Amazon released its second-generation Kindle Scribe less than a year ago, so it was a bit surprising to see it announce three new Scribes, including a flagship color model, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, at its fall product launch event.
Unlike some of Amazon's device updates, which are quite iterative and only feature small improvements, these Scribes are truly new products. None of them are available for preorder yet, but Amazon says the Kindle Scribe with Front Light and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft will ship later this year in time for the holiday season. The entry-level Kindle Scribe without Front Light will arrive in early 2026.
They aren't cheap. The new entry-level Kindle Scribe carries a list price of $430, while the step-up Kindle Scribe with Front Light costs $500 (the 2024 Kindle Scribe has a front light and lists for $400). To get color, you'll have to shell out $630 for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. Not coincidently, that's exactly what ReMarkable's color Paper Pro E-Ink tablet costs.
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Four key upgrades
The new Scribes have a few key upgrades that may allow you to pardon the price bumps. For starters, they have a larger 11-inch screen (compared to 10.2 inches) while being housed in a chassis similar to the previous model. The size gains come from smaller bezels, and the screens have newly redesigned "display stacks," including a new mini-LED lighting system. Also, the new Scribes are a little slimmer, at only 5.4mm thick and lighter at 400 grams (compared to 430 grams for the previous model). They're powered by a new custom MediaTek processor that Amazon says delivers a 40% performance boost. (Note that none of the new Scribes are waterproof like the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Colorsoft.)
Enlarge Image The Kindle Scribe without Front Light (left) looks fine in well-lit environments like this. The Scribe with Front Light (right) is probably the right option for most people. It does have its light on in the photo, and the screen does look slightly different with the light on, even in well-lit environments. David Carnoy/CNET
The other change is to the battery-free Premium Pen. Based on customer feedback, Amazon says it made it a little shorter and thicker, improving its ergonomics. Its magnet also seems stronger because you can now pick the tablet up by the pen when it's stuck to the edge of the Scribe.
Amazon describes the Scribe upgrades this way:
A new front light system with miniaturized LEDs that fit tightly against the display to create a narrower bezel and uniform lighting.
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