The classic Surface Pen is better for everything elseįor the majority of Surface devices, especially older ones, the classic Surface Pen is still the best option. As for the Surface Duo and Duo 2, the Surface Slim Pen 2 is the only one that supports Bluetooth pairing with these two phones, so that's another point in its favor. Only the Surface Slim Pen 2 supports this feature, but only on those three devices. All of these options also charge the pen at the same time.Īnother factor that specifically applies to Surface Pro 8, Pro 9, and Laptop Studio is support for Tactile signals, a form of haptic feedback that simulates the feel of writing with a pen on paper. At the same time, the Surface Laptop Studio is designed to store the Surface Slim Pen 2 on its underside, and with the Surface Duo 2, you can attach the Slim Pen 2 magnetically to the outside of the phone using the Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover. Instead, you're supposed to store the Surface Slim Pen 2 inside the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, where it also stays charged. For the Surface Pro models, starting with the Pro X, Microsoft removed the magnetic attachment from the side of the tablets. The first reason for this, as we've mentioned, is the design. While you can use the original round Surface Pen with them, the Surface Slim Pen 2 is ideal if you have one of these: Starting with the Surface Pro X, Microsoft made some significant changes to the design of its devices, and to go along with it, the accompanying pen. The Surface Slim Pen 2 is ideal for newer devices However, there are some other factors to consider.

Anything after the Surface Pro 3 uses the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP), and only the first two generations used Wacom technology. Whether you're looking at the official pens from Microsoft or some of the third-party ones, all of these options will technically work on any modern Surface device.

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