Amazon has recently announced its latest Kindle series which includes an updated digital notebook and e-reader combination: Kindle Scribe (2024).
Promising to combine “all the benefits of Kindle with a powerful notetaking device” how does the upcoming Kindle Scribe compare to the four-star Remarkable 2?
Ahead of the Kindle Scribe’s official launch, we’ve compared the specs of the two digital notebooks below and highlighted the key differences between them here.
Price
The Kindle Scribe is currently only available for pre-order and will be launching officially on December 4 with a starting RRP of £379.99/$399.99. It will also come equipped with a Premium pen.
The Remarkable 2 is available now with a slightly cheaper RRP of £369/$379. While the Remarkable 2 does come with the Marker stylus, you can upgrade to Marker Plus which is the premium alternative for an extra £40/$50.
Buy the Remarkable Paper Pro
Order the Remarkable Paper Pro from the official Remarkable store.
Specs
| Remarkable 2 | Kindle Scribe 2024 | |
| Screen size | 19.2-inch | 10.2-inch |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz dual-core | TBC |
| Pen included? | Yes | Yes |
| Storage | 8GB | 16, 32 or 64GB |
| Weight | 403g | 433g |
| Waterproof | No | No |
The Kindle Scribe has Active Canvas
The Kindle Scribe offers a “first-of-its-kind in-book writing experience” thanks to Active Canvas.
Simply start writing directly on an e-book page and Active Canvas will automatically create space for your note by adjusting the book text around it. Even if you increase the size or change the font, your note will remain exactly where you want it so it won’t lose context.
Otherwise, the Kindle Scribe and Remarkable 2 allows you to take notes directly on PDFs too.
The Kindle Scribe comes with the Premium Pen
While the Remarkable 2 comes with a choice of two accompanying styluses, Marker or the pricier Marker Plus, the Kindle Scribe comes equipped with the Premium Pen.
Amazon explains its Premium Pen is “finely crafted” so it feels like holding an actual pen while its soft-tipped eraser at the other end “feels just [like] a pencil”.
The difference between the Remarkable 2’s Marker and Marker Plus is that the latter sports a built-in eraser too, much like Amazon’s Premium stylus.
The Kindle Scribe offers access to the Kindle Store
As the name suggests, the Kindle Scribe offers direct access to Amazon’s Kindle Store which is home to millions of ebooks. If you’re a Prime member then you’ll automatically have access to a rotating catalogue of books and magazines or you can subscribe to Kindle Unlimited to access Kindle titles for a flat, monthly fee.
Although the Remarkable 2 can be used as an e-reader, and supports epub files, it doesn’t have a Kindle Store equivalent. If you do want to use the Remarkable 2 as an e-reader then you’ll need to transfer e-pub files from your computer.
Although it isn’t a necessary accessory for the Remarkable 2, users have the option to purchase the wireless Type Folio keyboard for typing notes. Having said that, this is a pricey add-on and will set you back a hefty £179/$199.
The Kindle Scribe has more storage options
The Kindle Scribe comes in a choice of three storage options, with even the smallest on offer doubling that of the Remarkable 2. While the Remarkable 2 has 8GB of internal storage, the Kindle Scribe is available in 16GB, 32GB and a whopping 64GB sizes.
Early verdict
As we haven’t reviewed the Kindle Scribe yet, we’ll refrain from giving a definitive verdict at this early stage. However, considering it has a cheaper starting price for double the storage space of the Remarkable 2, comes equipped with a Premium pen and offers access to the Kindle Store, it’s fair to say the Kindle Scribe represents a more intriguing buy.
Not only that but as Active Canvas (finally) allows you to write notes directly into your ebooks, this tool could be seriously useful for students.
On the other hand, if you’re looking solely for a digital notebook that we concluded is a “joy to use for note-taking and brainstorming”, then the Remarkable 2 is a great choice too.
