Kindle Scribe 2024 Review - Still Worth It in 2026?
I’ve been using the Kindle Scribe, which was released in 2024.
This is Amazon’s e-ink tablet for reading, taking notes, and annotating PDFs, and it’s supposed to replace both your Kindle and your notebook.
So, the question is: Is it still worth buying in 2026? Or has it been left behind?
I’m going to run you through what I like about the Scribe, some frustrations I’ve had using the device, and whether I still think it’s worth buying.
❤️What I Like
The Display
The Scribe boasts a 10.2-inch, 300 PPI screen. And honestly? It’s beautiful. The text is incredibly sharp, and it feels very close to paper.
I haven’t experienced any feelings of eye strain, and the adjustable screen brightness levels allow comfortable reading at all times of the day.
The Reading Experience
Speaking of reading, and just like my Kindle Paperwhite, the reading experience on the Scribe is excellent.
It has all of the usual Kindle features you’d expect, like highlighting, X-Ray, vocabulary builder and Goodreads integration.
Plus, the Scribe also allows you to add handwritten notes in an expandable margin, or directly onto the page. For readers who love to take notes on the go, this is very useful.
Note-Taking & Writing
I was pleasantly surprised by the writing experience. The screen is textured to mimic the feel of paper, and it does a good job.
There are five different pen types: pen, fountain pen, felt tip, pencil, and highlighter. And each one has five thickness settings.
For notebooks, there are 18 templates, including lined pages, dot grids, to-do lists, calendars, and sheet music. See later in this newsletter on what's frustrating, for something I think is lacking here.
AI Features
The two main AI features are Summarise and Refine Writing.
Summarise takes your handwritten notes and provides a briefer overview of what you have written. This is ideal for getting a quick summary of the main points you have noted.
I think the Refine Writing feature is even more interesting. It takes your handwritten notes and polishes them, giving you an improved version of your writing.
They’re not instantaneous, so allow around 5-10 seconds for processing. For me, both of these are very useful tools to have.
😫What’s Frustrating
Lack of Customisable Notebooks
The downside to the current notebook system on the Scribe is that you cannot import your own custom templates. You have to stick to one of the 18 templates provided by Amazon.
As someone who loves working from their own custom-built templates, this feels like a shame. Although one workaround is to send your own custom template to your Kindle as a PDF, and access the template from your book library.
No 3rd Party Cloud Sync
This is my biggest frustration with the scribe: no link to services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneNote.
This is being partially resolved for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which will have Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive available. But on this Scribe, if you want to access your notes on your computer, you have to email them to yourself, either as a PDF or converted to text.
The Battery Life
Maybe this is slightly harsh to note as a frustration, but the Scribe won’t have the same battery life as your Standard Kindle or Paperwhite.
Amazon states the Scribe can get 12 weeks on a single charge, but that is on a reduced usage level. Using this for around one and a half hours per day, reading and writing, it’s lasted around 10 days on a full charge.
If you can charge regularly, this isn’t an issue; just don’t expect the battery life some Kindle users will be accustomed to.
🤑Is It Worth It?
So, is the Kindle Scribe worth it in 2026?
Here's how I see it. If you can wait for a deal and pick up a Kindle Scribe for around £270 or $280, like I did, it's definitely worth it.
For comparable devices on the market, the Remarkable 2 is £389 or $400. The Kobo Elipsa 2E is £350 or $400. Be aware that the Scribe’s standard price of £380 and $400 puts these black and white e-ink tablets in a similar price range.
As someone who reads a lot on Kindle and just wants to take occasional notes, the Scribe is perfect. But if you want more advanced note-taking features, better organisation, or third-party cloud sync, you might be better off with a Remarkable or a Kobo.
The Scribe might not be the most advanced e-ink tablet on the market, but it does what I need it to do, and it does it well.
💭Closing Thoughts
If you're in the Kindle ecosystem and you want a device for reading and basic note-taking, I’d say the Scribe is a great fit for you.
What do you think about the Kindle Scribe range? Let me know by contacting me at Hello@charliesamways.com.
I’d love to hear your experiences reading and using e-readers, so please reach out to share your thoughts.
You can check out the video all about this topic on my YouTube channel below:
If you’re passionate about self-improvement, reading or want to discuss the subject of reading, I’d love to hear from you. So please drop me a message.
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