(checked 2026-10-14)Small sample (1,160 ratings); 64GB listing.
Tom's Guide's best premium Kindle ('the Cadillac of Kindles'): a bright 11-inch color screen and a pen in the box. But it costs more than an iPad Air, isn't waterproof, annotating text is awkward, TechRadar prefers the cheaper black-and-white Scribe, and 12% of Amazon ratings are 1-2 stars.
Common Kindle Scribe Colorsoft problems
- Very expensive
Tom's Guide says it costs more than an iPad Air and does less, and that the reMarkable Paper Pro costs about the same. Amazon owners are mixed on value.
- Awkward annotation and accidental taps
Tom's Guide finds Active Canvas annotations awkward because notes are moved off the text, and the thin bezels cause accidental page turns. Amazon owners are split on responsiveness, with some calling it very slow.
- Color and resolution trade-offs, no waterproofing
Color halves the resolution to 150 ppi (Tom's Guide), and some Amazon owners say the colors and resolution aren't good enough. It has no waterproofing, and the home page is full of store ads (Tom's Guide).
What owners like
- Big, bright color screen
Tom's Guide says comics and documents are easier to read than on any other Kindle, with colors brighter than on the reMarkable Paper Pro.
- Comfortable Premium Pen
Tom's Guide likes the thick included stylus with an eraser end and a customizable button. Amazon owners love the smooth writing.
- Useful AI note tools
Tom's Guide found handwriting recognition worked 80-90% of the time and notes became searchable.
- You mainly read novels
- You'd consider an iPad or reMarkable for the same money
- You want waterproofing
- Kindle users who read and write in color
- Color comics, textbooks and PDFs on a big screen
- Searchable handwritten notes
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Tom's Guide: Best premium Kindle (updated 2026-10-07); the cons are no waterproofing, awkward annotating and a price above an iPad Air.
- TechRadar: Not its pick: it calls the black-and-white Kindle Scribe (3rd gen) the better device and even better than the Scribe Colorsoft.