Amazon’s latest 2024 Kindle Scribe is a great big-screen notepad for readers and writers
The new Amazon Kindle Scribe isn’t just the largest Kindle model out there, it also offers a distinct “pen and paper” experience (like smart notepads from reMarkable and Boox), which makes it a great ebook reader for those who like to read and make notes as they go.
Just like the original Kindle Scribe (2022), it has an expansive 10.2-inch tablet-sized display and comes with a magnetically-attached stylus, but it improves on Amazon’s debut model in several key ways. The biggest one is that you can now jot down your notes right in the margins of your books, with text moving to accommodate what you write (this is called “Active Canvas”).
The new Scribe also has a slightly different look – it's available in a “Metallic Jade” colour and has a white border around the display to make it feel more like paper. It also now only comes with the “Premium Pen” and features artificial intelligence for better handwriting recognition and note summaries.
Just like with the rest of Amazon’s slightly revamped 2024 models, including the Kindle (2024) and Kindle Paperwhite (2024), you shouldn’t upgrade if you’ve already got the previous generation Scribe. Any high-quality E Ink device should last you over seven years, especially if it’s well looked after, and the new version offers relatively minor improvements at a steep cost of £379.99 (that’s increased by £50 over its predecessor).
However, if you don't already own a Scribe and are looking to invest, here's my honest verdict.
Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024): At a glance
Kindle Scribe (2024)
Design, display and battery life
The design of the new Kindle Scribe has a lot in common with its predecessor. It has the same 10.2-inch screen with the same resolution, similar dimensions, and the exact same 433g weight.
However, Amazon has made it more “paperlike” with a white border around the display. It also comes in a “Metallic Jade” colour (similar to the “Jade” of the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite) but that’s exclusive to the largest 64GB storage size. This model also still comes with a stylus, called the “Premium Pen”, which is the (non-basic) version with an eraser on the end.
The display feels almost exactly the same as it did on the previous Kindle Scribe, but I was impressed by that one and I'm still a fan. It’s crisp and detailed, with adjustable warmth and a paperlike look for reading and writing (more on that below).
Like any Kindle, you can access all the books you’ve bought on Amazon’s store and the reading experience is excellent. One difference to note between this and the Paperwhite is that the Scribe has no waterproofing. That means note-taking by the pool is a no-go.
It also has a long battery life, which is unchanged, and it should deliver up to 12 weeks of use based on 30 minutes of reading a day. This will vary depending on use with certain features, though – you should get around three weeks if you’re using it for 30 minutes of writing a day, for example.
Stylus and note-taking support
Does writing on the Kindle Scribe feel like paper? Almost! Amazon clearly put a lot of work into replicating that pen-to-paper feel, with a texture to the glare-free display that feels just right when you’re jotting down notes with the included pen. It's intuitive and comfortable, and every notebook you create will sync to your Amazon account and the Kindle app.
You can pick between different styles of pen to write in, like a fountain pen or pencil, and if you’re particularly artistic, it’s possible to create sketches with this pen and paper combination. When you want to export your notes, you can convert handwriting to text, turn your notebook into a PDF, and send the lot in an email. It’s all quite convenient.
What about taking notes within books? This is likely to be among the main uses for students, researchers or anyone wanting to revisit their thoughts about a book at a later date.
There are now two ways to include notes as you read – you can either create a “post-it” style annotation linked to a particular part of the text, or you can use the new “Active Canvas” to insert a text box. The text will adapt to flow around the note.
It’s quite a good implementation and an upgrade from the first generation; however, you still can’t scribble and take notes all over the page like you can on the Kobo Elipsa 2E (£350).
Arguably, the Kobo approach can feel a little “messier”, but it’s also a lot more like what you’d do with a physical textbook, letting you circle things, underline words wherever you please, or draw arrows all over the place.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches, although I personally prefer the more realistic Kobo style of note-taking, even if it doesn’t react quite as well to changing the text size of a book.
AI features and handwriting conversion
It feels a bit like artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere. Yes, even the Kindles aren’t safe.
In fairness, though, the modest AI features that Amazon has brought to the Kindle Scribe aren’t exactly over-the-top and, thankfully, are actually quite useful for people who like to take notes.
There are two main features. The first is “handwriting refinement”, which takes your scribbly handwriting and transforms it into a bubbly font.
I tried hard to confuse this by writing as untidily as I could, and I’ve got to give this feature credit. It recognised all the words I scribbled down and turned them into a much neater note. And, if you don’t love that bubbly font, there are three other options to choose from.
Next up is “AI-powered notebook summarisation”, which does exactly what you’d expect. Tap this option and it’ll take your handwritten note and create an AI-generated summary of what you’ve written, in the same four font options as you get from handwriting refinement.
If you’ve been using your Kindle Scribe to take notes in a meeting, for example, this would be a fast way to get a summary of everything discussed.
Once you have the generated summary, you can attach it to your notebook, either as the first or final page, whichever works best for you.
Unlike some new smartphones, the Kindle Scribe isn’t exactly overloaded with AI. It only has these two features, and they’re ones I can see being genuinely useful for those who want to use this as a digital notepad.
The Good Housekeeping verdict on the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)
So, is the Kindle Scribe worth it? I do think £379.99 is a lot to spend, and it’s a significant £50 price hike over the cost of the original Scribe. If you just want to use your Kindle for reading ebooks or audiobooks, I’d suggest getting either the latest entry-level Kindle for £95, or the Kindle Paperwhite for £160.
However, if you’re absolutely sure you want to use your Kindle as both an ebook reader and for jotting down your thoughts, that’s where the Scribe comes in. It’s great for reading books on a big high-resolution screen and for writing notes in your books or maintaining notebooks and converting them to text. However, it’s worth noting that you can still get the first-generation Kindle Scribe with a Premium Pen for a lower price – that would be my first recommendation.
If the price isn't a barrier and you think you’ll use the handy AI features for note summarisation and handwriting refinement, along with the ability to use “Active Canvas” and leave notes in the margins of your books, those are features you’ll only get with the new version of the Kindle Scribe.
I've found it great to write on, and it makes an ideal smart notebook in the Amazon Kindle lineup. It’s pricey, but if it fits your needs, it shouldn't disappoint.
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