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This tool is a speech recognition software that is a built-in feature on tablets and phones, it allows you to speak and the text appears on the screen. It is simple to use by pressing the microphone button of the onscreen keyboard and allows students to write with their voices.  It is great for students with fine motor challenges, visual impairments and other disabilities. Speech to text helps with representation by offering a different format for students, affect networks by providing a different way to interact with the material and to show what they've learned in speech to text and engagement as speech to text can be motivating to students, relieving the stress of handwriting.

The individual must be able to articulate words clearly and headphones are needed to avoid background noise otherwise the speech of those in the background also show up on the screen.

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Most mobile devices come with assistive technology (AT) that can help with reading, writing and organization.

Common built-in AT features include text-to-speech and dictation technology.

Built-in assistive technology features vary among mobile brands.

Did you know that most smartphones and digital tablets have built-in assistive technology (AT) that can help with learning and thinking differences?

The range of AT features varies depending on the device's operating system. But iOS devices like iPhones, as well as Android devices like Samsung Galaxy phones, all have built-in AT tools. So do less common mobile devices, like Microsoft Windows phones. You don't need to buy special apps to use these built-in AT features.

Here's how some of the more common tools can help your child.

Built-In Accessibility Features in iOS

iOS is the operating system for iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch. Unless stated otherwise, the AT features below can be activated on iOS devices through Settings > General > Accessibility.

For reading issues: iOS has two text-to-speech (TTS) options that are useful for kids with reading issues. Speak Selection lets your child select blocks of text to be read aloud. And Speak Screen reads entire pages of text.

For both TTS options, your child can choose to have the words highlighted as they are spoken. This feature can help your child follow along with her eyes as she reads.

The voice and reading speed for the TTS can also be changed. If a word isn't read correctly, the way it's said can be adjusted using the Pronunciations feature.

Did you know that your child may be eligible for free digital text-to-speech books? Learn more

For writing issues: There are several iOS tools that can help kids with writing. The first is the built-in Dictation (speech-to-text) feature. You can activate it by pressing the microphone button on the bottom-left of the onscreen keyboard. This feature lets kids write with their voices instead of typing.

There's also built-in word prediction called QuickType in the onscreen keyboard. As kids type, it suggests words to use in their writing.

Both Dictation and QuickType are active by default. They can be turned on and off by going to General > Keyboard.

For motor skills issues: Some iOS features may be helpful for kids who have difficulty with fine motor skills. For instance, Dictation may help kids who struggle with keyboarding. There's also a feature called AssistiveTouch that lets your child customize hand gestures (such as gestures for zooming in and out).

Guided Access is another accessibility feature that can help with attention issues. It allows parents and teachers to disable the device's Home button so kids get "locked" into a certain app. Guided Accesscan even disable specific parts of an app that may be distracting to kids.

Built-In Accessibility Features in Android

Mobile devices powered by Google's Android operating system come with some AT features similar to those in iOS. These can be activated in the Android device's accessibility settings and apps.

More About Assistive Technology on Mobile Devices

In addition to the built-in AT features on smartphones and tablets, your child can also download mobile apps to get more features. These apps can help with various learning and thinking differences. They can also help manage specific challenges your child may have.

Watch as assistive technology expert Jamie Martin explains how to use text-to-speech on a mobile device:

Apple (iOS) and Android devices have built-in AT features.

These built-in AT tools come with the device. You don't have to buy special apps to use them.

If you want more AT functions, you can download specific apps.

About the Author

About the Author

The Understood Team&nbsp

is made up of passionate writers, editors, and community moderators. Many of them learn and think differently, or have kids who do.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Jamie Martin&nbsp

is an assistive technology specialist at the New England Assistive Technology Center (NEAT) in Hartford, Connecticut.

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Assistive Technology That's Built Into Mobile Devices

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Most mobile devices come with assistive technology (AT) that can help with reading, writing and organization. Common built-in AT features include text-to-speech and dictation technology. Built-in assistive technology features vary among mobile brands. Did you know that most smartphones and digital tablets have built-in assistive technology (AT) that can help with learning and thinking differences?

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As a paraeducator, my favorite high tech tool is Text-to-Speech (TTS), which is used during reading stations in my classroom. I found that students with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities made a lot of improvements when they started using Text-to Speech digital books. Hearing the text being read aloud and being able to read the words at the same time, assisted students not only in improving their comprehension skills, but also to enhance their spelling and word recognition. As an observer, I could see that the students were improving their reading and comprehension strengths, but they were also motivated and engaged when listening to the stories. This tool supports UDL principle by involving the three networks simultaneously of recognition, affective and strategic. With recognition, the ability to hear the story and/or seeing the words, assists students in processing the information and being able to understand elements of the story.  Affective applies when comprehension of the text information becomes easier to understand in a way that is more engaging and as a result some students grow to like it. Strategic works when students are able to listen to the text-to-speech digital book, focus on the story, and  answer the reading/comprehension questions in order to accomplish the task.  Some of the educational TTS apps available are:Booshare, Audiobook, Kindle, storynory, lit2go

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As a paraeducator, my favorite high tech tool is Text-to-Speech (TTS), which is used during reading stations in my classroom. I found that students with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities made a lot of improvements when they started using Text-to Speech digital books. Hearing the text being read aloud and being able to read the words at the same time, assisted students not only in improving their comprehension skills, but also to enhance their spelling and word recognition. As an observer, I could see that the students were improving their reading and comprehension strengths, but they were also motivated and engaged when listening to the stories. This tool supports UDL principle by involving the three networks simultaneously of recognition, affective and strategic. With recognition, the ability to hear the story and/or seeing the words, assists students in processing the information and being able to understand elements of the story.  Affective applies when comprehension of the text information becomes easier to understand in a way that is more engaging and as a result some students grow to like it. Strategic works when students are able to listen to the text-to-speech digital book, focus on the story, and  answer the reading/comprehension questions in order to accomplish the task.  Some of the educational TTS apps available are:Booshare, Audiobook, Kindle, storynory, lit2go

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Barbara Penno

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MathTalk is a tech tool that helps students that have difficulty in math.  This tech tool supports student students who may have difficulty with fine motor skills, visual impairments and dyscalculia who are in middle school. MathTalk is a speech recognition software for math where the students can speak into a microphone on the computer and it will perform math problems.  Its potential helps create math worksheets for them to help them align math problems if students have a difficult time doing math problems on paper.  This supports students using the UDL strategy of Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression by helping students with Executive function as it can create worksheets for them using communication.  The provides so much support for students who struggle with writing and have visual issues but its barrier is that it is very expensive.  This could be used in the classroom if the student had the software.  

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MathTalk is a tech tool that helps students that have difficulty in math.  This tech tool supports student students who may have difficulty with fine motor skills, visual impairments and dyscalculia who are in middle school. MathTalk is a speech recognition software for math where the students can speak into a microphone on the computer and it will perform math problems.  Its potential helps create math worksheets for them to help them align math problems if students have a difficult time doing math problems on paper.  This supports students using the UDL strategy of Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression by helping students with Executive function as it can create worksheets for them using communication.  The provides so much support for students who struggle with writing and have visual issues but its barrier is that it is very expensive.  This could be used in the classroom if the student had the software.  

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A Talking Reader is a high tech tool that can be used for anyone that has a reading problem, blindness or dyslexia. It is a handheld device about the size of a cell phone. You take out the talking reader and scan over the text you want it to read out loud. It can magnify a text up to 21x for viewing if you are hard of seeing. You can customize the touch screen button, tailoring it to your personal needs. It can read in 25 different languages. It is a must have for only $1,795. It is a great tool to have but the price is too much.

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Desmos is a great high tech tool for math. It allows students to access several different types of resources such as calculators, graphs and even games. Teachers can assign items from Desmos itself. They have activities that correlate to their lesson and support concepts that are interactive and give the students immediate feedback.

I have had my students work with the Desmos’ four function calculator as that is the exact calculator that is embedded in the State Testing. This way students are very familiar with it once testing begins. I have also utilized some of their different activities. Most of their activities allow the students to interact with each other and are almost like the “Guess Who” game. They must try to figure out which option the other student has by using mathematical terms they have learned within their correspondence with their partner from anywhere in the room without ever being near them. I have just started using Desmo this year but see the potential in it within my classroom and the students love it.

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Desmos offers best-in-class calculators, digital math activities, and curriculum to help every student love math and love learning math.

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Optical Character Recognition (OCR) reads aloud text from images and pictures.
These digital files can be very helpful to kids and adults who have trouble reading. That’s because digital text can be used with software programs that support reading in a variety of ways. It can be used by taking photos of worksheets, paper documents, and even objects like street signs. OCR  can also scan documents in, read words from pictures on web pages (such as image files, like JPG). Like TTS, OCR uses computer-generated voices. OCR is effective because it enables students to hear and see the words at the same time.  For that reason the OCR helps student with Dyslexia because they struggling  with reading and this assistive  technology  would made easy for them to gain comprehensive skills.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/assistive-technologies-basics/how-does-optical-character-recognition-help-kids-with-reading-issues

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An augmentative and alternative communication device is extremely useful for plenty of ways but in the classroom I have seen it be especially helpful during math courses. Students can read and right to themselves and to some degree correct themselves if they're wrong and learn as they go. The ACC device allows for students to actively participate in math courses by being able to show their work, store specific equations, and ask question or communicate their reasoning when their answers don't add up. Not being able to communicate in a math setting makes it really hard for students to grasp concepts. In my experience I worked with a student who was brilliant in math but she wasn't able to express it until she got her AAC device and it was incredible.

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One of my preferred High-Tech Assistive Technology tools for assisting students with reading is Top Hat. Top Hat is a digital textbook that teachers can create for students ranging from pre-Kindergarten to the colleges. Top Hat can be used for Lectures, Assessments, Tests, and Insights, as well.

Top Hat is a tool that is not only simple to utilize, but also allows teachers to cater and customize to the needs of their students. Top Hat can be quite beneficial for students with learning disabilities ranging from those with Autism, Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorders, and others with certain learning disabilities. While a great tool, a potential barrier could be that students who find hardships with technology may have difficulties in adapting to this type of tool. As well, those who may struggle with visual context/content could likewise find this device somewhat challenging to use.

Top Hat offers teachers the ability to engage students and build comprehension before, during and after class. Presently, Top Hat is utilized in over 750 Colleges and Universities due to the fact that it allows the teacher the ability to enter interactive course content. Top Hat offers over 25.000 pieces of high quality content, which include video, course notes, moving timelines, and much more. As well one is able to enter their own content if they should choose to do so. The ability to make a lesson unique and draw the student deeper into the lesson without fear of losing them to strenuous reading is also a plus. As best described by Top Hat themselves, their digital textbook becomes “a living document” that draws the student into it and allows them to fully engage in the lesson plan. Top Hat also allows for changes to be quickly made and inserted into its lesson. It also allows the teacher to interact with the student individually or as a group. Perhaps one of the best features of Top Hat, aside from making teaching more fun and an effective learning/teaching tool is that it is free for both teachers and students.

This resource supports the Universal Design for Learning principle of Engagement as it permits teachers to find multiple means of motivating their students to learn through reading books in different manners that still captivate their interest. Not only are teachers able to add different visual tools to the digital textbooks, students can also be given the permissions to add video, audio, or both, themselves allowing them to further participate in the activity.

With Top Hat teachers are able to motivate their students through “interactive, customizable readings and textbooks” (Top Hat.com, 2020, para. 3). Through this tool/device, students that would otherwise face hardships with reading (long) text and deciphering it are now able to find new methods to be drawn into textbook (reading) that can be catered to the needs of the class or an individual. In a classroom setting where I teach, I can visualize incorporating this device to assist my students that are more drawn towards visual stimulation rather than reading so as to have them embrace a lesson, particularly some of the great novels or Math problems where the students could see the work displayed in formats other than just numbers.

Provided is a YouTube video link to better grasp the simplicity of this great assistive technology tool. And for those who may want to try the free device, the Top Hat home link may be found at: https://tophat.com

Reference: Top Hat.com. (2020). Active Learning From Anywhere. Tophat.com. Retrieved from https://tophat.com

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Digital Textbooks In The Classroom - Top Hat

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Word prediction technology is offered on digital technology. It provides words that the device believes you might be trying to type. It also provides suggested words that are tailored to the specific topic that you are writing about. When using word prediction, you are able to click on a suggested word and the word will be inserted for them. This tool is appropriate for any age. This tool is really beneficial for people with motor skill issues who have difficulty physically writing. This tool would allow for you to only press a few buttons to create the desired sentence. Word prediction also supports those who struggle with spelling, writing, and/or focusing issues because it helps provide a range of words and ideas. Word prediction supports UDL strategies because it minimizes distractions and allows for students to have more options when doing a writing assignment. There commonly will need to be more support in addition to using word prediction, but this tool is great if the students have ipads or computers in the classroom and/or at home.

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Word prediction is an assistive technology tool that suggests words while a child types.

Kids with writing issues can benefit from this technology.

You may have used word prediction on a smartphone, but more advanced tools also exist.

Word prediction is an assistive technology tool for writing that suggests words as a child types. If you've sent text messages with a smartphone, you've probably used it already. But you may not know about the advanced word prediction options now available. These tools can be very helpful for kids who struggle with writing.

Read on for more about how word prediction technology tools work and where to find them.

How Word Prediction Works

To use word prediction, your child needs to use a keyboard to write. This can be an onscreen keyboard on a smartphone or digital tablet. Or it can be a physical keyboard connected to a device or computer.

When a child types words, word prediction detects what letters are being typed. After a few letters, it makes suggestions for words it thinks the child is trying to write. Those suggestions are shown on the screen, like at the top of an onscreen keyboard. The child clicks or taps on a suggested word, and it's inserted into the writing.

There are also advanced word prediction tools available. They include:

Tools that read word choices aloud with text-to-speech. This is important for kids with reading issues who can't read what the suggestions are.

Word prediction tools that make suggestions tailored to specific topics. For instance, the words used in a history paper will differ a lot from those in a science report. To make suggestions more accurate, kids can pick special dictionaries for what they're writing about.

Tools that display word suggestions in example sentences. This can help kids decide between words that are confusing, like to, too and two.

Types of Word Prediction Tools

Word prediction is available on many platforms.

Built-in word prediction: Basic, free word prediction is built into almost every device. This includes iOS and Android mobile devices, Windows tablets and Chromebooks. The technology is also available in the Windows 10 and macOS operating systems. Your child doesn't need to purchase or download anything to use these built-in tools.

Word prediction apps: You and your child can download many word prediction apps on smartphones and digital tablets. Sometimes, the technology is part of a word processor application. Examples include iWordQ and Spell Better. Or it may be included as part of an onscreen keyboard, like Co:Writer Universal, Read&Write or Dyslexia Keyboard.

Chrome tools: Chrome has several tools called extensions and apps with word prediction. Co:Writer Universal and WordQ are examples. See more Chrome tools for kids with writing issues.

Word prediction software programs: There are several literacy software programs for desktop and laptop computers. They offer word prediction in addition to other reading and writing tools. Examples include Clicker 7, Kurzweil 3000, and Ghotit Real Writer & Reader. Learn more about software for kids with writing issues.

How Word Prediction Can Help Your Child

Kids with writing issues may have difficulty finding, choosing or spelling the words that express their thoughts. By making suggestions, word prediction makes this process easier. Here are some of the ways it can help:

Kids with motor skills issues need to press only one or just a few keys, rather than many, to type out a word.

Kids who have trouble spelling can broaden the range of words they use while writing. Without word prediction, these kids often avoid words they can't spell.

Kids with writing issues can use word prediction as extra support, so they can focus on the ideas they're trying to express.

Kids can also use word prediction to practice their phonics skills. Kids can practice sounding out words while writing them.

Word prediction can be a big help for many kids with learning and thinking differences. Keep in mind, it's only one tool. Kids may still need writing instruction or other accommodations for writing, like a scribe to write down what they say. Physical tools may also be helpful for handwriting. And your child may prefer another assistive technology, like dictation or graphic organizers.

Word prediction is available on nearly every platform, from iOS and Android devices, to Chromebooks, Windows and macOS computers.

Some word prediction tools can make suggestions tailored to specific writing topics.

While word prediction can help with writing, kids may still need instruction or other accommodations.

About the Author

About the Author

Jamie Martin&nbsp

is an assistive technology specialist at the New England Assistive Technology Center (NEAT) in Hartford, Connecticut.

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Word Prediction Technology: What It Is and How It Works

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Word prediction is an assistive technology tool that suggests words while a child types. Kids with writing issues can benefit from this technology. You may have used word prediction on a smartphone, but more advanced tools also exist. Word prediction is an assistive technology tool for writing that suggests words as a child types.

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I list geoboards as a low-tech assistive technology, but there is also an online version of it and I have found it very useful in the past. This can be set up on projector for students to see what you're asking for them to do on the physical geoboards. It also doesn't restrict those who struggle with fine motor skills, but it isn't as hands on. This gives you the option of various boards, so there is the typical square, there is rectangle and even a circle! This website allows you to duplicate whatever you have created and then you can even add equations into the mix. Lastly, it gives you the option to put a grid in the background which could be great for students struggling to visualize the various angles. I used this for a class in college and I had a great time using it. Again, physical and digital geoboards can be used for any age group.

Another high-tech resource I learned about today is called ST Math. This is a really cool website that supports students in recognizing spatial awareness. There is a penguin in every game and in some of them, the goal is to get it from one side of the screen to the other side. The student will have the opportunity to rotate the penguin in different directions to get where it needs to go. As they progress, there will be more obstacles to get through in order to get to the other side. These games give the student the opportunity to notice what the task is, predict how they are going to get there, analyze their decision and then connect with the problem at hand. On the website, it states that these games can be used pre-k through middle school, but spatial awareness is technically geometry, so it's possible that it could be useful for high schoolers (it does look very kid-ish though, so they may not like that aspect.) Possible barriers: there aren't real instructions, you sort of have to guess what the task at hand is.
https://www.stmath.com/

I don't know if this link will work for y'all or not, but my district did a webinar on this platform if you're interested!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ3cThMJLJI&feature=youtu.be

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Geoboard is a tool for mathematical exploration. Stretch bands around the pegs to form line segments and polygons, and make discoveries about perimeter, area, angles, congruence, fractions, and more.

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   DIGITAL PEN                                                             by Maria Tafoya     

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   DIGITAL PEN                                                             by Maria Tafoya     

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Many teachers struggle to support junior and high school students who have difficulty taking notes.  When graphic organizers and Google Slides just aren't enough, a digital or smart pen might be a good option for students who just can't catch the main points during class.  This option is especially helpful for students who have difficulty focusing and paying attention.  Such pens are capable of capturing everything you hear, write, and draw.  Easy audio playback on anything you missed.  Or tap any portion of your written notes to playback audio recorded from class.  Notes can be uploaded and shared online.

Some cons are that digital pens can be quite a pricey investment ($150-200, sometimes more).  They also have a battery life and need to be recharged (The Livescribe Smart Pen runs for approx. 14 hours of continuous use).  If you've watched students struggling to keep their Chromebooks charged, then you know students with digital pens will have the same issue.  Moreover, it may take some research to find a digital pen that supports your needs.  The Livescribe pen is one credible option, for instance.  However, there are many variations.

This is an essential device for some students, but a very handy device for most everyone else.

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Best Smart Pens 2019 - Digital Pens for Sketching, Note-Taking

We tested the top smart pens from seven manufacturers for over 16 hours by writing, doodling and taking notes. We wrote out the Gettysburg Address with each pen to get a feel for writing longform and to test for accuracy. We also sketched at least two pictures with each pen to get a feel for how well the digital pens could replicate finer details and shading. The Livescribe 3 Smartpen Black Edition is the best smart pen because of its impeccable accuracy, comfortable grip and easy setup.

Best Overall

Livescribe 3 Smartpen

Best for Artists

Wacom Bamboo Folio

Best for Comfort

Neo Smartpen N2

Product

Price

Overall Rating

Performance

Design

Features

Help & Support

Battery Life (hours)

Sketch Capture Quality

Setup Time (min:sec)

Handwriting Capture Quality

Comfort Score

Weight (ounces)

Wireless Connectivity

Requires Special Paper / Notebooks

Audio Recording Capability

Mobile App

iOS, Android, Mac, PC

Tutorials

Warranty

Best Overall

Most accurate pen we tested

Easy, twistable on/off switch

Heavier than most smart pens

Requires expensive Livescribe notebooks

No other colors to choose from

The Livescribe 3 Smartpen Black Edition is the best smart pen we tested because it has impeccable accuracy for both writing and drawing. It's also comfortable and easy to use.

The soft-rubber grip and round design makes this pen easy to hold, and we were quite impressed with the 30-second initial setup. Syncing was effortless once we installed the app on our test smartphone. This pen didn't record a single inaccuracy in both our writing test and our drawing test. The Livescribe app makes digitizing your handwriting as easy as swiping left or right, and you can start or stop audio recordings using the app or the navigation icons printed at the bottom of Livescribe's notebooks.

This pen can last for 14 hours of continuous use, and it charges using a micro-USB port at the tip of the pen. Though this pen is one of the fattest and heaviest that we tested, the round design fit in our hands much better than some of the triangular digital pens. Overall, with its competitive price and advanced features, the Livescribe 3 Smartpen Black Edition is our favorite smart pen.
Read the full review
Best for Artists

Smartpad works with any paper

Great accuracy with writing and drawing

Comfortable pen that doesn't need to be charged

Paper must be aligned with the smartpad

If you're a doodler or an artist - someone who does a lot of drawing - the Wacom Bamboo Folio Smartpad is the ideal smart pen because it lets you use any paper on its pad.

During our writing and drawing tests, the Wacom Bamboo only recorded one error. The included pen is one of the most comfortable we tested and features a simple twist mechanism to start writing. Though you don't have to charge the pen, the pad itself will run for eight hours before you need to charge it using the micro-USB port at the bottom of the device. It took just over a minute to get the pad up and running and paired with our smartphone. Using the pad is simple; all you have to do is touch the pen to any paper on the pad and it starts digitizing.

When you're finished writing or drawing, just press the single button and the pad syncs with your phone and saves to the Wacom Inkspace app. The app allows you to view your saved sketches and make simple edits directly from the app. This pen is perfect if you're an artist with a certain type of paper that you like to draw or sketch with.
Read the full review
Best for Comfort

One of the most comfortable pens we tested

One-click emailing of your handwritten notes

Shortest battery life we tested

Heavy weight can be uncomfortable

The Neo Smartpen N2 feels great in your hand, though it requires special notebooks and writing pads.

The pen itself is one of the longest we tested, but the metal body and elegant design present an attractive alternative to triangular digital pens. The pen is also one of the easiest to use; all you have to do is press the single button on the bottom of the pen to turn it on and off or to toggle the Bluetooth and pairing settings. When we put the Neo Smartpen N2 through our writing and drawing tests, it performed better than average. We only found two errors during our writing test and two in the drawing test.

This pen charges through a micro-USB port located on the top of the pen. Its five-hour battery life is the shortest of any pen we tested, so it needs frequent charging. In our setup tests we were able to get the pen up and running in just over 30 seconds, meaning it should be easy to pair to your tablet or smartphone. If you're looking for a sleek, all-metal smart pen that works well, the Neo Smartpen N2 is a great choice.
Read the full review
Best Accessories

Included high-quality notebook

The Moleskine Pen+ is part of the Moleskine Smart Writing System, a collection of high-quality products including the Pen+ and Ncoded Paper Tablets.

Many smart pens require specific, proprietary paper to work properly, but of the pens we tested, the Moleskine notebooks were by far the best, as they don't sacrifice style or practicality. The pen itself is sleek and weighs about as much as five regular Bic pens. The triangular body is comfortable to hold and easy to write with. The Moleskine Pen+ didn't fare well in our drawing tests, so it's not the best choice for artists. In our handwriting tests, however, the Pen+ recorded only one error when we wrote out the full Gettysburg address. Likewise, transcribing the written words to the app had highly accurate results, even with messy handwriting. That, paired with the app's ability to record audio, make it great for note-taking during lectures or meetings.
Read the full review
Pen cap doesn't fit on end of pen

The IRIS Notes Air 3 doesn't require special paper to work properly. Instead, it uses transceiver technology for accurate handwriting recording.

A small transceiver clip records your pen strokes on any paper or notebook, saving you money versus similarly-priced pens that require you to buy expensive coded paper. It also has both a smartphone app and computer software for taking and uploading your notes. The IRIS smart pen performed well in handwriting tests, only marking a few extra lines when we viewed the digital versions of the notes. It didn't record drawings with much accuracy, though, so it's best for note-taking. There are two odd design aspects with the IRIS Notes Air 3. For one, the pen is two separate pieces that both need to charge, but it only comes with one mini-USB charging cable. The second is that there's no place for the pen cap while you're using the pen. It doesn't fit on the end of the pen and could easily get lost.
Read the full review Why Trust Us?
We conducted our own hands-on tests with each digital pen - writing, doodling and taking notes for over 16 hours in total. We read what other review sites and consumers had written about the pens and took their ratings into consideration. We wrote out the Gettysburg Address with each pen to get a feel for the comfort and accuracy of each one. We also sketched at least two pictures to see how well the digital pens could replicate finer details and shading. We weighed the pens using a high-quality scale in our Purch test lab and took careful notes as we wrote with each pen. We've reviewed smart pens for several years as well as countless other digital products.

Because smart pens are such a niche device, the market is small. We tested all the major pens that are currently on the market and that you can buy today, even some that may take you weeks to ship from Amazon. We also scoured Kickstarter to look for any up and coming products. The pens we reviewed are the ones you'll see on Amazon or in box stores.
How We Tested
To test the writing accuracy of the pens, I wrote out all 272 words of the Gettysburg Address with each pen and then compared the written copies with the digitized versions. I looked for extra lines and incorrect strokes that didn't result from poor penmanship and were incorrectly inserted by the pen. Incorrect lines counted as errors and lowered the writing accuracy score.

To test the accuracy of the pens with regard to sketching and drawing, I drew a simple house and attempted to draw a horse (it wasn't pretty) with each pen. I looked for missing lines and incorrect shading when reviewing the digitized drawings for accuracy. As with the writing accuracy comparison, each missing feature was counted as an error and hurt the sketching accuracy score.
How Much Do Smart Pens Cost?
Most of the smart pens we evaluated cost about $150, though a few are upwards of $200. Other things to consider when calculating cost are the prices of consumables, including ink refills and paper. A few of the pens we tested work with any paper, but most require specially coded paper to work properly. These papers are proprietary for each company, as is the case for the Neo Smartpen N2, and the special notebooks cost upwards of $20.

Who Could Use a Smart Pen?
Smart pens are becoming obsolete. If you own an iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil offers better accuracy and better functionality than any technology that digitizes physical pen and paper.

However, certain use cases, like taking notes in a college class or wanting to share your handwritten meeting notes, could make smart pens a smart buying decision. Be warned, however, that if your penmanship is sloppy, digitizing them won't do you any favors.

More on Computer Peripherals

If you find yourself needing a smart pen for just taking voice recordings, we recommend the Livescribe Echo, which has a solid voice recorder built in. If you're looking for the clearest quality, though, a dedicated voice recorder will get much clearer audio. The smart pens in our review are best used for digitizing your handwritten notes; recording audio is more of an additional feature.

If you're a true pen and paper aficionado, a smart pen could be a great way to digitize and keep track of your handwritten notes. The high price and questionable quality, however, makes choosing the right pen an important decision. Read more in our reviews to determine which digital pen might work best for you.
Stylus For Touchscreen Tablets & Phones
The smart pens we tested digitize handwritten notes and drawings and send them wirelessly to mobile apps on a phone or tablet. If you prefer sketching or taking notes on mobile devices by touching a pen directly to the touchscreen surface instead of to a conventional notepad, a stylus is the best option. Here are some of our favorite styluses for mobile devices.

Apple Pencil
If you have a first or second generation iPad Pro or the sixth generation iPad, this is the best stylus available. It doesn't work on Android or Windows tablets, but because it's designed specifically for iOS devices, there aren't any issues with syncing or any lag in response time. The Apple Pencil syncs to the tablet via Bluetooth and charges with a Lightning connection. When you draw on the pressure-sensitive screen with the side of the tip, it creates wide strokes perfect for shading. For handwritten notes, the tip has a fine point that's extremely accurate. It doesn't have a rubber handle, which makes it slippery after many hours of use, but the size and weight feel similar to a conventional pencil or pen.

Adonit Switch
This stylus is a handwriting solution for digital and analog surfaces. On one end there's a fine-point stylus surrounded by a clear plastic disc that works on all iOS phones and tablets and most Android devices. On the other end is a 0.8-millimeter ballpoint pen for writing on paper. The stylus syncs via a Bluetooth connection and is compatible with popular note-taking apps like Notability and GoodNotes. This hybrid stylus doesn't have the same creative painting and drawing features as the Apple Pencil, but if you take notes on tablets and paper, it is a great option.

More Guides for Note-Takers:

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We tested the top smart pens from seven manufacturers for over 16 hours by writing, doodling and taking notes. We wrote out the Gettysburg Address with each pen to get a feel for writing longform and to test for accuracy.