While the Surface Slim Pen is more like a pencil, its chunkier counterpart mimics your everyday ballpoint.

The shift in technology means those oldest peripherals won't function, requiring one of three succeeding generations instead. The only Surface Pen that doesn't work is the first-generation design shipped in 2012, designed back when Microsoft used Wacom over its newer N-trig tech. The Microsoft Surface Duo supports almost every existing Surface Pen, including those designed around PCs like the Surface Pro and Surface Book, or even the 50-inch Surface Hub 2 whiteboard. While it may misalign on some minor details, it delivers all the inking benefits for less. The standard Surface Pen also works on the device, and if you have an existing Microsoft Surface tablet, the same pen fully works on the Duo. When looking to save on a Microsoft Surface Duo stylus, it's worth revisiting previous-generation accessories. It also magnetically connects to the Duo, sort of, due to the magnets that keep the screen closed. It measures 136.8mm long, while 11.3mm by 6.3mm thick - weighing just 14 grams in-hand. The move to condense the pen into a smaller, squared-off shape also provides portability, ideal for the mobile market. Sadly, pairing does little at launch, with no pen button mapping on the device. That provides low latency to ensure a responsive feel, acceptable precision, and an LED light for connectivity status and battery levels. This slimline revision of the stylus trims extra fat from the legacy design, parting with the traditional pen-inspired silhouette for one akin to a carpenter's pencil. It has the expected high-precision hardware inside, as first shipped with the Surface Pro X in 2019. The Microsoft Surface Slim Pen boasts the same high-quality construction and in-hand feel of other Surface Pens. And when paired, it's suited for note-taking via OneNote, annotations in Office, or signing documents with apps like Adobe Acrobat.

It's the one in the commercials, product renders, and store listings often found adjacent to the Duo. While the Microsoft Surface Duo supports the majority of existing Surface-branded pens, there's no competition with its latest and greatest, the Microsoft Surface Slim Pen.

Microsoft surface duo slim pen