Short version: Amazon released a new 11-inch Kindle Scribe and the first color Kindle Scribe Colorsoft in late 2025. The new Scribe is bigger, thinner, lighter and 40% faster at writing and page turns than the model we reviewed. Buy the new Scribe for the best e-ink notebook. Get the Colorsoft if you highlight in color. Save with the 2024 Scribe if a 10.2-inch screen is plenty, since Amazon still sells it.
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The Kindle Scribe is a Kindle you can write on: books, notebooks and PDFs in one distraction-free slab with no notifications. The new generation keeps the idea and makes it nicer to hold. Here’s what changed, based on Amazon’s specs and launch coverage (we didn’t test it hands-on).
New Kindle Scribe vs Kindle Scribe (2024): what changed
| Spec | Kindle Scribe (2024) | Kindle Scribe (latest) | Kindle Scribe Colorsoft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 10.2-inch, 300 ppi, front-lit | 11-inch glare-free, front-lit | 11-inch color e-ink, front-lit |
| Thickness and weight | Not listed | 5.4 mm, 400 g | Not compared |
| Speed | Baseline | 40% faster writing and page turns | Faster chip and more memory (Amazon’s claim) |
| Color | No | No | Yes: 10 pen colors and 5 highlighter colors |
| Pen | Premium Pen, no charging | Included pen, no charging, eraser and shortcut button | Included pen |
| AI notebook tools | Summaries, handwriting to text | Search, ask questions about notes, summaries, handwriting to text | Same as Scribe |
| Cloud import | Send to Kindle | Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive import, export as PDF | Same as Scribe |
Specs from Amazon’s Kindle Scribe listing, Amazon’s Kindle Scribe (2024) listing, Amazon’s announcement, TechCrunch’s launch report. Checked October 2026.
4 reasons the new Kindle Scribe is the best e-ink tablet
- It feels like paper. The textured screen and pen give you that pen-on-paper drag, without the notebook stack on your desk.
- Bigger screen, smaller device. An 11-inch display in a 5.4 mm, 400 g body is easier to hold for long reading sessions.
- Your notes get smarter. Search your handwriting, ask questions about your notes and turn scribbles into clean text.
- No notifications. It reads, it writes, and that’s it. Your focus will thank you.
What matters in real use
- Coming from the original 2022 Scribe: the newest model is a clear upgrade in size, speed and software.
- Coming from the 2024 Scribe: it’s a nice-to-have. Upgrade for the bigger screen and faster writing, not because the old one stopped working.
- Colorsoft is for highlighters. Color helps with annotating and planners. For plain reading and writing, the regular Scribe is enough.
Who should buy which
- Buy the new Kindle Scribe for students, journalers and anyone who reads PDFs for work.
- Get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft if you color-code everything.
- Save with the Kindle Scribe (2024) if you want the Scribe experience for less and 10.2 inches is enough.
Gift it to: the student who prints every PDF, the planner lover with 12 highlighter colors, or the reader who wants to scribble in the margins.
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