Amazon has finally started accepting orders for the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the new black and white Kindle Scribe after making people wait over 10 weeks since announcing them.
Both are shipping now from Amazon.com, except the red (fig) 64GB version of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft isn’t getting released until sometime in January. They’re still unavailable from Amazon’s other regional websites, as they aren’t expected to arrive outside the US until 2026.
It’s good to see the new Kindle Scribes are eligible for Amazon’s trade-in discount so you can get 20% off when trading in an old Kindle, even if it’s broken and doesn’t work. Since the new Kindle Scribes are a lot more expensive than the previous gen models that helps make the price seem more reasonable.
For instance, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft costs $629.99 for the 32GB model, and it’s $679.99 for the 64GB version. With the trade-in discount, that takes the price down to $503.99 for the 32GB model and $543.99 for 64GB.
The new BW Kindle Scribe sells for $499.99 with 32GB and $549.99 with 64GB. With a trade-in, that takes the price down to $399.99 and $439.99 respectively.
The new Kindle Scribe without a frontlight still isn’t available to purchase yet. Amazon said that it would be coming out in early 2026, and they still haven’t given an exact release date for it yet.
With the prices being so much higher than previous gen Kindle Scribes you have to wonder how many people are actually going to be interested in buying these. The older Kindle Scribes already weren’t selling anywhere close to as well as other Kindle models, and a lot of people seem to not trust Amazon when it comes to not spying on personal and sensitive information when syncing and storing notebooks.
I really don’t see how Amazon expects these new models to suddenly be more popular than the previous Kindle Scribes. They increased the screen size from 10.2″ to 11″, and they added a supposedly faster processor, but how much of a difference is that really going to make?
I don’t recall seeing a lot of complaints about the Kindle Scribe’s screen being too small or the processor being too slow. Most of the complaints are about the software being too limited. They are adding some new software features to the new models, including some more AI tools and support for Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, but is that going to be enough to justify a price that’s higher than something much more versatile like a 128GB iPad Air?
The Scribe 1 eventually got the new AI features that the Scribe 2 came bundled with. I’m sure the older Scribes will get the same with an update soon.
The only way I would purchase a Scribe 3 is if I could jailbreak the Scribe Colorsoft to open CBR files, and even then I would wait for a sale with a deep discount and hope a 20% trade-in. I’d probably still pay $400-something USD but it’s better then the retail price.
I like large e readers, but, 11″might just be too big for comfortably reading…great as a note device though. I would be pushing the buy button IF, I could easily add my books purchased elsewhere. Looks to be a well made unit. Can you still add custom fonts?
Kindle may have become too restrictive for me.
I would expect that you will be able to add your own fonts, just like all other kindles.
I was using my Scribe exclusively for reading until I got a Paperwhite. Now I hardly use my Scribe at all. The last time was when I forgot my Paperwhite at work for a day.
Other way round for me (although I come from the Oasis), I just can’t go back to a 7 inch reader. The Scribe is a *tad* too big maybe, though. I’d kill for a, say, 9-inch Oasis.
I’d be all in on a 9″!. Enough real estate that you don’t need to use micro sized fonts. Agree about 7″ devices….MY Oasis is in the drawer…
I love using my Scribe to read at home. I knit while I read, so I appreciate that the bigger screen on the Scribe means I don’t need to tap the screen as much to turn pages. I like the notes function, and don’t otherwise need any color bells and whistles.
Unfortunately, the increase in price for a Scribe with a front light is far too steep for very little improvement. If those prices don’t go down, then the current Scribe I have will be the last one. They basically want me to pay iPad prices for a device that doesn’t have the functionality of an iPad (and really, I don’t want an eInk iPad, I just want a great black and white eReader). A big screen is nice, but not necessary to have a good reading experience. A notes function is nice…but also not necessary to have a good reading experience.
If they fixed the contrast issued to match it to the deep blacks of a Kindle voyage or the new Paperwhite then yes I care. I’ll jump all over it and buy one maybe even two. But they have to fix that contrast issue. I have the first and. “Second” generation, but it pales in comparison in contrast to my other devices. And not buy a little bit by a lot. Some people think it’s not a big deal but I find it seriously lacking. If the contrast issue is fixed, then to me, it’s worth the money all other things being the same.
I’ll take the liberty of copypasting my question from another thread where I think you missed it: 🙂
I do not know the latest PW generation, but my Scribe (2nd gen. also had the first gen) is on par with the PW generation before that, or the Oasis, in terms of contrast.
Neither can compete with the trusty Voyage – are you saying the latest PW is as good as the Voyage, or even better?
I currently have the first and second generation Kindle scribes. I also have the newest paperwhite, a Kindle Voyage and a Kobo Libra 2 for context.
The best contrast out of all of them is by far the Kobo Libra 2. It hasn’t evenly let green and deep inky black fonts. Beautiful contrast. I don’t think they’ll ever make such a perfect screen again unfortunately. Followed by that is the Kindle voyage which also has great contrast and really deep inky black fonts. The problem with the voyage was that it had a subpar unevenly lit screen on most models. The newest paperwhite also has really good contrast with great black inky fonts, much better than previous generations. The only problem with the latest paperwhite and something that you can see on Amazon reviews is that it suffers from a yellow tones lighting. Some people like this some people don’t. I myself like a somewhat opaque hue, but the paper way comes standard, yellowish tone even before adjusting the comfort light.
Now, as for the Kindle scribes, they seriously lack contrast in that the text looks slighty gray instead of a deep black. This is what I mean. The lighting while even looks somewhat washed. I’m thinking it’s because of a film they use for writing, but it is definitely not the same. This was noticeable even before doing a side-by-side comparison with the other readers.
I honestly don’t know why Amazon is releasing another scribe so soon but I’m hoping that they fix this contrast issue especially at this outrageous price point.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Mind, I think the inherent problem with the Scribe is that there’s an additional layer which enables you to write on it, so I don’t think it will ever have as much contrast as an ereader without that function.
I still have my old Voyage, if only to use it as my “gold standard” to which I compare everything else – that said, I wouldn’t say that the difference between the Scribe 2 is huge. It’s there, though, no doubt about it.
Will be interesting to see how the new Scribe in b/w compares to the old Scribe, and how the Scribe Colorsoft compares to both of them.
“between the Scribe 2 and the Voyage”