Amazon’s growing range of Kindle e-readers caters to all needs and budgets. Prices start from as little as £85 and go up to as much as £410. But the best Kindle for most people is likely to be the Kindle Paperwhite. It hits the sweet spot with a palatable price and a decent array of features.
For those who are willing to splash out a little, right at the top of the range is the Kindle Scribe. New for 2022 it’s an e-reader that doubles up as an e-writer. You can use it in the same way as other Kindles to get stuck into a good book but as well as that, it comes with a stylus so you can use it to draw and write on.
Starting from £330, the Kindle Scribe doesn’t come cheap so it’s worth knowing as much as possible about it before you buy one. I’ve been trying it out and there are a few things I really liked about it, but there were also a couple of issues I encountered along the way as well.
It has the biggest screen on a Kindle
By far the biggest screen on any Kindle, you get a huge 10.2 inches to play with. Just like the smaller displays, it is anti-glare with a paperlike feel to it which mimics the experience of reading (or writing on) an actual book.
You get 300ppi so the lettering is crystal clear and super sharp. 35 backlights make it visible at all times of day and to add to that, there are auto-adjusting light sensors which adjust the brightness automatically depending on the lighting around you. The warmth of the screen can be tweaked too which will make it easier on the eyes in the evenings in particular.
You can use it to make notes and annotate books
Thanks to the included stylus, the Kindle Scribe doubles up as an electronic notepad letting you draw or write on a blank page, on a selection of lined pages or even on your books. Not everyone will make use of that but for some, it will be really handy, like if you’re studying or if you want to be able to jot down ideas as you read.
In your hand, the stylus feels very comfortable to use because it’s about the size of a ballpoint pen. What’s more, is that it doesn’t have a battery which means you won’t need to remember to charge it up all the time, it’ll just work.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
The battery life lasts for weeks
If you were to read a book on the Kindle Scribe for an hour a day, the battery would last you up to 12 weeks of use, and if you were to write on it for an hour every day then you wouldn’t need to plug it in for 3 weeks - that’s pretty good going if you ask me. Charging it back up again only takes 2.5 hours as well if you plug it into mains power.
But drawing could be better
You can’t expect to get a tablet-like experience for drawing - for example, there’s no way of creating thicker lines by applying more pressure on the stylus, you have to manually choose that from the menu. And you won’t be able to use colour either, you’ll just get blacks and greys here. What that means is you won’t be creating super accurate masterpieces on this, it’s more for note-taking and rough sketching.
It does lack a few features you get elsewhere
Given its price, you’d expect to get the whole breadth of features poossible but you actually don’t.
The Kindle Scribe skips over wireless charging, and it’s not waterproof either which means you’ll need to be a little careful using it outside or on holiday by the pool. You may also find it a little too bulky to use one-handed, and it’ll be a little too big to slot in your bag each day.
Yasmine is the former Reviews Writer for T3, so she's been knee-deep in the latest tech products for reviewing and curating into the best buying guides since she started in 2019. She keeps a finger on the pulse when it comes to the most exciting and innovative tech and is happy to tell you exactly what she thinks about it too. In her free time, you'll catch her travelling the globe – the perks of being a freelance tech expert – tending to her plants when at home and, but of course, planning her next big trip.
-
One kettlebell, four exercises and 20 minutes to build strength all over
A kettlebell is all you need for a great full-body workout
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
You could win an Xbox Series X in gold, but Microsoft will make you work for it
The exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Xbox could be yours
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Amazon's Fire HD 8 refresh is faster, has a better camera and under £50 for a limited time
Amazon has refreshed its Fire HD 8 tablets and slashed their prices by half during the launch window.
By Rik Henderson Published
-
All Amazon Prime members get one of the best shooters of all time for free
It's a big month for Prime Gaming
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Amazon's paid Alexa service is finally nearing launch
Alexa's getting some premium smarts
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Apple's iPad is now at a record-low price this Amazon Prime Day
If you've been waiting to pick up an Apple iPad, now might be the time to buy
By David Nield Published
-
All Amazon Prime members get one of 2024's biggest games for free
But be quick as you need to claim it during Prime Day
By Rik Henderson Published
-
LG's massive 65-inch OLED TV is now at its lowest-ever price for Amazon Prime Day
The LG B4 OLED is the latest entry-level OLED from the panel-maker – and now at its lowest price
By David Nield Published
-
Samsung's huge Odyssey gaming monitor drops to lowest-ever price in 5-star deal
Pick up this giant 57-inch gaming monitor for a less
By David Nield Published
-
How to play Xbox games on any TV without needing an Xbox
All you need is a Fire TV Stick 4K and Game Pass
By Rik Henderson Published