Amazon’s Kindle Scribe 2023 is a real clever clogs

In the crowded e-reader market, Amazon’s Kindle commands much attention. Amazon’s latest, the Kindle Scribe 2023, takes the whole e-reader equation and ratchets it up several notches.

The claims are that Amazon has pushed the boundaries of e-ink technology with the Kindle Scribe 2023. I had to try it out as a voracious reader and gadget reviewer.

Its design is asymmetric, consisting of an alloy and glass chassis. It boasts a slightly wider bezel on one side, making its sleek and slim profile comfortable to hold for extended reading sessions. Physical controls are limited to a single power button and a lone USB-C port for charging. Changing pages or accessing settings/the Notes menu uses swipe gestures. The bundled stylus attaches magnetically to its side, which is a worry as this makes it easy to lose (there are many cases available, and getting one with a stylus holder is recommended).

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of the Kindle Scribe 2023 is it’s 10.2-inch 1,860 x 2,480 resolution (300ppi) Carta e-ink display. Its improved resolution delivers a crisp, clear text that looks as if it was just cranked out by a laser printer. The larger screen, high contrast and improved pixel density make for a significantly more book-like reading experience that’s also perfect for magazines and comics. The matt glass eliminates glare, making it readable under direct sunlight (ideal for poolside reads). Still, it also feels like paper when scribbling notes with the bundled Kindle Stylus.

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Like the Kindle Paperwhite, the Scribe has an adjustable backlight that can be tweaked to display cool white through to warmer tones to help reduce eye strain. The headline feature, however, is its note-taking capabilities. With these, I can scribble out thoughts and annotations directly into on-screen notepads using the included stylus. Students will also find marking textbooks up using the highlighter option incredibly handy for researching and studying. That said, there’s no handwriting-to-text capability and annotations cannot be made directly onto books, and books can’t be saved with your notes attached.

Using the Scribe was seamless, and the usual bugbear with e-ink screens (delays between page turns) were absent, and page-turning felt quick and smooth. The Scribe offered great responsiveness, with hardly any lag between commands. Its battery life is also impressive. From a single charge, I’ve so far had two weeks of use, and its battery still has plenty of juice left in the tank, making it ideal for travel and long periods away from a wall socket.

The Scribe’s usability is helped by its user interface, which delivers a user-friendly experience. Navigating menus, tweaking settings, and accessing books stored in your library are effortless and intuitive using swipe gestures. Equally handy, the Scribe has integrated access to Amazon’s vast collection of e-books via the online Amazon Bookstore, making getting hold of your favourite titles a doddle (that Kindle books are often more affordable than their locally sourced printed counterparts sweetens the deal considerably). The Kindle App (Android/iOS) also deserves special mention. With it on my phone, I could continue reading, and its Whispersync feature makes sure the Scribe knows what page I am up to so I can continue reading seamlessly later.

The supplied review unit is Wi-Fi capable, and cellular versions are available. This translates into access to the Amazon bookstore from almost anywhere. With 12GB of storage, it can also store thousands of e-books, allowing you to take a virtual library with you, and Amazon will back up all books you’ve purchased from them. Old-school printed books are cumbersome; e-books are data, so they weigh nothing. With the Kindle taking up as much space as a single magazine, carrying many books has never been easier.

While I would have liked to have had proper handwriting recognition and the ability to seamlessly mark up books, as well as a proper storage solution for the bundled stylus, the Kindle Scribe 2023 more than compensates thanks to its elegant design, impressive display, and intuitive user interface which makes it one of the best e-readers you can currently buy.

https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=kindle+scribe+2023&ref=nav_signin