Kindle Scribe coming in November 2022

[Retro]

Kindle what? Kindle Scribe. Yes, it's got a touchscreen pen, iPad style, a first for a Kindle and will be released by Amazon on 30th November. At 10.2 inches, it's quite big, too.



Here's Amazon's description of it:

• Read and write as naturally as you do on paper: features the world’s first 10.2-inch, 300 ppi glare-free Paperwhite display and includes a Premium Pen.
• Take notes within millions of titles in the Kindle Store: handwrite thoughts on sticky notes in your favourite book with the included Premium Pen. Notes are automatically organised, by book, in one place so you can browse, review and export them via e-mail.
• Create notebooks, diaries and lists: choose from a variety of included templates, such as lined paper, grid paper, checklists and more.
• Review documents and take notes digitally: use the Kindle app or desktop web browser to import documents. Review and annotate PDF files or create sticky notes in Microsoft Word and other compatible documents. Export documents and notes via e-mail.
• Read and write comfortably, day or night: whether immersing yourself in a non-fiction book or reviewing a document, Kindle Scribe has a large, high-resolution display, adjustable warm light, auto-adjusting front light and larger font sizes for a personalised experience.
• A world class library, more beautiful than ever: take notes within millions of books, all brought to life on a large, high-resolution display.
• Read and write for longer: a single charge via USB C gives you months of battery life for reading, weeks for writing, and the Premium Pen never needs charging.

I've got a Kindle Voyage bought in 2015 and love it, but I wouldn't personally have a use for an interactive Kindle like this. Would you buy one? Note the premium pricing, starting at £359.99.

It's great to see Amazon continuing to invest in their Kindle platform. However, it's a shame that they've stopped creating Kindles with access to mobile networks though for that go online anywhere experience and I'd like to know why. My Voyage has 3G capability, that while slow, was enough to keep it online anywhere with a signal which was very handy indeed. Since 3G has been retired by the mobile networks recently, it's effectively a Wi-Fi only Kindle now. I was looking to buy a new 4G Kindle the other day, but only one of the Oasis models has it and I don't want that, so I've stayed put. I don't understand why Amazon don't add mobile functionality to their other models for a premium like they did before.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09BRW6QBJ

 

[Arizona]

Interesting. I may at least buy a Kindle Paperwhite during our Prime Days soon in the US:

Amazon Kindle Scribe vs Kindle Paperwhite (updated 2022) - thetechxp

Amazon Kindle Scribe vs Kindle Paperwhite (2022): What else is new with the next-generation e-reader? Amazon is expanding the Kindle's capabilities beyond

www.thetechxp.com

Regarding Send to Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle

Reading your documents and web content on Kindle is now easier than ever. Use Send to Kindle applications to read on your Kindle devices and free reading apps on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android phone and tablet.

From your browser​

Send news articles, blogs posts and other web content to read them anytime, everywhere on Kindle devices or reading apps.
›Send to Kindle for Google Chrome

From your desktop​

Send your personal and business documents to read them anytime, everywhere on Kindle devices and reading apps.
›Send to Kindle for PC
›Send to Kindle for Mac

From your e-mail​

Attach and send your documents to Kindle using the "Send-to-Kindle E-mail Address" to read them anytime, everywhere on Kindle devices and reading apps.
› Send to Kindle by E-mail

From your Android device​

Send documents from your Android phone or tablet to read anytime, everywhere on your Kindle devices and reading apps.
›Send to Kindle for Android

 

[Arantor]

The real test of this device is not really the pen or even particularly the physical tech, but whether the note taking and annotation features are any good.

See, anyone who wants a pure reading device has better choices (I.e. the Paperwhite, or depending on your choice of reading material, a fully fledged colour tablet may work better), so this device lives or dies on whether you can do the kinds of note taking and annotations on documents that work for you.

For students, researchers, authors doing research, etc. this may well work out well for them, but until we start seeing reviews of the device in action and how well the software works, it’s hard to say - the mechanics of a pen on tablet are generally understood these days, though the Paperwhite screen is a little bit different.

 

[Retro]

Regarding that 3G shutdown, when I went to the supermarket, the reception was poor, so my iPhone switched to 3G and continued to work online, albeit very slowly. How can this be if 3G is switched off? Maybe not all carriers have switched it off. I don't know which carrier my Kindle uses.

 

[Arantor]

The shutdown is ongoing, not completed. Most providers will be done by the end of 2024, all have confirmed they will be done by 2033. More info: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/3g-switch-off

 

[Retro]

Super, thanks. I thought it had completed.

 

[Arantor]

Would you buy one?

I missed this in the original reply... for me personally, no, but that's because if I'm in the headspace to collate information, I want more tools at my disposal and I'll be doing it on a laptop (or even laptop + iPad combination) using something like Scrivener, but that's just me. I don't tend to read big ol' books for annotation purposes, though, the days of such things are long behind me.

I don't understand why Amazon don't add mobile functionality to their other models for a premium like they did before.

It's probably not economically worth it. If you're operating in the connected devices space like that, you need to licence the appropriate chips that are certified with the FCC and friends, and demonstrate you're not bleeding EM nonsense everywhere for appropriate certifications. Wifi on the other hand has far fewer restrictions as I understand it, so it's much easier + cheaper to have wifi-only.

The thing is, I can't imagine that many people buying a Kindle for the mobile internet connectivity - a subjective anecdatal polling of my friends over the years has suggested that pretty everyone who had a Kindle would just load it up with books ahead of a trip and not bother worrying about connectivity. It would have been a fairly expensive (comparatively) addition for a limited number of people and I assume Amazon have run the numbers and decided it's not worth it especially when you factor in the fact that their Fire tablets also are wifi only devices.

 

[Retro]

Maybe so, but they did offer them for several years hence it must have been profitable for them at the time, so I wonder what changed.

 

[Arizona]

At $299 (in both the US and the UK), Remarkable 2 is the Kindle Scribe's closest competitor regarding popularity:

Kindle Scribe vs ReMarkable 2 Tablet: Digitize your notes

Amazon is one of the first retailer giants to release an e-ink writing tablet, but it's not the first company to feature an e-ink writing device Both have been available to consumers for some time, so I'm breaking down the perks -- and quirks -- of each.

www.zdnet.com

reMarkable 2

reMarkable - "Replace your notes and printed documents with a digital notebook that feels like paper."

remarkable.com

"We're confident that you'll love reMarkable. Still, try it risk free for 100 days (from the date of delivery) and in the unlikely event you do wish to return it, we'll give you a free return and a full refund."

Big changes are coming to the reMarkable ecosystem

New ways to take notes. A revamped Connect at a lower cost.

remarkable.com

Connect is now just $2.99/mo (See other currencies here) — or about as much as a cup of coffee. Subscribing gives you access to these benefits:

• Unlimited cloud storage
• reMarkable 2 Protection Plan
• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Mobile and desktop note-taking (coming soon)

That last point is a big one, and it’s part of the reason why we’re making this change.

To see if Connect is right for you, we also offer all customers in our webshop a 1-year free Connect trial to try it out before committing.

Another product is MatePad Paper, but it is not ready for the market yet:

HUAWEI Tablets - HUAWEI Global

Explore the latest technologies in tablet with Huawei. Check out HUAWEI MatePad Pro Series, HUAWEI MatePad Air Series, HUAWEI MatePad Series, HUAWEI MatePad SE Series, HUAWEI MatePad Paper Series.

consumer.huawei.com

Huawei MatePad Paper review: E-ink reimagined

The MatePad Paper proves that e-ink displays can be used for plenty more than just reading, but sub-par software means its potential remains unfulfilled

www.techadvisor.com

 

[Retro]

I remember seeing YouTube and online ads for that ages ago. Can't vouch for it, but it's certainly interesting.

 

[Retro]

The shutdown is ongoing, not completed. Most providers will be done by the end of 2024, all have confirmed they will be done by 2033. More info: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/3g-switch-off

I've just had a proper look at that article and according to it, none of the mobile companies have started switching off 3G yet, so it remains a mystery why my Kindle Voyage has lost its connection other than Amazon's statement about that. Any ideas?

 

[Arantor]

Other than vague stories about this being global (which sort of suggests a firmware change to disable the chips to conserve battery, ahead of the US shutdown), I got nothing

 

[Retro]

Yeah, these companies aren't exactly communicative. Amazon have stopped supporting the Voyage with updates now and it's quite possible that the latest one disabled 3G. I don't remember noticing at the time though.