Amazon Kindle Scribe (2nd Gen) Review: Room for More

Amazon’s Kindle Scribe entered a saturated digital pocket book market in 2022, competing with the likes of Kobo, ReMarkable, and Boox. But the first-gen Scribe had one leg over everybody else: It was additionally a Kindle. Its largest flaw? You could not annotate instantly on ebooks, a regular characteristic most individuals would anticipate on a digital e-paper pocket book.

This has been rectified on the second-generation Kindle Scribe, and there are a few different additions like generative synthetic intelligence options and a barely redesigned Premium Pen stylus, which is now included. But the remainder of the Scribe stays principally the identical. It’s a fantastic digital pocket book for anybody who likes jotting stuff down on paper, and because it pulls double responsibility as an e-reader, you do not have to hold one other Kindle.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Unfortunately, the value has jumped to $400, a $60 bump (technically, a $30 bump when you evaluate it on to the unique Scribe with the Premium Pen). But there is a large reality you should know: The first-gen Scribe can entry all the brand new capabilities of the second-gen mannequin by way of a software program replace (you may manually obtain it or look forward to an over-the-air replace). It’s good that current clients do not need to improve, nevertheless it leaves little incentive to spend extra on the most recent.

Smooth and Supreme

The Scribe has the identical chassis as its predecessor. The again is a mixture of recycled aluminum and post-consumer recycled plastics, but it feels luxe. It’s nonetheless not waterproof just like the Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft, which is unusual for a productiveness machine that can inevitably be positioned subsequent to a espresso mug.

The entrance is dwelling to a ten.2-inch E Ink display with 300 pixels per inch (94 nits of max brightness). It can robotically modify the brightness relying on the setting, and there is even adjustable heat lighting, which makes it a bit simpler on the eyes in low gentle. I take pleasure in utilizing the latter whereas journaling on the Scribe earlier than mattress. There’s a darkish mode too, which turns the background black and the font white (additionally helpful at night time).

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar