Description

Below is a primer on available Lenovo pens and the features they offer:

Applicable Brands

• All Lenovo devices with pen
• To learn How to use the buttons from your Lenovo Digital Pen, check this document for more information. For Lenovo Active Pen, Lenovo Active Pen 2, Lenovo Pen Pro, Lenovo Garage Pen, ThinkPad Pen Pro.

Solution

Lenovo offers a variety of active and passive pens for many models of notebooks, convertibles, and tablets. These pens offer a variety of experiences, from pens that recharge to pens with mouse click input to passive digitizer pens that offer a premium stylus experience.

1. Digitizer Pen
   • A passive pen
   • Usually housed within device cover
2. ThinkPad Tablet Pen
   • A passive pen
   • Housed within device cover
   • Larger in size than the Digitizer Pen
3. ThinkPad Helix Digitizer Pen
   • A passive pen
   • Housed within device cover
   • A variation of the Lenovo Digitizer Pen
4.  ThinkPad Pen Pro (also known as Active Pen)
   • An active pen
   • Requires one AAAA battery
   • The largest size pen available
   • Always housed externally of the system
   • Can be stored with an external holder accessory that attaches to the USB port
   • Mouse-click input
5. ThinkPad Pen Pro 2
   • An active capacitive pen
   • Rechargeable
   • Housed within device cover
   • Mouse-click input
6. ThinkPad Pen Pro 3
   • An active capacitive pen
   • Rechargeable
   • Housed within device cover
   • Mouse-click input
7. ThinkPad Active Pen Holder
   • A one-piece black plastic holder that connects to a laptop via spare USB 2.0 port

Pen Basics

1. A Lenovo pen is a tool designed to provide precise and easy input into an electronic device like a computer, tablet, or phone via the display
2. If the system does not come with a pen at the time of purchase (indicating the system includes the all-important digitizer), a pen will not work afterwards because the digitizer component is missing from the system’s display
3. Lenovo pen models provide a superior writing or drawing experience over a plastic one-piece stylus because Lenovo’s pens have a nib that recedes into the pen housing and connects to a coil to mimic the ink pen writing experience
4. A passive pen, also known as a stylus or digitizer pen, does not contain a battery or electrical components, but it still requires that it be cared for so it doesn't come apart or damage screens
5. When passive pens are pushed against a digitized display, the tip becomes conductive as the power is provided from the screen
6. With active pens, the power is provided from a battery or rechargeable battery within the pen
7. Rechargeable pens with bent pins, either on the pen itself or inside the housing of the laptop, may have difficulty charging as expected. If the bent pins are on the pen, it may need to be replaced while if the bent pins are within the laptop, the laptop may need to be serviced
8. With the introduction of Skylake-based systems comes the updated pen designs of ThinkPad Pen Pro 2 and 3
9. ThinkPad Pen Pro 2 and 3 are powered by supercapacitors within the pen that charge in minutes but hold a charge for days
10. The exterior of pens can be cleaned by rubbing gently with a dry cloth, or if necessary, spot-cleaned with a cotton swab and a drop or two of 50% isopropyl alcohol
11. In active pens with disposable batteries, remove the battery if the pen is not being used weekly

Related Articles

• How to order a replacement Lenovo pen
• Notebook Pens - Reference Guide
• Change Pen Settings
• Lenovo Smart Find - Compatible Accessories and Services for Lenovo products.
• Accessories Compatibility Guide - Compatible Accessories for Lenovo products