This page discusses Amazon’s Kindle brand in relation to their range of e-ink tablets (e-readers that provide note-taking functionality by writing on the screen with a stylus).
Overview
Kindle Scribe 2024*
Kindle Scribe Colorsoft 2025*
Kindle Scribe 2025*
Full list...
+ Peace of mind from large brand
+ Decent customer service
+ Good returns policy
- Tied into Amazon ecosystem
- Limited firmware capabilities
- Mainly focused on the reading aspect
Amazon e-ink devices are very intuitive and easy to use. There is also the reassurance of buying from a large corporation, and the customer support is good.
However, they are firmly focused on the reading aspect, with writing/note-taking, and other use cases being very limited (or completely missing) compared with other brands. It can also be somewhat difficult to read ebooks that were not purchased from the Kindle Store.
Amazon* has been designing, manufacturing and selling devices with e-ink screens since launching the first Kindle e-reader in 2007.
However, it was not until late 2022 that they released their first e-ink tablet with writing support, the Kindle Scribe.
Despite having plenty of experience in developing their e-book reading app, their brand new writing app was fairly basic compared to other brands that had been working on their own implementations for several years, and so reactions to Scribe were polarised and generally divided into two camps.
The first group consisted of primarily existing Kindle e-reader users who had, for the most part, not used an e-ink tablet before. For them, this was perceived to be amazing, brand-new, cutting-edge technology the likes of which they had never seen before and it received generally positive reviews.
The second group consisted of people that already had experience of e-ink tablets, and whilst they acknowledged the Scribe’s decent hardware, they were not so impressed with the native writing features in the software, which were comparatively rather basic.
Ecosystem
When you buy a Kindle Scribe (or any other Kindle, for that matter) you will find that you are closely tied into Amazon’s ecosystem. This includes tight integration with the Kindle bookstore and limited methods of transferring your books and documents between your Kindle and other devices (check out the latest firmware for further information on transferring files). Whilst it is possible to read non-Kindle books on a Kindle device, it can sometimes be a bit of a rigmarole, and it is often simpler to just make the purchase from the Kindle Store.
For some people (particularly existing Kindle owners), this won’t be an issue at all. However, for those that like to have more freedom and flexibility regarding their purchase of reading materials, there are more ‘accessible‘ options available.
Customer Service
On the whole, Amazon’s customer service is fairly decent.
In terms of technical support, Amazon provides a knowledgebase of common issues and tutorials on how to use their products via their website*. And if you need further assistance, there is a Community Forum, or you can speak to a representative via phone or online chat.
You also get a free, no-fuss 30-day returns policy, which means if you want to send a product back for any reason, you can get a full refund. I’ve done this myself and all it cost me was a little time to package the tablet back up and take it to the Post Office (there was no fee for return shipping).
When buying Amazon products, there is also a certain level of reassurance that you may not have when buying from smaller manufacturers. Amazon are a giant corporation and are not going to go bust and disappear off the face of the Earth anytime soon (as has happened to some smaller brands). The drawback of Amazon’s size is that interactions can be less personal and they rarely act on any individual feedback they are given.
Tablets
The list of current Kindle e-ink tablets is provided below:
| My rating | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle Scribe 2024* | 10.2" monochrome | |
| Kindle Scribe Colorsoft 2025* | 11" color | |
| Kindle Scribe 2025* | 11" monochrome | |
| Older Amazon Kindle tablets may be found here | ||
Firmware
Since its initial launch, there have been several updates to the Kindle firmware, with new releases every 2-3 months (on average). The native note-taking functionality is much more sophisticated than when it was first released but still someway behind the other big players in the marketplace.
| My rating | Firmware version | Tablets using this firmware |
|---|---|---|
| 5.18 (current version) Apr 2025 | Kindle Scribe 2024 Kindle Scribe Kindle Scribe Colorsoft 2025 Kindle Scribe 2025 | |
| Older Amazon Kindle firmware versions may be found here | ||
Buying options
Kindles can only be purchased new from the Amazon Store*.
You can often get a good discount if you purchase during an Amazon Sale event, such as Prime Day or Black Friday.
Pre-used units may be available from eBay* or other second-hand marketplaces.
