If you’re still using a pen and paper to take notes, you’re missing out. You can easily elevate your note-taking skills with a smart pen. These devices combine the joy of writing on a paper with the convenience of digital management. Here’s everything you need to know about what a smart pen is, what it does, and the best smart pens you can buy now.
What Is a Smart Pen?
A smart pen records what you write, and then transforms it into digital text or images that you can edit on a smartphone or computer. These smart devices often make use of infrared cameras to capture the strokes or drawings you make.
A smart pen is completely different from a stylus, which only helps you navigate a touchscreen device.
Some smart pen models come with Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity for transferring the data to your phone or computer. Depending on the model, a smart pen also often comes paired with a dedicated notebook or interactive paper. And, for editing or managing whatever the smart pen records, you can use an app or software that you download to your phone, computer, or any other compatible device.
The Best Smart Pens for 2020
Neo Smartpen
Powered by a dual-core processor, this smart pen by NeoLab Convergence transforms your handwritten notes into digital data. It comes with sensitive sensors that intelligently capture what you write on the N notebook, stroke by stroke.
The Neo Smartpen has a camera that records what you write on the N notebook. It will then turn your notes into digital text, which will sync to your smartphone or any device that has the corresponding Neo Notes app installed. This pen comes with a battery that you can recharge. On the app, you can edit, share, tag, and manage all the notes that you have captured.
When used heavily, it will last up to 5 hours, just enough for an afternoon of meetings or lectures. The Neo Notes app works with iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
Thinkpen Digital Pen
The Thinkpen by Sanb is another great companion for work, school, or anywhere else you need to take notes. This smart pen’s camera can capture your handwritten notes at 120 frames per second. Anything it records is then sent to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. Using the corresponding app, you can edit your notes, translate them into more than 50 languages, or share them on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. You can also save your notes to the cloud.
What makes Thinkpen a great smart pen is the fact that it has 32MB of offline storage. This means that you can take hundreds of pages of notes without needing to transfer them to your smartphone or computer right away. As long as the smart pen still has storage space, taking and saving your notes offline is easy.
This smart pen can also capture drawings, with an option to save them as photos or videos on your paired device.
NEWYES Smartpen
With app support for both Android and iOS, the NEWYES Smartpen is one of the best devices to help you take notes. This smart pen comes with a camera that records what you write on the paired notebook. It then transmits your notes to the mobile phone or tablet where you installed the NEWYES app.
The NEWYES mobile app is equipped with handwriting recognition. It also allows you to share your notes with friends or colleagues via various social media platforms. The pen also comes with voice recording capabilities, so you’ll never miss a thing.
Livescribe 3 Smartpen
The Livescribe 3 smart pen is a bit on the pricey side, but it could very well be worth the investment. It has an infrared camera that captures everything that you write or doodle on the Livescribe dot paper. Anything you jot down is then synced to your paired device via low-energy Bluetooth.
While the pen itself doesn’t have an audio recording feature, but you can record voice notes using the app instead. The app is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Using the app, you can organize, tag, and share notes. You can use this smart pen for up to 14 hours, and it can be fully charged in just two hours. It also comes with 50 pages of the starter notepad. When you run out, you can purchase them separately from Livescribe or Amazon.
Moleskine Pen+ Smart Writing Set
Moleskine is one of the most popular brands among note-takers and doodlers. With the Moleskine Pen+, you can capture your scribbles, and then manage them with your Android or Apple device. You can even record audio to go with your notes.
This smart pen recognizes 15 languages. On the app, you can share your notes or upload them to your Google Drive or Evernote. You can also change colors or add highlights in order to organize them better.
Wacom Bamboo Folio – Best Smart Pen to Use with Any Paper
Coming from a family of professional drawing tablets, the Wacom Bamboo Folio is a wonderful note-taking device. Powered by Bluetooth, it captures and transmits your drawings and notes from paper to a paired tablet or smartphone. The app is compatible with Android and iOS.
While this smart pen comes with its own notepad, you can use any notepad with thin paper. This is a definite advantage compared to the other smart pens currently available.
If you want to stay productive on the go, you should also check out our article on the Microsoft Office App for iPhone and Android devices. You won’t believe how easy this app makes it to take notes, scan to text, and more.
HelloTech editors choose the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.