Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen 2 was announced at Microsoft's Surface event on September 22 (here's a quick recap of Microsoft's Surface event) as a complement to the fall lineup of Windows 11-ready Surface devices It was announced as

The successor to Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen stylus does not look much different from its predecessor, but the Slim Pen 2 has several new features that make it an exciting new Surface device stylus for those who need one for their new Surface devices It has the potential to be a great product

The Slim Pen 2 is compatible with all Surface devices and PCs that support the Microsoft Pen Protocol, but some of the new features currently only work with the just announced Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio

This is a brief overview of the new features and functionality you can expect from the Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2

The Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 will be available as a $129 add-on when you pre-order the new Surface Pro 8 or Surface Laptop Studio, which was announced on September 22 and is scheduled to ship the first week of October 2021

Since Microsoft sells the original Surface Slim Pen as a stand-alone product, it is likely that the Slim Pen 2 will soon be available for purchase as a stand-alone product, presumably through Microsoft's Surface Accessories page

Microsoft appears to have made few changes to the design of the Surface Slim Pen 2 It is a slim, matte black stylus with side buttons and a button at the top where a traditional graphite pencil eraser would be

Like its predecessor, the Surface Slim Pen 2 charges via a built-in USB-C connector, so simply plug it directly into a USB-C port It can also charge wirelessly when plugged into the Signature Keyboard (compatible with Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X) or magnetically attached to the Surface Laptop Studio

The exterior of the Surface Slim Pen 2 is largely unchanged from its predecessor, but inside are new features comparable to the second-generation Apple Pencil

Most notably, the Surface Slim Pen 2 has a new haptic motor designed to provide tactile feedback that is more precise than the previous model and replicates the sensation of putting pen to paper

Microsoft calls this feedback "haptic signals" and is currently only supported when using the Surface Slim Pen 2 with a Surface Pro 8 or Surface Laptop Studio running Windows 11

In addition to making drawing and sketching feel more natural, Microsoft also uses this haptic feature to provide feedback when using the Slim Pen 2 in some applications

In Microsoft Word, haptic motors replicate the feel of writing on paper and vibrate when you successfully perform gestures such as highlighting text; in Microsoft Whiteboard, the various pen, highlighter, and eraser tools feel noticeably different

This is a feature that has not yet been extended to Apple's Pencil, but multiple Apple Pencil patents have been identified that suggest the development of a newer model with tactile feedback

Zero force inking is another new feature that will debut on the Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 This seems to be a fancy way of saying that the stylus will better detect the proximity of the display, meaning that there will be less delay between touching the screen and seeing what you draw

The Surface Slim Pen 2 has the same convenient wireless charging capabilities as its predecessor: it slides into the charging cube of the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard or attaches magnetically to the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Duo 2 pen cover to charge it when not in use

The second-generation Apple Pencil does the same thing when attached magnetically to a compatible iPad, one of the features we appreciate most

Microsoft's new Surface Slim Pen 2 costs about $30 more than its predecessor, but the improved accuracy and new zero-force inking feature should make writing and sketching with it feel more natural

While the new haptic motor is arguably the most exciting feature of the Slim Pen 2, the only devices that currently support the Slim Pen 2's enhanced haptic feedback feature are the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro Studio running Windows 11 Therefore, unless one invests in these devices, one will not be able to enjoy the full functionality of the Slim Pen 2

Still, the same can be said for the second-generation Apple Pencil: it is a good stylus on its own, but its true value is only realized when paired with Apple's flagship tablets Now it seems that Microsoft has a solid competitor in the form of the Surface Slim Pen 2, and Apple is playing catch-up in terms of tactile feedback

Of course, we'll have to wait until we test and review the new Surface devices to see how well the Slim Pen 2 actually performs with the stylus/screen combination