The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft was introduced on Sept. 30 during Amazon’s Devices & Services event in New York City. While it isn’t available for preorder yet, the anticipation around this new e-reader is already palpable. With a price tag of $629.99, it stands as the priciest Kindle thus far.

The Scribe Colorsoft encompasses a variety of features. Once the largest Kindle, it now boasts color and numerous innovative functionalities. Nonetheless, its $629.99 cost appears high when weighed against its limitations.

At $629.99, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft exceeds the basic iPad by $280.99, which retails for $349. Even with the Apple Pencil Pro at $129, the iPad package remains $151.99 less expensive. Both devices share a similar look and can be utilized for reading and writing, yet their applications differ greatly.

An iPad serves as an adaptable tablet for reading, writing, drawing, streaming, and gaming. With the introduction of iPadOS 26, it resembles a laptop even more. Conversely, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft acts as both an e-reader and an e-ink tablet, operating as a digital notepad for writing or drawing, but lacking capabilities for internet browsing or video streaming.

In terms of e-readers, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is more expensive than most variants. However, when compared to other e-ink tablets, its $629.99 price point aligns with similar offerings. So, what are the advantages of opting for an e-ink tablet instead of a conventional tablet?

Who are e-ink tablets aimed at?

Despite their higher price, e-ink tablets prove to be useful devices. They are perfect for individuals who frequently take notes and prefer handwriting but require digital conversion, equipped with a stylus for jotting down notes on a digital surface. Unlike standard tablets packed with apps, these gadgets provide a collection of notebooks for systematic note-taking.

E-ink tablets appeal to committed notetakers, particularly those who seek to easily reorganize their notes. Additionally, their lack of streaming or gaming functionalities keeps distractions at bay.

Beyond digital note-taking, e-ink tablets facilitate the annotation of e-books, textbooks, and PDFs. With the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, users can access their Kindle library, transfer PDFs from Google Drive, and annotate in color.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft shares its pricing with another e-ink reader, the ReMarkable Paper Pro. Although minimally larger, the ReMarkable showcases a comparable display. Relatively speaking to other e-ink tablets, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft’s pricing seems justifiable.

Nonetheless, many may lean towards the iPad.

What makes the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft remarkable?

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is priced comparably to other e-ink tablets, but its $630 valuation remains contentious. Timothy Beck Werth, Tech Editor at Mashable, had the opportunity to try the device at Amazon’s event. The new Scribe is particularly slender and features a fresh front light format with over 70 mini LEDs, a notable improvement. However, it continues to sport a 150 ppi color display, similar to other models in the Kindle Colorsoft range.

Its writing functions seem to have been improved. Amazon has revamped the Kindle Scribe interface to focus on notebooks while incorporating integrations with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. The updated stylus bears resemblance to the Apple Pencil Pro, and Amazon asserts that the newly designed custom oxide-based display is gentle on the eyes and no longer experiences flickering, an issue commonly found in color e-readers and e-ink tablets.

Having experienced previous Kindle Scribe versions, I appreciated their matte screens, which provide a superior texture for writing and drawing compared to an iPad’s shiny surface. On digital paper, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft appears promising but also raises uncertainties.

We won’t ascertain whether it justifies its $629.99 cost or how it compares to other Kindle models or the ReMarkable Paper Pro, but for the moment, I’m remaining open-minded.