E-ink tablets have surged in popularity over the past few years, promising a more soothing and distraction-free digital reading and writing experience. Two of the most capable options on the market are the Amazon Kindle Scribe and the Remarkable 2. But with different strengths and weaknesses, which device is the best fit for you? This in-depth comparison breaks down the key factors.
Display & Reading Experience
With a 10.2” screen, the Kindle Scribe offers the largest display ever featured in an Amazon e-reader. Matching the dimensions of an A4 sheet of paper, the Scribe provides ample room for viewing documents, books and taking handwritten notes. The 300 ppi resolution delivers crisp text and decent clarity for sketches, albeit not quite as sharp as the 226 ppi Remarkable 2.
For reading, the Scribe leverages anti-glare and front-light technology to minimize eye strain, while adjustable warmth settings let you tune the display to your preferences. Responsiveness is snappy, page turns are fast, and the large format makes navigating magazines, PDF textbooks, graphic novels and complex documents convenient.
The Remarkable 2 touts a more paper-like feel courtesy of its Canvas display and marker latency algorithms. This grants a smoother, lag-free writing experience closer to pen on paper. The 7.8” display is smaller than the Scribe but still highly readable. Ghosting and glare are minimal, and adjustable front lighting enables comfortable viewing in various conditions.
So for extensive reading and viewing, the Kindle Scribe’s bigger screen may have an edge. But for notetaking, the Remarkable 2 delivers a more natural, pen-to-paper quality.
Writing & Note Taking
A key selling point of the Kindle Scribe is the inclusion of the first active pen in Kindle history. With the Scribe Pen, you can annotate documents, books and web articles by hand with decent pressure sensitivity to control stroke width. Four tips are available – ballpoint, fountain, marker and highlighter – each bringing distinct effects. An eraser tool also simplifies corrections.
The Remarkable 2 pen stands out through its use of patented Canvastek Paper Feel technology. With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a friction grip for comfort, it delivers extremely versatile results. Tilt support further expands the creative possibilities. Brushes, pencils and different colored markers all help to emulate real world writing implements. Palm rejection also works effectively.
For note taking and productivity, the Scribe supports templates for creating to-do lists, notebooks and journal entries. Handwriting can optionally be converted to typed text as well. Files and notes can be exported to common formats like PDF and WORD. However the focus remains predominantly geared towards reading capabilities over complex writing features.
The Remarkable 2 includes robust notetaking abilities with notebooks, planners and templates optimized for the writing experience. Handwriting conversion allows transforming scribbles into digital text for further edits and exports. Multiple notebooks with different paper styles aid organization. But the software environment leans simpler versus expanded productivity suite capabilities.
Overall for free-flowing sketching, planning and brainstorming sessions, the Remarkable 2’s realistic pen-on-paper quality can’t be beat. But for basic note annotation abilities alongside reading, the Kindle Scribe still brings respectable digital inking skills.
Software & Features
As an Amazon device, the Kindle Scribe integrates tightly into the Kindle ecosystem for accessing the company’s vast ebook store and reading platform. You can easily sync and access purchased Kindle books, documents and notes. Support for nearly all major ebook formats allows loading additional content from various sources.
For file management, the Scribe leverages the familiar Kindle interface with on-device storage and optional Amazon cloud backups. Multiple file formats are supported including common document types, ePub ebooks, graphic novels and Audible audiobooks which display accompanying images and transcripts.
Customization capabilities help tailor the experience through adjustable fonts, text sizing, themes, warmth levels plus rotating orientations for left or right-handed use. Amazon will also allow approved third-party developers to build Scribe-optimized apps.
The Linux-based Remarkable 2 adopts a lighter, more singularly focused approach on delivering an exceptional writing and sketching interface. The tablet supports just a few key file types like PDF, ePub and its own .RM format centering around notebook creation/organization.
The onboard templates aid planning and document structuring. Portability stands out too via the companion mobile and desktop apps enabling easy transfers among devices. Third-party hacks expand possibilities, but native extensibility lags the Kindle Scribe.
For a multipurpose reading, writing and productivity tablet tightly integrated into Amazon’s mature content and cloud ecosystems, the Kindle Scribe shines. But for a purer focus on notetaking and creativity anchored by an incredible hardware/software writing experience, the Remarkable 2 leads the pack.
Battery Life & Portability
Despite its larger size, the Kindle Scribe maintains roughly the same weight as the 1mm thicker Remarkable 2 at just about 450 grams. The Scribe’s premium fabric back cover and aluminum body result in a slim, lightweight chassis that feels great to hold for extended reading sessions.
Battery life is a common pain point on e-ink tablets trying to balance advanced refresh algorithms with energy efficiency. Both the Scribe and Remarkable 2 fare quite well on single charges, but actual runtimes depend heavily on usage.
Amazon promises up to 12 weeks of battery on the Kindle Scribe with typical reading patterns. Performance modes then allow tuning the refresh rate and functionality based on needs; lowering latency and increasing pen responsiveness in the process. Quick recharges via USB-C ensure you won’t stay grounded too long.
The Remarkable 2 is no slouch either with a rated 3-week runtime on average consumption. Refresh adjustments can stretch out the battery further albeit with some experience impacts. The tablet recharges completely in around 2-3 hours. But battery saver limitations of just 1 image export per 5 minutes may frustrate power users
For portable writing and reading on-the-go, both tablets deliver reliable and lengthy runtimes to easily go weeks between plug-ins. The Scribe offers a bit more flexibility toggling between battery maximal versus high performance modes. But the Remarkable 2’s more restrained software environment aids its long endurance as well between charges.
Pricing & Value
The Kindle Scribe carries a $339.99 USD starting MSRP for the standard Pen and 16GB base variant. Adding integrated back lighting bumps models to $369.99, while upgrading to more storage sees a top price of $419.99 for 32GB. Cases range from $29.99 – $64.99. A 3 month Kindle Unlimited subscription comes included for access to millions of books, graphic novels and Audible library titles.
Compared to past premium e-readers, the Scribe manages to come in hundreds below flagship models like the discontinued Oasis line once accessories got tallied up. Value stands out given the giant screen size, capable software environment and deep integration with Amazon’s content ecosystem.
The Remarkable 2 retails for $399 USD baseline coming with 8GB storage and the marker signature pen included. For $499, you can upgrade to a bundle with the standard pen and erasing marker. A $50/yr optional Connect subscription enables web search abilities, handwriting conversions and expanded cross-device sync. Folios cost $69 while a textured panel protector runs $29.
Given the Remarkable’s purer focus on crafting a best-in-class writing tablet experience evident across its display technology, pen implementation and distraction free interface, the price feels warranted for the target demographic. Those wanting maximum creativity will feel satisfied, but more well-rounded use cases may find the Kindle Scribe sufficient given its lower cost.
Conclusion & Recommendations
The Amazon Kindle Scribe and reMarkable 2 both make compelling cases as modern, versatile e-ink tablets well suited to reading, note taking and document markup scenarios day-to-day. While prices land in the same ballpark, the two products target slightly different needs.
For voracious readers craving ample screen real estate to plow through ebooks, graphic novels, PDF textbooks and magazines in a highly portable form factor, the Kindle Scribe hits the spot. Annotating capabilities, templates and integration with Amazon’s mature, expansive content ecosystem give the Scribe respectable productivity chops too.
For artists, journalers, students and creative professionals who want the closest experience to pen and paper when sketching and organizing thoughts, the Remarkable 2 stands supreme. Remarkable simply perfects the feeling of writing digitally through its Canvastek display tech and ultra-sensitive marker. Serious note takers will feel right at home.
Both tablets have downsides of course – Scribe pen latency still trails Remarkable, page turn speeds could be faster and refresh algorithms will surely see improvements over time. But on the whole, choosing between the two comes down to balancing your appetite for content consumption versus creative expression.
Those still on the fence may want to wait and see how software capabilities progress across both platforms into 2023 and beyond. Feature upgrades could shift sentiments down the road. But as it currently stands, the Kindle Scribe and Remarkable 2 each excel in separate disciplines to lead the modern e-ink tablet space. Deciding which suits your lifestyle best means focusing on your most common use cases.
Either way for escaping distracting screens in favor of soothing, paper-inspired digital reading and writing, you can’t lose with these capable alternatives to backlit tablets. They open up doors for consuming information and creating in ways our hyperconnected world desperately needs.