OPINION: Of all the tech I’ve tested during my time at Trusted Reviews, nothing has surprised me more than the Remarkable 2. A device I once derided as “pointless” is now part of my everyday life – and I rarely leave the house without it.
Now it’s my preferred device for taking notes, whether I’m brainstorming a project at work or quickly writing a to-do list for the weekend.
However, during the recent Amazon Prime Day sale, I noticed that of all the deals we covered, a price cut on the Kindle Scribe (one of the Remarkable 2’s strongest competitors) was the one that garnered the most reader interest. This led me to ask the question for this week’s Fast Charge column: Is the Kindle Scribe better than the Remarkable 2?
The writer has come a long way
If you’ve read Max Parker’s review of the Kindle Scribe, you’ll know that the device didn’t quite live up to expectations when it was released. It lacked features like the ability to search for specific words in handwritten notes or draw directly into a Kindle book. Instead, it provided digital sticky notes on which to record doodles and observations.
Still, the Scribe has undergone several software updates since this review, so I wanted to see if the experience was better than what Remarkable has to offer in 2024.
After using the device for almost two weeks, I have to say I’m pretty surprised. For one thing, Max was absolutely right about the writing experience on the Kindle Scribe – it’s so smooth and responsive that it almost surpasses the Remarkable 2, which I wasn’t expecting.
This experience is further enhanced by the backlit display, which allows you to write even when the lighting around you isn’t great. With the Remarkable 2, I had to reach for the bedside lamp to jot down any last-minute ideas before calling it a day.
While you don’t get quite as many notebook templates as you do with the Remarkable, there’s a decent collection here, including a daily planner and even a storyboard. In that respect, the basic note-taking experience is great, and the fact that the Scribe can be used to read Kindle books is clearly the device’s trump card.
The process of loading eBooks onto Remarkable 2 is a bit too cumbersome for my liking, so I didn’t use this feature.
With the Kindle Scribe, however, all you have to do is jump to another menu, tap the book you want in your library, and that’s it. The Kindle Scribe’s 2-in-1 value proposition is really impressive, and I will recommend the Scribe to some friends and colleagues – but I will go back to the Remarkable 2.
If you want to view your notes on other devices, the Scribe is completely useless.
For example, you can’t quickly edit notes on your phone or tablet, but you can easily do so on the Remarkable 2 (via a subscription). This was a big problem when I had an idea I wanted to write down but didn’t have the Kindle Scribe with me.
I’ve also really missed Remarkable’s Type Folio keyboard case. Although it’s an extra expense, it was a huge help when I wanted to type out documents without being distracted by notifications. In a hurry, my handwriting can get a bit illegible, so the ability to switch to print quality was always very welcome, and I’d love to see Amazon release a similar accessory for the Kindle Scribe.
Ultimately, the Remarkable 2 is simply a better note-taking device for professionals who aren’t constrained by a budget. For everyone else, but especially students and teachers, I think the Kindle Scribe is a more tempting purchase. It’s cheaper and with access to books from the Kindle Store, you also get a solid e-reader for your money, with the ability to add notes on the go.
As an English graduate, the Kindle Scribe would have been a great help to me during my studies, but here and now as a working professional, the Remarkable 2 suits my needs better.
