Kindle Scribe review: A solid writeable e-reader with limited appeal

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Amazon's Kindles are considered the best e-readers in the business, and for good reason — they let users store a huge library of books in one compact device, complete with a paper-like screen and adjustable reading settings. And now, the latest addition to the brand, the Kindle Scribe, takes the lineup one step further. 

The Kindle Scribe expands upon its predecessors by offering writing capabilities using its included pen. Readers can annotate, take notes, make lists, and more right on the screen. It's not the only device of its kind — the Kobo Elipsa 2E, for example, also has writing capabilities — but it is the first Amazon e-reader to offer such a feature. 

After putting the new device to the test, we think it's a solid addition to the Kindle collection, but its appeal is limited to a specific kind of user. Its high price is also a bit prohibitive, putting it in competition with similarly priced devices like tablets and iPads. 

Here's how the Kindle Scribe stacks up and who we think it's best suited for.

The biggest Kindle ever, but it may not be ideal for all readers

With a whopping 10.2-inch display, the Scribe is the largest Kindle that Amazon sells, besting the Oasis by about three inches. Like every other Kindle, it also features a premium 300 ppi screen with a glare-free finish. 

The huge size gives users a vast amount of space to write on using the included stylus pen. But as impressive as that sounds, the design is also a bit inconvenient.

The device's super-thin build, combined with its wide form factor, makes for a somewhat delicate user experience that falls short of the more sturdy feeling Kobo Elipsa 2E, its main competition. That's not to say the Scribe comes out of the box flimsy. But it's not hard to imagine the damage a precarious drop or roughly thrown bookbag could do. A protective case is highly recommended, especially if you plan to travel or commute with your Scribe.

The wide screen doesn't really add to the reading experience, either. The 10.2-inch display gives ample space for writing, but if you mostly plan to read, it doesn't enhance the experience any more than a cheaper model. If anything, it just makes the device awkwardly large to hold. It's best for use on top of a flat surface. 

A reading experience on par with other Kindles, but it's not waterproof

The Scribe offers very similar reading performance compared to Amazon's other high-end Kindles, including the closest step down in the lineup, the Kindle Oasis ($250). That said, despite its bigger screen and added writing capabilities, the Scribe is actually missing a couple of features that you'll find on the Oasis.

In exchange for writing support, the Scribe forces buyers to give up perks like page turn buttons, cellular connectivity, and perhaps most importantly, a waterproof finish. Yep, that means no more reading in the bathtub. If that's more important to you than note-taking support, you'll want to consider the Kindle Oasis or Paperwhite instead. 

Beautiful, paper-like display and a responsive pen

The Scribe's real selling point is its writing feature. And thankfully, writing on the Scribe is excellent. 

The pen glides, but doesn't slip, on the paper-like finish of the glare-free display, making for a better stylus experience than that of an Apple Pencil with an iPad. Latency when writing is low, so it almost feels like you're actually transferring ink to the screen — but we promise, you're not. 

The battery-free pen magnetically attaches to the side of the device for easy and secure storage. Buyers also have the option to upgrade to a Premium Pen, which costs $30 extra. The step-up Pen adds a few thoughtful features, like a programmable shortcut button and a functional eraser on the back. It charges wirelessly, which is something the Kobo Elipsa 2E stylus doesn't offer. After testing, we think the Premium Pen is worth the extra money.

The Scribe lets you easily take notes and make lists

Note-taking is sure to be a big draw for many buyers considering the Scribe, and the device offers good performance in this regard. 

Notebooks get their own section in the Scribe's browser. There, you can create new notes with different page formats, including lined sheets, dot grid pages, checklists, and more. If you're a student or just love writing things down, you can even sort your notes into folders for clearer organization. 

The stellar pen design makes note-taking on the Scribe a joy. The writing interface also includes a simple, intuitive toolbar, complete with variable line weights for your pen, along with highlighter, eraser, undo, and redo options. However, the toolbar lacks some basic features like zoom, layers, and ink opacity. These omissions basically mean you can't use the Scribe like a true digital drawing device.

Annotation takes center stage, but integration leaves something to be desired

Since it combines writing with reading in one device, one of the Scribe's most marketable aspects is the ability to annotate as you read e-books. By simply tapping the sticky note icon on the collapsible toolbar, users can handwrite or type in notes that then remain attached to the page and can be easily browsed all in one place afterward. 

Unfortunately, this feature proves to be lackluster. Annotation is poorly integrated into the reading experience, with sticky notes taking up half of the screen, making the text behind unavailable to read at the same time. Finding the text highlight feature isn't very intuitive either; using the highlighter tool does nothing to the page; you need to hold and drag your pen or finger over the text in order to select and annotate a specific section. 

Ultimately, this sticky notes approach means you can't just write directly on most books' pages and have the words appear where you put them — a feature that is built into the Kobo Elipsa 2E. Instead, you can only write directly on the pages of a small selection of Kindle e-book titles, which are mostly limited to just crossword puzzles and journals.

Battery life is just as impressive as other Kindle models

As with the rest of the Kindle lineup, the Scribe delivers incredible battery life. A single charge can last up to 12 weeks when being used solely for reading or up to three weeks with the addition of writing. Actual stats depend on just how much of either you do, combined with your light and WiFi settings. 

After using our test Scribe to both read and write for two weeks, we've used the device's battery down to 50%, which falls in line with the expected usage.

Should you buy it?

The Kindle Scribe is a good device, but it's best suited for a very specific type of user: people who are both avid readers and notetakers. It's an especially good fit for students who want an all-in-one device to store their notes and e-books. 

You get most of the premium reading features you'd expect from the best Kindles, along with the expanded ability to write on the screen. And though pricier than other Kindles, the Scribe costs less than some competing e-readers with writing support, like the Kobo Elipsa 2E.

However, it's important to remember that the Scribe's writing feature can't match what you'd get on a genuine tablet. It's limited to annotating and note-taking; it can't replace the capabilities of the best iPads when it comes to word processing, drawing, or even just note organizing. And, of course, it's missing all of the other features you'd get with a full-fledged tablet, like web browsing and games. 

With its writing capabilities and $339 starting price tag, the Scribe finds itself in a slightly awkward position in between an e-reader and tablet, which makes it tricky to recommend over just buying a regular e-reader or tablet. For instance, you could get a bunch of extra features with a ninth-gen iPad and Apple Pencil for about $100 more, or forgo writing and save almost $200 with the Kindle Paperwhite.

In short, if you're a student who wants to replace physical books and notepads with one device, the Scribe is definitely a worthwhile option — but if you're someone on the fence questioning whether you need one, you probably don't.