Amazon’s popular e-reader series Kindle is growing. However, it is not a handy book-sized device, but a tablet with a large writable screen.
E-readers that allow writing via pen input are nothing new – manufacturer Onyx has been doing it for more than a decade. So far, however, the tablets with e-ink displays are more of a niche product. However, Amazon apparently sees market potential here. The new Kindle Scribe should convince with new display technology and included pen.
Kindle Scribe stirs up competition
The Kindle Scribe sets itself apart from the competition with its high-resolution 10.2-inch display, which also has automatic luminous heat lighting – according to Amazon the first of its kind. At 300 ppi (pixels per inch), it has a significantly higher pixel density than other e-ink tablets, which mostly reach a value of 200-227 ppi. That’s the same pixel density as the Kindle Oasis and Paperwhite. In theory, this should ensure a pin-sharp image.
Amazon seems to be doing a lot of things right with the Kindle Scribe. As already mentioned, there are already some competing products on the market. However, their range is much more limited than that of the Kindle family. In addition, users have to make many compromises. For example, the Remarkable 2 doesn’t have a backlit display, and Kobo’s Elipsa does have a stylus, but it’s active and therefore requires a AAA battery. Onyx’ Boox tablets play in a completely different category. These run Android, giving users access to the App Store. They’re supposed to be more traditional tablets, just with an e-ink display. Compared to the Scribe, however, they have a lower display resolution and are significantly more expensive.
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Battery-free stylus as standard
The base model of the Kindle Scribe comes with a “standard” stylus. For 30 euros more there is a “Premium” stylus, which has a customizable button and an eraser function on the top. Both pens use the patented electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology from the well-known graphics tablet manufacturer Wacom. As a result, they work without their own battery and do not need to be charged. Magnets in the stylus and e-reader allow for easy attachment to the Kindle Scribe body.
The stylus allows you to quickly scribble notes or annotations in e-books. Even mark-up in PDF documents is possible. Thanks to better integration of Microsoft Word, it should also be possible to edit text files on the Kindle Scribe.
size and battery life
Visually, the Kindle Scribe is similar to the Kindle Oasis, with a wide bezel on one side to make it easier to hold in one hand. With a depth of 5.8 millimeters and a weight of 430 grams, the tablet is slightly thicker and heavier than the Remarkable 2 with 4.7 millimeters and 404 grams.
According to Amazon, the Kindle Scribe should have a battery life of twelve weeks – with half an hour of reading per day. If you write for half an hour, the runtime is reduced to three weeks. One of the reasons for this is that the screen has to work with a higher refresh rate.
Kindle Scribe price and availability
The Kindle Scribe is available now available for pre-order and is scheduled for delivery in early December. The basic model with the “standard” stylus and 16 gigabytes (GB) of memory is available for EUR 369.99. The version with the “Premium” pen is available from 399.99 euros with 16 GB of memory. 32 GB costs 419.99 euros and 64 GB 449.99 euros.