A niche device for a specific kind of user
After testing the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft for two months, I found a device made for a very specific kind of note-taker and reader. While it’s pretty and lightweight, it’s not something the everyday person needs due to its hefty price tag and size. However, for those who have been waiting for a color Kindle that doubles as a digital notebook, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is worth considering.
Design and display: Bigger isn’t always better
The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft starts at a steep $630 and comes in two colors: Black and Fig, a pretty purple shade. It weighs just 400 grams and features an 11-inch display, making it similar in size to a traditional sheet of paper. Its thin design is impressive, but the larger size means it’s not exactly something you can hold comfortably with one hand.
During testing, I found it most comfortable to use when propped up against my knees while sitting on a bed or placed flat on a desk. That’s a notable shift from traditional e-readers, which are usually quite portable and easy to pop into a purse on the go. That wasn’t the case here—the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft’s size meant I never ended up taking it out of the house.
Who benefits from the larger screen?
If you’re an avid note-taker or researcher, this device makes much more sense. I could see why you’d want to put it in your work bag to take to the office or a coffee shop to get some work done. Beyond those situations, it’s not a device I’d reach for during a quick Uber ride or while waiting at a doctor’s appointment.
The larger size does mean there’s more room for writing, note-taking, and even sketches or diagrams. Plus, the larger display makes reading PDFs and other documents much easier.
When it comes to reading books, the larger screen has both benefits and drawbacks. The extra space is helpful when reading books with charts or maps, but the size also removes the cozy, intimate feeling that makes smaller Kindles so appealing.
Note-taking and organization
What I genuinely liked about the larger size was the ability to create an easy-to-read, color-coded digital planner and reading journal. The device comes with built-in templates for daily, weekly, and monthly planners.
As someone who normally keeps a physical reading journal, I found it quite efficient to finish a book and immediately open a digital notebook on the same device to log my reading. It streamlined the entire process.
The Kindle Scribe Pen attaches magnetically to the side of the e-reader. It feels nice in your hand and can be programmed for various actions. The eraser works smoothly and responds almost instantly, making the writing experience feel polished and responsive.
The color experience: Soft highlights, not vibrant tablet tones
While the color display is fun, it’s important to recognize that colors look more like soft highlighter shades rather than the vibrant tones you see on a regular tablet. That’s not necessarily an issue for note-taking, but it does mean that comics and other visual content won’t look as rich as the original colors.
However, the color options were genuinely useful when highlighting books. I could assign specific colors to different types of notes—for example, while reading a twisty thriller, I used blue to mark details I thought I might need to remember later and red for quotes I enjoyed. It’s also easy to quickly switch between colors thanks to the device’s fast refresh rate.
Battery life and overall verdict
As for battery life, I found it to be excellent. I only had to charge the device twice over the course of two months. It is worth noting, however, that writing uses more power than reading, so heavy note-takers may need to charge slightly more often.
All in all, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft makes the most sense for students, researchers, and journalers who want one device for reading, annotating, and organizing handwritten notes. For everyone else, the steep cost is hard to justify.
If you’re simply looking to upgrade an older Kindle, I don’t think the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is worth the investment. You’d be better off with the more reasonably priced Kindle Paperwhite, which starts at $159.99. This color e-reader is a lot of fun, but it’s simply not a must-have for most people.
