The new Surface Pen for the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book features several improvements over its predecessor, namely 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, year long battery life, improved responsiveness and accuracy, a magnetic silo that latches onto the side of a device, and a physically textured eraser on top. Another very unique improvement can be found in an accessory for the new Surface Pen.
The Surface Pen Tip Kit features four pencil nibs that can be swapped with the Surface Pen’s nibs on demand for a drawing or writing experience tailored to the user’s preferences.
From left to right – B, HB, H, 2H
The four pen nibs come in four textures: 2H, H, HB (same as the standard pen nib), and B, each designed to mimic the frictions and textures of real world writing utensils. The nibs come mounted atop a wide tweezer-like mechanism that not only safely stores and transport the nibs, but also assists the user in pulling out the skinny nibs currently affixed to the Surface Pen.
Beats using your fingernails.
Unlike the new Type Cover and the new Surface Pen, the pencil nibs are not backwards compatible with the previous pen.
The pencil nibs can be had for a modest $10 USD. You can read my first impressions of each individual pen nib in my Surface Pro 4 hands-on experience. Look forward to our review on how the pen nibs enhance the pen experience in the coming weeks.
Further reading: Surface Book, Surface Pen, Surface Pro 4
