A look at Amazon’s new high-end £570 Kindle – launching next week
Amazon is set to shake up the premium e-reader and digital notebook market with the launch of its redesigned Kindle Scribe lineup in the UK, headlined by the first-ever colour version of the device: the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.
Priced starting at £569.99, the Colorsoft model represents Amazon’s most expensive Kindle to date and targets users who want a paper-like writing and reading experience with the added dimension of soft, eye-friendly colour for notes, highlights, and sketches.
The new Scribe family – which also includes a standard Kindle Scribe starting at £449.99 and a version without a front light at £389.99 – features a significantly refined design: just 5.4mm thin and weighing only 400g.
The 11-inch glare-free display mirrors the proportions of a physical sheet of paper, making it ideal for reviewing full-sized documents, taking detailed notes, or reading comfortably for extended periods.
A more paper-like feel with major performance upgrades
Amazon says it has focused heavily on improving the tactile writing experience. The new model uses texture-moulded glass for better pen friction, avoiding the slippery feel of typical tablet glass, reduced parallax for a more direct “pen-on-paper” sensation, and a redesigned display stack.
A new quad-core chip and increased memory deliver 40% faster performance for both writing and page turns. The front-light models now feature twice as many miniaturised LEDs for more uniform illumination and a narrower bezel, while battery life is rated in weeks of typical use.
The included Premium Pen attaches magnetically to the device, requires no charging, and is designed for a comfortable, natural grip.
Colour that’s gentle on the eyes
The standout feature of the £570 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is its custom Colorsoft display technology. Rather than delivering vibrant, LCD-like colours that can cause eye strain or wash out text, Amazon has engineered soft, subtle hues using a colour filter, light guide, and nitride LEDs.
Users get access to 10 pen colours, five highlighter colours, and a shading tool for smooth gradients and artistic tones. A new rendering engine ensures colour writing feels fluid and responsive.
Early hands-on reports describe the colour as pleasant for colour-coded notes, diagrams, and light annotation without the harshness of traditional screens.
Productivity-focused software enhancements
Beyond hardware, Amazon has refreshed the entire experience:
- An all-new home screen with Quick Notes for instant idea capture.
- AI-powered notebook search that lets users query notes naturally, get summaries, and ask follow-up questions.
- Support for importing documents from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive for markup, with the ability to export annotated PDFs.
- Direct export of notes to OneNote (as converted text or embedded images).
- Workspaces to better organise books, documents, and notebooks into folders.
Amazon said the device remains distraction-free, with no apps or notifications, while still offering seamless access to Amazon’s vast e-book store and a three-month Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Who is it for – and is the price justified?
At £569.99, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft sits in premium territory, comparable to high-end tablets but deliberately focused on reading and handwriting rather than general computing.
It’s aimed at students, professionals, and avid readers who want a single device for consuming long-form content, annotating PDFs or books, and jotting down ideas without the distractions or eye fatigue of an iPad or laptop.
The colour capability adds appeal for users who rely on visual organisation, such as mind-mapping, colour-coded studying, or creative sketching.
Amazon positions the new Scribe as the next evolution of its largest Kindle, combining the best of its e-ink expertise with productivity tools that leverage AI without compromising battery life or simplicity.
The full Kindle Scribe lineup, including the Colorsoft, is expected to launch in the UK from 8 April.
