When Amazon unveiled their new Kindle Scribes last fall, they also announced a bunch of new software features to go along with them, and I thought at least some of the new features would trickle down to the previous two Kindle Scribes, but it looks like that’s not going to happen at all.
I came across this updated Kindle Scribe help page on Amazon’s website, and it looks like most if not all the new advertised software features are going to be exclusive to the new 2025/2026 models.
I thought the older Kindle Scribes would at least get the new homescreen layout and Workspace feature, but apparently they aren’t even getting the new Quick Notes feature. It’s not like these are CPU-intensive changes that aren’t compatible with older hardware.
The older Kindle Scribes aren’t getting AI-powered search or the option to use Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive either. Amazon says all these features are “Only on Kindle Scribe Models Released in 2025 and Later”.
In the past, Amazon always added the new features to the previous gen Scribe too when they came out with something for the newer model, but now it looks like they’re drawing a line in the sand and only the new Scribes will be getting new software features.
So if you want things like notebook search and OneNote support you have to buy a new Kindle Scribe. The one that just came out a year ago isn’t “new” enough anymore, despite the fact that Amazon is still selling them. This is why everyone hates Amazon.
I hope you are wrong. I bought a 2024 Scribe a month ago. Sadly, you are probably correct.
I like your last line,” This is why everyone hates Amazon.” You really shouldn’t hold back. Tell us what you really think.
I would have closed with: This is just one of many reasons people have learned to despise Amazon.
Yeah, it was a last-minute addition and I don’t like the wording either. Your line is better.
Welcome to the business world.
The new Kindles have to have a selling/upgrading argument.
You can buy an older model, with fewer features, but for a cheaper price at least.
Your choice.
Yuck.
That is disappointing.
If the older Scribes are not getting these new updates and they are still being sold, Amazon should at least lower the prices of the older ones far lower than what they have. The prices of the new ones, in addition to the covers are absolutely ridiculous to me especially with some reviews mentioning poor lighting. With all of their latest decisions, Amazon has lost appeal for me.
You are drawing a conclusion based on facts not in evidence. Of course the help page lists those features as being limited to the newest models. Because that is true at the moment. Nothing on the Help page you linked states that the new features won’t be in a future update for the older models.
They wouldn’t go through the trouble of adding the 2025 and newer stipulation as the first bullet point to every sub-article if they planned on adding those features to other Scribes with the next update. If that were the case they’d have a note saying older Scribes would be getting the new features with a future update, like they’ve always done in the past when new features were coming. I hope I’m wrong, but to me it looks like they’re clearly closing the door on that with all the 2025 and newer notes instead just saying all Scribes will be getting those features soon with an update.
When the 2024 Scribes were released, Amazon stated that the new software features would come to the older Scribes via an update a few months later. It’s suspicious that they aren’t repeating the same now.
Since they clearly state here that these features will come to the older Scribes, which they are still selling, I really doubt that. This would be grossly misleading and a lawsuit waiting to happen.
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/kindle-scribe-gen-ai-notebook
That article is from 2024 and is talking about features the older Scribes already have, not the new features like search for notebooks and Google Drive support.