Kindle Scribe release date: Amazon finally adds notetaking functionality; new e-reader comes with a battery-free stylus pen

Amazon held its fall product launch event on Wednesday, where the company announced its first e-reader with notetaking functionality. Aptly named Kindle Scribe, the device will also ship with a stylus pen that “never needs charging.”

The tech giant already has a slate of smart home devices that many anticipated to be the highlight of this week’s event. It was then a nice surprise that the newest entry to the Kindle line became the star of the show.

Kindle Scribe managed to be one of the biggest highlights of the event as it delivers the long-requested option to use a Kindle for writing or annotations. Amazon confirmed that every unit of the e-reader would come with a stylus pen that attaches magnetically to the side of the device.

Amazon will offer a Basic and Premium pen for Kindle Scribe. The latter comes with a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button that users can customize for various actions like highlighting or adding sticky notes. Amazon said the Kindle Scribe pen does not need syncing or charging, and TechCrunch reported it is because the pen uses electromagnetic resistance.

The writing functionality of Kindle Scribe goes beyond just adding comments or notes to books and documents. Users can also create notebooks using different templates, so the e-reader can also be used for journaling or keeping a to-do list. All notebooks will be automatically saved to the cloud, and they will be accessible from the Kindle app sometime next year.

Kindle Scribe’s technical specifications make it obvious that the newest e-reader is designed as a premium option. Of all the currently available Kindles on Amazon, the newest entry has the largest glare-free screen with a 10.2-inch display. It also has a wider range of storage options, including 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB variants.

Amazon says the Kindle Scribe can last up to 12 weeks of 30-minute reading per day on a single charge. But the advertised battery life goes down to three weeks if the owner uses it for writing for half an hour every day.

Customers can now pre-order the Kindle Scribe starting at $339.99 on Amazon, but the Premium Pen option costs $30 more. The official product page indicates its general availability is scheduled on Nov. 30.