Best Smart Pen
The popularity of Smartpens is growing, this is making your life easier by making your notes work for you. But the question is, which is the best smart pen on the market? Find out everything you need to learn here!
The Best Smart Pen
Livescribe 2GB Echo
It comes with a built-in microphone that enables you to sync the audio with your writing.
 Amazon.com | $179.99 1 new from $299.95 4 used from $179.99 | Buy Now |
 Walmart.com | $285.78 out of stock | Buy Now |
 Ebay.com | $84.94 out of stock | Buy Now |
Most Accurate
Livescribe 3 Smartpen
The small smartpen looks the part and writes easily, but how will it fare up?
| Amazon.com | $269.00 3 used from $269.00 | Buy Now |
| Walmart.com | $475.37 out of stock | Buy Now |
| Ebay.com | $209.99 out of stock | Buy Now |
Most Intelligent
Livescribe Aegir
It might just be the most intelligent smart pen on the market. It can recognize 22 lanuages.
| Amazon.com | $159.00 1 used from $159.00 | Buy Now |
| Ebay.com | $78.21 out of stock | Buy Now |
The Buyers Guide To Smart Pens
Buying a new smart device can be a pain in the ass at the best of times. There are so many features to look into, and in the end, it can feel overwhelming. This is why I like to start my reviews with a buyers guide, check out some of the things I’s lookout for before making my purchase.
Price
As with any technology, you'll start to see the price sore as they introduce new and improved features. But, is it something you'll actually benefit from? Asking your self this question will stop you from paying to much for a product.
Built-in Speaker
With smartpens offering audio syncing, an essential factor for you might be having a microphone built-in. It means you don't have to use a secondary device to start the recording, which is great for areas you can't use your smartphone.
Audio Syncing
It's a pretty cool feature; as your taking notes, an audio recording device will sync to what you're writing on the page. This means as you look back through your lecture notes, you can playback the recording from the time you took the note.
Battery Life
If you're taking multiple lectures a day or your job involves you making a lot of notes, then having a long battery life will definitely benefit you. Think about how long you're going to use the pen each day, and how often you're willing to charge it.
And finally does it have an App?
It’s where you manage all your notes and what you do with them. So it makes sense to check out how the app performs. A poorly designed app can make your life a lot harder than it has to be; try to find one with a simple design and easy to use.
Table of Contents
The Best Smart Pens
Now you have an idea of what to look for; it’s time to get to the fun part, looking for your new smart product. To make your life easier, I’ve handpicked some of the best sellers for you to sink your teeth into.
Check them out!
| Livescribe 2GB Echo | Livescribe 3 | Livescribe Aegir | Neo N2 | NeoLab M1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size (mm) | (150 mm x 14 mm | 162 mm x 14.9 mm | 150 mm x 11.8 mm | 156 mm x 11.5 mm | 149 mm x 10.4 mm |
| Battey Life | 14 Hours | 14 Hours | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | 6 Hours |
| Audio Synicing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Speaker | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| App | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Internal Storage | 2 GB | Unkown | 128 MB | 90 MB | 100 MB |
| Buy | Find Best Price | Find Best Price | Find Best Price | Find Best Price | Find Best Price |
#1 – Livescribe 2GB Echo
THE BEST SMART PEN
| Amazon.com | $179.99 1 new from $299.95 4 used from $179.99 | Buy Now |
| Walmart.com | $285.78 out of stock | Buy Now |
| Ebay.com | $84.94 out of stock | Buy Now |
The Livescribe Echo Records everything you write and hear, all with one device.
By tapping your notes, you can replay your meetings or lectures at the exact point you took the notes.
The speaker is built into the smart pen, which means you don’t have to use any third-party devices.
Once recorded, you can save all your notes onto your computer, or transfer them to your required cloud storage system.
Their smart pens also come with Echo Desktop software for Mac and Windows.
This can be used to search for specific words within your notes for quick retrieval.
You get a 50-page starter notebook to get you going with your note-taking journey. The notebook uses a unique dotted pattern to act as a GPS for the pen.
The digital pens can store over 200 hours of audio or over 1,000 pages of text within the 2 GB memory card.
Key Features
- 2 GB internal memory
- Holds 200 hours of audio
- 96 x 18 OLED display
- Anti-roll body
- 12-hour battery life
- Built-in audio recorder
- 50 page starter pack
- Echo desktop software
What Other People Say
They felt it was great being able to listen back to certain parts of a conversation or a meeting. It helped them to refresh their memory before meeting a client. They used to own the Pulse but found the audio system of the Echo was far more suitable for work.
One customer didn’t know what they would do without it. It was particularly useful during webinars; they could screenshot the resources and take notes while recording. They no longer had to worry about missing vital information.
Final Verdict
The Livescribe Echo smart pens make life a lot easier. The built-in audio system works fantastically and saves you the need to use your mobile phone. And with an internal memory of 2 GB, you have more than enough memory to record all your notes and lectures.
One of my favorite features was the audio and text syncing. You could tap your old notes with the pen to start the recording at the point the notes were taken. Overall it’s a highly intelligent device more than capable of performing all your smart pen needs.
What We Liked
- Great writing accuracy
- Built-in audio
- Audio syncing is fantastic
What We Didn’t Like
- Chunky
#2 – Livescribe 3 Smartpen
MOST ACCURATE
| Amazon.com | $269.00 3 used from $269.00 | Buy Now |
| Walmart.com | $475.37 out of stock | Buy Now |
| Ebay.com | $209.99 out of stock | Buy Now |
The Livescribe 3 smartpen can connect to iOS and Android using Bluetooth.
Everything you write and draw is then transferred to the Livescribe+ mobile App for you to enjoy whenever you next need the notes.
Their digital pens provide an easy and straightforward way to move all your valuable information to the cloud.
By using the Livescribe app, you record audio using your smartphone’s microphone and sync it to your notes.
At the bottom of the pen, it uses a high-speed infrared camera to capture each letter you write.
Once you’ve uploaded the data from the pen, you can then start organizing your notes or send them to whoever needs them.
The smart pen can write for up to 14 hours from one charge.
To fully charge the pen, it will take roughly 2-hours, but it depends on how much charge the pen had left. To turn the pen on and off, it features a sleek twist ring in the middle of the smart pen.
Key Features
- 14-hour battery life
- High-speed IR camera
- 2-hour charging time
- Livescribe+ App
- Auto-Send feature
- Simple note sharing
What Other People Say
They loved the pen; it was the perfect blend of digital and physical. One customer said it came in handy at their two-day conference. Their favorite feature was the ability to sync the audio copy with the notes they had just taken. It also made finding the right part of the audio track a lot easier.
Another customer loved the idea of the pen; it was awesome being able to use the search feature. It allowed them to search through their old handwritten notes without having to flick through all the pages in the book. The biggest downside was the ink cartridges; they didn’t work very well, and in the end, it was better to use third-party cartridges.
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for a pen with extreme writing accuracy, then you’re in the right place. The Livescribe captures your handwritten notes perfectly and uploads them quickly to the cloud. But it’s not all great; the pen does come with some issues I’d like to address.
Firstly the pen is weighty considering what it is; this results in an uncomfortable writing experience over a long time. Another issue is with the ink cartridges; the nib doesn’t seem to very pressure-sensitive, which results in half-written words. And this one more personal preference, but a built-in microphone would be great.
What We Liked
- Very accurate
- Comfortable design
- Many compatible paper sources
What We Didn’t Like
- Heavy
- Poor ink cartridges
#3 – Livescribe Aegir Smartpen
MOST INTELLIGENT
| Amazon.com | $159.00 1 used from $159.00 | Buy Now |
| Ebay.com | $78.21 out of stock | Buy Now |
The Livescribe Aegir smart pens help you to digitalize your handwriting quickly and efficiently.
This digital pens’ most prominent feature is, it’s almost the same weight and size as an ordinary ballpoint pen, so it dosn’t feel any different.
This makes writing feel more comfortable than most of the other brands.
By using the smartphone App, you can add a voice to your text. Your handwritten notes will automatically sync with the spoken words.
Aegir smart pens have opted for a write now sync later system.
This allows you to write up to 1,200 pages and save them internally until you can connect to the app.
By using the app, you can search through old notes by searching for a specific keyword within the text.
You can share your notes in any format you wish (Text, PDF, Image, MS Word) and send it to a friend or your cloud storage. The Aegir pen allows people to cross boundaries by recognizing and transcribing 22 languages.
Key Features
- Lightweight and sizable
- Digitizing notes smartpen
- Compatible with Livescribe for recording
- Writing and syncing later
- Keeps up to 1200 pages
- Easy searching keywords
What Other People Say
One customer had to mention how bad the ink cartridges are; they would very rarely complete a word. Luckily they had found a couple of suitable replacements on amazon. Since fixing that issue, they had no problems with the smart pens.
Another customer said it was light, comfortable, and had great features when you considered the price. They couldn’t understand all the negative reviews. Once they had updated the firmware, they had no issues with it all; it was one of their favorite pens.
Final Verdict
It’s easy to see why so many people are unhappy; manufacturers tend to release their products half completed. But since the new firmware has come out, all the issues have been fixed. It’s a shame a company can’t just release the product how it’s intended to be in the first place.
Luckily if you’re buying one now, you should have no problems. I love that the pen can pick up multiple languages and transcribe. I also felt the app integration worked perfectly on Android devices—overall, a great pen for anyone that speaks multiple languages.
What We Liked
- Reasonable price
- Accurate reproduction
- Easy to use
- Transcribe your handwritten notes in 22 languages
What We Didn’t Like
- Poor ink cartridges
- Firmware update necessary
#4 – Neo Smartpen N2
| Amazon.com | $119.00 1 new from $119.00 | Buy Now |
| Ebay.com | $153.44 | Buy Now |
| Walmart.com | $131.41 out of stock | Buy Now |
The Neo Smartpen N2 features a small camera at the nib of the pen to record what you’re writing at 120-frames per second and calculates 256 steps of pressure.
By combining these two aspects, you have a smart pen perfectly capable of storing your handwritten notes.
The pen delivers fast responses and seamlessly transitions from notes to digital copies.
It has a 90 MB internal storage, which is capable of storing 1,000 pages of text before needing to upload it to your cloud service of choice.
It takes 2-hours to charge the pen using a mini USB port located at the top of the pen.
You can write with the pen fo 6-hours or hold it in standby mode for 125-days.
The digital pen works in conjunction with the app, which is available on iOS and Android.
You also have the option to start recording through the app and sync your notes with the text.
Key Features
- Bluetooth
- 11.8 mm thickness
- 90 MB internal memory
- Records at 120-frames per second
- D1 standard
- 125-Day standby/6-hour writing
- Audio recordings sync to your notes
- Dual Core ARM9 processor
What Other People Say
The pen was a lot smaller than models such as the Livescribe 3. They also liked that the pen was more pressure-sensitive, which made writing more comfortable. Its an excellent pen to get started, due to the easy to set up nature, and that it was so easy to upload from the pen.
Another customer loved it! The whole writing experience felt elegant and precise. One feature they wish is had was a built-in microphone; the app drained their phone battery too quickly. Another said it worked as advertised; they loved having it ready in their purse.
Final Verdict
The Neo N2 writes fantastically, and let’s face it; it’s probably the most crucial factor. It was very comfortable to write with compared to come of the chunkier designs. I also loved how easy it was to set up the pen; it was a case of downloading the app and charging the pen.
It was a little on the heavy side, so after a long writing session, your arms can start to get very tired. Another downside was the battery life; it seemed to die a lot quicker than stated. Overall a very well working pen, but just a little on the heavy side
What We Liked
- Comfortable
- Easy to set up
- One-click emailing
What We Didn’t Like
- Short battery life
- Heavyweight makes it hard to write
#5 – NeoLab Convergence Smartpen M1
| Amazon.com | out of stock | Buy Now |
At the bottom of the smart pen, you’ll notice a small camera that is used to record your writing and digitalizes it.
All of the captured text is then transferred to the companion app.
Another nice feature is the ability to sync to your handwritten text to an audio recording (The pen uses your smartphone’s microphone via the app).
If you had the previous N model, you’d notice that the M1 smart pen has a slimmer body.
This makes it more comfortable to use than other smart pens.
The smartpen also comes with a Moleskine notebook, which has water-resistant qualities.
The NeoLab smart pen is compatible with several third-party cloud services, including Google Drive, OneNote, Evernote, and much more.
You can expect around 125-days of standby & six hours of writing time; they claim you can write 1,000 pages before you need to recharge.
Key Features
- Comes with a 240-page Moleskine notebook
- Writes up to 1,000 pages
- 10.4 mm Thickness
- Autosave features
- Audio recording
- Bluetooth
- 100 Mb internal memory
- Pen Lead: D1 type
What Other People Say
One customer was a little bit hesitant before they purchased the digital pen, but after using the pen for a little bit, they realized there was no need to worry. The pen looked nice and wrote well, what more could you ask for? They synced the pen with OneNote and couldn’t have been more impressed with the syncing.
Another customer said they had been using the smart pen for a couple of weeks now and were very impressed with the overall results. They had no issues syncing the pen with Evernote. They also liked to record the audio of their lectures; it was just a shame they had to use their phone.
Final Verdict
The smartpen felt great to write with it was smooth and fluid in movement, and best of all, not too chunky. Syncing the pen was smooth, and it could be synced to several third-party apps. I also found no trouble when uploading the documents to Google Drive.
It was also lovely to see they added a Moleskine notebook in with the deal. It was water-resistant and very stylish—overall, a great smart pen and notebook combination.
What We Liked
- Feels like a regular pen
- Easy to use the app
- Automatically sync
What We Didn’t Like
- Voice recording feature has to initiated through the app
But This Is The Best Smart Pen
For me, the best smartpen has to be the Livescribe Echo; the built-in speaker was a winner for me. It saved draining the battery on my mobile phone.
It synced up correctly and meant I could start the lecture at the moment I took those notes.
The 50-page starter notebook was a great size and easy to write on.
The large internal memory allows you to save up to 1,000 pages of text or over 200 hours of audio, without having to upload it to the cloud.
Overall a beneficial device for any looking to get a smartpen. It will make taking notes a pleasure.
If your looking for an extra smart device fix, why not check out my review of the best smart glasses.
