Kindle, take note: It’s time for a pocket-sized Scribe

Amazon’s Kindle Scribe shines at home or in the office, where its oversized canvas is perfect for notes and sketches. Take it on the road, though, and it quickly feels cumbersome. That’s why reMarkable’s new Paper Pro Move feels like a direct challenge. If reMarkable can shrink its notepad to a 7.3-inch form, Amazon has no excuse. It’s time for a pocket-sized Scribe.

I’ve made this case before. Back in May, I did the adult version of mailing a wish list to the North Pole and published online that I wanted Amazon to build a smaller Kindle with a stylus. Like Santa, Amazon didn’t respond.

I’ve repeatedly argued that most Kindle users prize portability. After all, we’re trading a stack of paperbacks for an e-reader. Now that reMarkable has launched the Paper Pro Move, my soapbox feels sturdier than ever. To be clear, I love my Kindle Scribe. It’s great for annotating PDFs, jotting down a journal session, or sketching late-night doodles. But the moment I step out the door, it’s too much. I don’t want to wedge a full-size slab into my bag just to capture a quick thought or highlight a passage on the go. I want something as portable as my phone.

The Paper Pro Move matters because it reminds shoppers that portability isn’t a pipe dream. It’s not flawless. At $599, it’s expensive, and its software is limited. But it proves that premium note-taking doesn’t have to live on a giant slab. ReMarkable already had a hit with the Paper Pro, a device I tested and genuinely liked. The company recognized that many users would also appreciate a model designed for life on the go, and the seamless syncing between the two makes owning both actually make sense. Big notes at home, little notes on the move.

For years, devices like the Scribe and reMarkable 2 have been pitched as “paper replacements,” but those of us addicted to mini Moleskines haven’t had our paper effectively replaced. At last, the Move nudges the whole category toward portability. And that’s the real opportunity Amazon has on its hands. Right now, Kindle loyalists are stuck choosing between an oversized notebook or a travel-ready Kindle with no stylus support. Neither option fits the way I want to use my device day to day. A phone-sized Scribe could close the gap. It’d let me finish my book in the grocery line and scribble notes on public transport, without requiring that I carry a ludicrously capacious bag.

As a kid, I was obsessed with those tiny spiral reporter’s notebooks you get at the dollar store, despite having absolutely nothing important to report. That index-card size is still the form factor I dream about today: closer to a smartphone than a tablet, leaner than the Onyx Boox Palma 2, and designed to slip into a coat pocket. I want a stylus that clicks neatly to the side, a battery that lasts weeks, and an e-ink screen comfortable for reading and writing. I genuinely don’t even care if it has color. Just throw in some useful templates like calendars, grids, and bullet journal pages, and I’m all set.

I read on my phone’s Kindle app nearly every day, so I know small works for me. But, six chapters in, I realize my battery is nearly dead, and eye strain is setting in. A pocket-sized Scribe could solve both. Amazon already knows this size works, or at least close to it. The standard Kindle clocks in at just six inches, which is nearly there. Add a stylus to that form factor and suddenly you’ve created a category-defining product.

ReMarkable proved the hardware can shrink, but the Move isn’t a dedicated e-reader. Kobo is circling the space with devices like the Libra Colour, but I want to go smaller still. Amazon has a substantial user base, well-established software, and all the motivation needed to get a mini Scribe to market. The company doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel; it just needs to put the pieces together. Slap Kindle software into Paper Pro Move-sized hardware, and price it sanely. Please.