Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs, and Liliputing may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on those links. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.

Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe is the company’s first large-screen E Ink device since the company canceled the Kindle DX. It’s also the company’s first Kindle that supports pen input.

While other members of the Kindle family are designed for reading eBooks, the Kindle Scribe can be used for reading and writing thanks to its 10.2 inch E Ink display with a 300 ppi front-lit display and a pressure-sensitive pen that attaches magnetically to the side of the device when you’re not using it. The Kindle Scribe goes up for pre-order today with prices starting at $340.

Customers in the US will also get a free 4-month subscription to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service when they pre-order the Kindle Scribe.

Amazon says the Kindle Scribe ships standard with a Basic Pen, but a Premium Pen will be available for an extra $30 for customers that want an eraser on the top and a customizable shortcut button.

Both pens are said to offer a natural pen on paper-like writing experience. And they’re both battery-free: there’s nothing to charge, because the pen uses Wacom EMR technology.

The company says it’s updated the Kindle operating system with new note-taking functionality, with all your notes stored and organized in one place, and with support for templates that you can use when taking notes or drawing on the device.

Starting in 2023, users will also be able to send Microsoft Word documents directly to a Kindle Scribe for reading, editing, or annotating.

The Kindle Scribe should offer up to 6 weeks of battery life, depending on usage.

Note that the starting price is for a model with 16GB of storage and a Basic Pen. You’ll have to pay more if you want the Premium Pen or additional storage (Amazon also offers 32GB and 64GB storage options).

Weighing 430 grams (15 ounces), the Kindle Scribe is the heaviest member of the Amazon Kindle lineup. But at just 5.8mm (0.23 inches) thick, it’s also the thinnest. The Kindle Scribe’s $340 also makes the new model the most expensive Kindle available at the moment. But it’s actually pretty competitively priced with E Ink writing slates from other companies.

The Kobo Elipsa Pack, for example, sells for $400. And the Onyx BOOX Note line of products tends to sell for $500 and up. The reMarkable 2 stands out as a cheaper option priced at $279. But reMarkable’s tablet doesn’t come with integrated access to a major bookstore like Amazon or Kobo’s devices.

If you don’t need the big screen or pen, though, you might still be better off with one of Amazon’s other Kindle products which have starting prices ranging from $100 to $250.

Kindle (2022)Kindle Paperwhite (2021)Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2021)Kindle Oasis (2019)Kindle Scribe (2022)
Starting Price$100$140$190$250$340
Display 6 inch, 300 ppi
recessed
6.8 inch, 300 ppi
flush-front
6.8 inch, 300 ppi
flush-front
7 inch, 300 ppi
flush-front
10.2 inch, 300 ppi
Storage16GB8GB or 16GB32GB8GB or 32GB16GB, 32GB, or 64GB
Front light4 LEDs17 LEDs17 LEDs25 LEDs32 LEDs
Writing support✓
Pen included✓
Adjustable warm light✓✓✓✓
Flush-front✓✓✓✓
IPX8 waterproof✓✓✓
Adjustable warm light✓✓✓✓
Auto light sensor✓✓✓
Page Turn buttons✓
Automatic page rotation✓✓
Bluetooth/Audible✓✓✓✓✓
WiFiWiFi 52.4 GHz and 5 GHz2.4 GHz and 5 GHzWiFi 42.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Charging & batteryUSB-C
9W
6 weeks battery life
2 hours full charge
USB-C
9W
10 weeks battery life
2.5 hours full charge
USB-C
9W (wired)
Qi wireless charging
10 weeks battery life
2.5 hours full charge
micro USB
5W
6-weeks battery life
3 hours for full charge
USB-C
9W
Up to 12 weeks battery life (reading)
Up to 3 weeks (writing)
2.5 hours full charge
Dimensions108.6 x 157.8 x 8mm
4.3″ x 6.2″ x 0.33″
124.6 x 174.2 x 8.1mm
4.9″ x 6.9″ x .32″
125 x 174 x 8.1mm
4.9″ x 6.9″ x .32″
159 x 141 x 3.4 – 8.4mm
6.3″ x 5.6″ x 0.13″ – .33″
196 x 230 x 5.8mm
7.7″ x 9″ x .22″
Weight158 grams
5.56 ounces
205 grams
7.23 ounces
208 grams
7.34 ounces
188 grams
6.6 ounces
433 grams
15.3 ounces
ColorBlack or Denim (blue)BlackBlackGraphite or Champaign GoldTungston

press release

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,545 other subscribers

4 replies on “Amazon Kindle Scribe is a 10.2 inch E Ink writing slate for $340”

    1. Upon closer inspection, Amazon has said it will support varying line widths, but didn’t say it will do so via pressure sensitivity, so I’ve struck out that part of the article for now.

      There are unconfirmed reports that the pen is a Wacom EMR stylus, and the display has a Wacom digitizer, but lacks pressure sensitivity. So it may be adequate for taking notes or annotating documents, but might not be a great option for sketching pictures.

  1. Intriguing.

    I despise Amazon as a company and I already have (and mostly like) a Kobo Elipsa, but it does sound like this will have some neat software features not available on the Elipsa. Waiting for the reviews.

Comments are closed.