an E INK screen, it is straightforward on the eyes.

Software

Amazon is using Linux on the second-generation Kindle Scribe. They have used the same operating system since the first Kindle, released in 2007. This allows all their e-readers to use less CPU, RAM, and battery power, as the OS doesn’t need much power. There are no background processes like Android.

The home screen looks slightly different on the Kindle Scribe due to the large 10-inch display, allowing more content to fit on the screen anytime. The date, WIFI signal strength, and time are at the top of the screen. Underneath that is a giant search bar and an icon to launch the Amazon bookstore and audiobook store. Underneath, what are your recent items on a carousel? It would show the cover art of books that you have recently added or are in the process of reading. It also indicates notes that you have made and other documents, such as a PDF file. Underneath that are all of the curated shopping lists, such as Discover Books, with several tabs that you can click on to view various bestseller lists and genre-specific entries, such as new releases, romance, biographies, etc. There is a scroll bar on the far right that you can scroll down, or you can control the capacitive touchscreen with your finger or stylus to scroll down further. Nothing of note is done here other than further Amazon recommendations.

If you tap at the top of the screen, a drop-down menu will appear. You can establish a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection from here, turn on airplane mode, or adjust the warm or cool lighting. There is also a sync button, which is useful when you edit PDF files and want to view them on other devices.

The UI on the bottom of the Scribe has a home button, which will always take you back to the main menu. Besides that, your quintessential library will be where all your books, comics, manga, or audiobooks you purchased from Amazon. In addition, all books sent through Send to Kindle and PDF files will also be housed here. You can sort by document type for easy access to certain materials. If you are in the process of reading a book or freehand drawing, there will be a large image that gives you a sense of what it is. On a typical Kindle, it is usually a picture of the cover art of whatever book you read. However, on the Scribe, let’s say you are freehand drawing. The icon will show you what is there. For example, we wrote, “We are testing the highlighter” with the stylus in the note app, and you can see the text. Besides that, there is a new UI element called Notebook and MORE. Under more, this is where you can control your reading lists, access the internet browser, or launch Goodreads.

The settings menu is different from most other Kindles. You have the typical account, Household and Family Library, Device Onions, and Parental controls. However, there are a few new entries, such as Pen and Book and Note-taking options. Under Pen, there is a single option at launch called Pen Shortcuts. Here, you can control what happens when you click the side button. Your only options are a highlighter, pen, marker, pencil, eraser, canvas, or sticky note.

Note Taking

The Note-Taking app is something most people will play around with when using the Scribe for the first time. The number of options you have is aimed at new users, not people who have previously owned other e-notes. Only a few UI elements are on a toolbar on the far left. The first one controls line thickness. You have fine, thin, medium, thick, or heavy. Before you start drawing, strengths are next to the names so you can understand how they will look. Underneath is the highlighter control, which has the same thickness settings. The eraser settings have a lasso tool to delete a particular area or page. You can control the thickness level with an eraser on your stylus. There is a small setting to change the navigation toolbar from the left to the right side. Clicking on the pointer button will bring down a small navigation pane on the top of the screen. Here is where you can rename the page you are drawing on. You can also select various templates. There are 18 total templates. Some of them are very unique and not on any other e-notes. You have the typical college rules and various drafting ones, too. One of the fabulous options here is sharing the document you are working on via email. You can enter a maximum of 4 email addresses to send the document. It will mention the file type, and sending is fast since it’s done through the Amazon email servers.

The notebooks in Kindle Scribe don’t just let you take notes; they help you organize your thoughts and ideas.

The new Kindle Scribe has Active Canvas, a new experience for taking notes in books. As you’re reading, write directly in the book with the Premium Pen, and the sentences will move and flow around your note, making your thoughts part of the page. If you increase the font size or change the font style or layout, your note will stay anchored to its original place, so it never loses meaning or context. You can also use Active Canvas to mark up Word Docs and other reflowable documents, which you can then share with colleagues.

The new notebook summarization feature, powered by generative AI, allows you to quickly create a synopsis of your notes to bring your ideas off the page and turn them into actions. To use the feature, select up to 15 notebook pages, open the notebook menu, and click the AI icon. Select “Summarize,” the feature will convert your notes into concise bullet points. The summaries are in a script font, so they’re legible and easy to share while maintaining the look and feel of handwritten notes.

If you’re scribbling in a hurry or don’t have the tidiest handwriting, the new AI-powered refinement feature will convert your handwritten notes into a script font for a more elegant (and legible) look. While in a notebook, click the AI icon and select “Refine writing.” Your notes will be quickly converted into a script font and inserted back into your laptop, making them easier to read, review, and share. If inspiration strikes and you want to make changes, you can still edit and update your refined notes.

Amazon has a great write-up on the new AI features and where to access them. You can read their tutorial HERE.

PDF Files

Editing PDF files is a mixed bag. You can’t simply sideload PDF files from the USB cable to your computer. You can view the PDF file, but there is no editing functionality besides long-pressing using your finger or the stylus and using the keyboard to write a note. You can only edit PDF files using Send to Kindle for Chrome, Windows, and Mac. When you send a PDF file using Send to Kindle, it will typically take a few seconds to upload but up to ten minutes to be fully sent to your Scribe.

Using the Send to Kindle app only allows you to send small PDF documents to the Scribe. The company does have an online tool that is capable of supporting larger files, such as 200 MB maximum.

Suppose you are a Microsoft Office user and edit PDF files using Word. You can send documents directly from your Microsoft Word app on your desktop or browser to read, review, and annotate directly on your Kindle. However, you need to subscribe to the Microsoft 365 subscription.

When the PDF file has been sent to your Scribe, you have the same navigation bar that appears when freehand drawing. You can select the Pen or Highlighter and determine your desired thickness settings. You can then annotate the PDF by manually underlining words and writing in the margins. To view your edited PDF on another Kindle. You need to go to the Scribe dropdown menu on the main home screen and click on SYNC. You then need to get another Kindle e-reader and click on SYNC again.

One of the enormous benefits of PDF files is sharing documents collaboratively. You can use the Amazon email service to send up to four addresses. This is useful for multiple people who are editing a single document or a contract that 2-3 people need to sign and then submit the signed document to a 3rd party. A good example is a standard NDA agreement we sign with everyone to get early access or review samples. We often have to sign a contract, have two people sign it, and then email it back to the company. Being able to do this all on the Kindle Scribe, using Amazon’s servers, is compelling.

Wrap Up

The Kindle Scribe 2 2024 model is the latest generation, and since it came out, it has not gone on sale yet. However, the first gen Scribe continues to have sale prices every couple of months. Many of the new AI features found on the Scribe 2 have made their way over to the 1st gen a couple of weeks ago. There aren’t many distinctions on the newest model to justify the extra $60 price.

The Scribe 2 has only a few slight changes. The premium pen has been slightly redesigned; it is better than the original. The Scribe 2 display makes it easier to write on glass. Finally, it is somewhat lighter and thinner, making it easier to hold for long writing sessions.

It is only a matter of time before the 1st generation Scribe is discontinued. Amazon will likely sell out of its remaining inventory in its warehouses worldwide and will not make any more once it does. This would make it the perfect time to buy one when it sells for $50 to $70 off the asking price. It should still be supported by firmware updates for several years. However, if you want to buy the Scribe 2024 model, it is likely worth it because it is the latest and greatest. It should still be supported by updates until 2029.

How does the Scribe 2024 compare to the competition? I believe the writing engine is better than the Kobo Elipsa, but the smaller Libra has a full-color screen to draw in color and conduct highlights. The Remarkable Paper Pro also has a color e-paper screen, and the Remarkable 2 is still of tremendous value. Onyx Boox has both black and white e-paper displays and colors. All of their models run Google Android and have full access to the Play Store.

I think the Scribe 2 makes sense if you are already invested in the Amazon ecosystem. If you have purchased many books from them, reading on a 10-inch 300 PPI screen provides a lot of value. Their writing system might not be as good as the competition’s, but it is user-friendly.