Amazon.com Inc.’s new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the company’s most serious effort yet to turn its e-reader into a productivity tool. But with a starting price of $630 — making it the priciest Kindle yet — Amazon will need to persuade even its most loyal readers that the upgrade is worth it.

The device, which went on sale starting in the U.S. Wednesday, is an extension of Amazon’s pen-enabled Kindle Scribe line that launched three years ago. It’s the first in this series with a color display, and one of only a few color-screen e-readers that Amazon has made. The 11-inch panel also makes it the largest-screen Kindle ever.

Other than having a slightly bigger, colorful display, it brings an improved pen, a convenient way to pull in files from some popular cloud services, and a handful of artificial intelligence features to help clean up and summarize your notes — upgrades that could appeal to students and creative types.

While this isn’t the first device from the company capable of note taking, the addition of a color display puts it in more direct competition with Apple Inc.’s iPad lineup. A basic 11-inch iPad together with the USB-C Apple Pencil costs less than $430, significantly less than Amazon’s more purpose-built Scribe Colorsoft. On the other hand, while an iPad or Android tablet offer more apps and flexibility, they can also bring shorter battery life, more distractions and, for some people, worse eye strain.

The $630 starting price makes more sense compared with equally niche devices, such as the $629 Paper Pro from the Norwegian brand Remarkable AS. That device is similarly sized and has a pen-enabled color screen that the company claims offers an "unmatched paper-like feel.”

Amazon, for its part, is banking on the idea that the Kindle line, first launched in 2007, is a growing segment heading into 2026. The category saw a “double-digit” sales bump since last year’s product revamp, the company said in September. About 60% of its overall sales are to new customers, thanks in part to Gen Z and millennial users discussing the device and sharing book recommendations on TikTok, Amazon previously told Bloomberg.

Kindles can last a decade or more. Amazon over the years has tried to strike a balance of dropping in enough new bells and whistles to get fans to update their devices, without distracting from reading, the Kindle's primary use. In the earlier interview, the company said it expects the new color model to spur upgrades and said it’s exploring opportunities to make Kindles thinner, lighter or possibly foldable.

In addition to the Scribe Colorsoft, the company is rolling out two less expensive versions of the Kindle Scribe: a $500 black-and-white model with a high-powered backlight that’s available now, and a $430 offering without lighting that will arrive in early 2026.

New hardware

Like other Kindles, the 11-inch Scribe Colorsoft has the sort of e-ink display that’s become a signature feature of the series. At 400 grams (0.88 pounds) and 5.4 millimeters thick (0.21 inches), it’s easy to hold for long stretches. It feels light but sturdy in the hand and is slightly slimmer than even the iPhone Air. But unlike a smartphone or tablet, it’s not built for social media, apps or email, which makes for a less distracting — if also less versatile — experience.

It’s available in two colors — “graphite” and a deep red tone — with 32 or 64 gigabytes of storage and a battery that can last as long as eight weeks with half an hour of reading per day, according to the company. Inside, Amazon shifted to using a new quad-core MediaTek Inc. chip that it claims boosts the speed of writing and page turns by 40% compared with last year's Kindle Scribe.

The glare-free display does a convincing job of mimicking paper, helped by a new texture-molded glass that creates more natural friction under the pen. It uses a frontlight system with miniaturized LEDs that allow for a narrower bezel and more uniform illumination, according to Amazon. It also automatically adjusts brightness based on ambient light, so it’s easily viewable in a wide variety of lighting conditions.

The new pen magnetically attaches to the Kindle Scribe and doesn’t need charging, though it should still be stored in a pouch or case to avoid getting lost in a bag. Pushing down on the eraser activates it. Pressure sensitivity adjusts as you switch between marker, highlighter and pen tools, giving the impression of using different instruments. The side button can also be programmed with shortcuts for writing tools such as a fountain pen or marker.

The pen also works with older Kindle Scribe models, and can be purchased separately for $85.

But don’t expect the screen to stay pristine. After a weekend of testing, the display accumulated several minor but noticeable scratches from the dulled pen tip and eraser. Those marks were especially visible when the backlight was turned off. Wiping the screen with a damp towel helped remove at least some of them.

It comes with five replaceable pen tips, and I needed them sooner than I expected: The first tip dulled quickly. Replacement packs of five tips are available for $17. Meanwhile, the back side is also quick to pick up unsightly fingerprints.

What’s more, the battery drained faster than expected. In my testing, it dropped by about 20% after about two hours of use and declined further throughout the day even when idle. The devices use USB-C for charging — there’s no wireless option here — and it takes about three hours to recharge in full, according to Amazon.

Notably, the Scribe Colorsoft now allows users to import documents directly from popular cloud storage services. Previously, users needed to transfer files via cable, over email or by using the Send to Kindle feature on a PC or phone. Now, the device works with Microsoft Corp.’s OneNote and OneDrive, as well as Google Drive, allowing users to log in, retrieve files and work on them directly. However, users must remember to export any revised files back, since they’re not syncing with the cloud services in real time.

The docs integration is one of several additions that make the device intriguing as a productivity tool. Students in particular may like the idea of taking notes, organizing them by class or topic, and storing textbooks, essays and documents on the same device. A tool called Quick Notes is also handy for capturing immediate thoughts.

Through the device’s Notebook feature, users can sift through documents and notes using an AI-powered search tool that includes the ability to “chat” with notes. You could, for example, ask for key takeaways from meetings, and convert sloppy handwriting into typed text in a chosen font and size is a time-saver. Results are added to Notebook, where you can edit, erase or expand them.

But there are limitations. After 15 pages of notes, the device told me I had selected too many pages and needed to refine my query — a frustrating barrier for anyone hoping to consolidate large quantities of handwritten text.

The user experience also has a learning curve. For example, it’s not clear how to exit the Notebooks area and return to the main screen after taking notes — you have to tap the top of the display with your finger to reveal an exit option, a gesture that doesn’t work with the pen you’re likely already holding.

Amazon says that more AI-enabled reading features are expected early next year, including Story So Far, which helps readers catch up on a book without spoilers — similar to recap features on streaming services. Another tool, Ask This Book, will eventually let users highlight any passage and get answers about a character’s arc or the significance of a scene.

These AI features are separate from Amazon’s more advanced, AI-enabled assistant, called Alexa+, which is included in Amazon Prime memberships and otherwise costs $20 a month. Integration with Alexa+ is in the works, according to the company, which will eventually let users ask their Amazon speakers about content on their Kindle Scribe.

All of these features, both forthcoming and available at launch, add up to a potentially compelling device for students and other people who need to get work done without constant digital distractions. But it’s hard to justify the price unless you do a lot of reading, are warm to the idea of AI tools, and prefer e-ink to traditional tablets or paper — a niche combination indeed.

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