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MagyarNotebookcheck's Top 10 Stylus Convertibles
Convertibles are very versatile devices and can be used as traditional notebooks with all the advantages like a conventional keyboard, and also as tablets thanks to the integrated touchscreen. All these device also support active input pens for graphics designers and artists. The following ranking lists all modern convertible PCs, which can be used with active input pens.
Note: We did not use the (subjective) quality of the stylus or the input pen, respectively, for the following ranking, but only criteria we can judge objectively by our authors and measurements. These are the following: Performance headroom for applications, display quality, and sound. The information about the input pens can also be found in each individual review.
Please feel free to comment below if you have made experiences with the listed devices and especially the input pens to give additional help for other users.
Additional interesting top lists:
The following table shows an overview of the Top 10 convertibles with stylus support as reviewed by Notebookcheck in the past 12 months. If ratings are equal, the latest review is listed first. The table can be sorted by clicking its headers and filtered by entering text in the text field above it (e.g. "matte").
Best Pen/Stylus Convertibles as of October 2020
Top 10 of the previous 18 months at the time of writing - current articles are listed first
Editors' Comments
Our ranking includes laptop convertibles as well as notebooks with 360-degree hinges and Windows tablets with additional keyboard docks. It is your choice which device you prefer. We notice that some convertibles still uses Intel's Kaby Lake dual-core processors. Devices with the latest quad-core Kaby Lake Refresh chips (KBL-R) often suffer from a performance drop under sustained workloads or the performance is worse than expected even in short peak load scenarios. This should be taken into account, especially if you plan to perform more complex tasks like video editing. Most of the following device are pleasantly quiet. Please refer to the original reviews if the battery runtime is important for you.
The situation is tricky when it comes to the scope of delivery in terms of the pen. You should definitely ask the manufacturer whether it is included or not if there are any doubts. Then there is the issue with the features of the pen; some of the manufacturers could not answer our question about the support of "pen-tilt", for example. The same applies for the support of third-party pens.
1st – Acer Spin 5 SP513
Acer’s convertible with stylus support managed to score first place on our list. While the previous generation suffered from various weaknesses (some of which might have qualified as nit-picking) Acer went back to the drawing board over and over again and continued to improve its 13-inch Acer Spin 5 continuously, for example by equipping it with a great display.
Its lightweight aluminum case is well built and offers two Thunderbolt 3 ports as well as a decent keyboard. The convertible is fairly powerful yet quiet and cool at the same time. Granted, it does thermal throttle under full load and its microSD card reader is pretty slow but overall the Acer Spin 5 is a great convertible with stylus support.
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Acer Active Stylus
The Acer Active Stylus is charged and stored inside the Acer Spin 5 itself. IT supports Wacom AES 1.0 with 4,096 different levels of pressure. According to acer 15 seconds of charging should last for 90 minutes of active use. The pen is slim and includes two buttons.
Pricecompare
2nd – Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Not too many things seem to have changed. The Surface Pro 7 features the same display as the two-year old Surface Pro 5 and offers the same level of performance as the Surface Pro 6. The only real update worth mentioning are the USB-C port and the new GPU options.
Nevertheless, the Surface Pro 7 remains one of the best Windows tablets. It comes with a fast SSD, good battery life, Wi-Fi 6, and passive and thus completely silent cooling. On the flip side it lacks an LTE option, GPS, and support for Thunderbolt 3.
The Microsoft Surface Pen is included in the box.
Microsoft Surface Pen
The Surface Pen supports 4.096 levels of pressure sensitivity and communicates with its host device via Bluetooth 4.0. It features a button and an eraser as well. The pen can detect tilt and thus for example implement various levels of shading. It is available in various colors matching the main device.
At 20 g and a diameter of 97 mm it is comparable to other active stylus pens.
Pricecompare
3rd – Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1
For the XPS 13 convertible Dell took a deep sip from the cup of innovation and offers a MagLev keyboard, vapor-chamber cooling, and GORE isolation for the first time. In addition, the 16:10 display offers a rather uncommon display ratio. Speaking of which, the display is Dell’s masterpiece. It is very well calibrated and can get so bright that the XPS 13 is even usable for professional use outdoors.
The good-looking case is fairly light, offers two Thunderbolt 3 ports with Power Delivery, and a long battery life. We liked both keyboard and speakers, and the microSD card slot turned out to be fairly fast to boot. A downside for some might be the non-upgradeable RAM as well as the lack of features such as an LTE option or NFC.
All things considered the Dell XPS 7390 2-in-1 remains a very interesting and attractive device if you happen to be looking for a powerful computer in a small case and don’t mind sacrificing a few features along the way. Its excellent display makes this a perfect device for professional photo editing on the go.
Dell Premium Active Pen
The Dell Premium Active Pen has a magnetic side that attaches to compatible convertibles. It connects via Bluetooth 4.2 and supports various protocols, such as MPP 1.51 (Microsoft Pen Protocol), Wacom AES 1.0, and even the latest Wacom AES 2.0 technology. Thanks to Windows Ink Workspace you can configure its three buttons to your liking. It offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a sampling rate of 240 Hz. According to Dell, the battery is supposed to last for up to 12 months and it is even replaceable. As are of course the tips.
Pricecompare
4th – Microsoft Surface Book 3 15
A windows tablet with decent hardware, a keyboard dock, and a gaming-capable mid-range GPU? Shut up and take my money! The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15 is almost unrivalled in its unique concept, and Microsoft did a great job implementing it, too.
Expensive and exclusive but very powerful in return. The Microsoft Surface Book 3 15 is a very likeable niche product.
Apart from the in our opinion unnecessarily bulky hinge, the lack of USB port on the tablet itself, its somewhat short battery life in tablet mode, and some minor GPU thermal throttling the Surface Book 3 15 offers quite a few benefits. Be it the instantly noticeable great build quality, the thin and lightweight case, the great 4K touchscreen, or its low noise emissions under load combined with decent sounding speakers.
All things considered the Surface Book 3 15 may be an expensive device but is definitely worth the money if you like the overall concept.
Microsoft Surface Pen
The Surface Pen supports 4.096 levels of pressure sensitivity and communicates with its host device via Bluetooth 4.0. It features a button and an eraser as well. The pen can detect tilt and thus for example implement various levels of shading. It is available in various colors matching the main device.
At 20 g and a diameter of 97 mm it is comparable to other active stylus pens.
Pricecompare
5th – Lenovo Yoga C940
The successor to Lenovo’s Yoga C930 offers brand-new Ice Lake CPUs in the same case as before. Thus, the convertible might even be interesting for games with low demands and expectations. In addition, emissions have been reduced significantly while performance increased at the same time. And last but not least the display is much brighter than before.
On the flip side maintenance is very complicated, as is quite common on many convertibles, and we would have preferred more ports. Its high-quality case, its long battery life, and the included stylus pen turn the C940 into a very well-made and interesting convertible.
Lenovo Active Pen 2
Included in the box is Lenovo’s Active Pen 2 that can also be purchased retroactively for between $60 and $80. It weighs 20 g, has a diameter of 95 mm, and a total length of 153 mm. Its only source of energy is a replaceable AAAA battery, and it communicates via Bluetooth. Like the Surface Pen it supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt detection. Furthermore, Lenovo promises palm detection and includes three buttons, two on the thumb side and one at the tip of the device. The stylus can be stored and charged safely inside the convertible.
Pricecompare
6th – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
The 2020 edition of Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga underwent minor only minor refinement, and the high-quality convertible remains a top device with all kinds of bells and whistles, such as optional mobile internet connectivity, Thunderbolt 3, Lenovo’s own docking technology, an infrared camera for face detection in the dark, a fingerprint reader, a manual webcam shutter, a well-calibrated display, and an included stylus pen.
High-end convertible with integrated stylus.
On the flip side we were disappointed by the somewhat small input devices resulting in issues for users with large hands. A brighter display is available at a premium. GPU performance could have also been better, especially for professional users.
The lack of Wi-Fi 6 is somewhat disturbing. Thanks to long battery life and mostly quiet operation the convertible deservers our endorsement, nevertheless.
Lenovo ThinkPad Pen Pro 2
The ThinkPad Pen is included with the X1 Yoga by default, and it can be purchased separately for around $40 as well. According to Lenovo it weighs between 5-10 g, is 6.5 mm thick, and 127 mm long. The Pen Pro does not come with a user-accessible battery but an integrated one that is charged automatically when the pen is inserted into the convertible. It is supposed to last for up to 130 minutes of continuous use on a single charge.
Lenovo claims 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The pen lacks tilt features but comes with two buttons on the side near where the thumb would naturally rest during use that can be used to trigger a primary or secondary mouse click.
Lenovo Active Pen 2
Alternatively, you can also purchase the Active Pen for around $60 at the time of writing (MSRP: $80). It weighs around 20 g, is 0.95 cm thick, and 15.3 cm long. Energy is supplied via a replaceable AAAA battery, and it communicates via Bluetooth.
Like the surface pen it can detect up to 4,096 levels of pressure and supports tilt, palm detection, and a total of three buttons; two on the side near your thumb and one at the top. It comes with three replacement tips and a clip that can be inserted into a standard USB-A port for transport and storage.
Pricecompare
7th – Asus ZenBook Flip 15
Depending on configuration the i5 SKU of the Asus ZenBook Flip 15 can already be had for significantly under $1,000.
For that you get a Pantone-certified high-quality convertible in a robust metal case with good performance, very long battery life, low emissions, a backlit keyboard, and support for stylus input. All this sounds like a device that should cost much more than $1,000. The higher-tier SKUs are even capable of gaming, to a certain degree.
The only thing missing to make this a perfect device is a Thunderbolt 3 port and a secondary slot for storage expansion. Nevertheless, the ZenBook Flip 15 turned out to be a great device.
Asus Active Stylus SA200H
At just 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity the Asus Active Stylus SA200H is not as sensitive as its competitors, which could be a major problem for professional users. It offers two buttons preconfigured to act as primary mouse button and eraser. A regular battery ensures that restoring the pen’s full functionality should the battery be drained, and dead is a matter of seconds. The pen does not support Bluetooth.
Pricecompare
8th – HP Spectre x360 13
HP’s Spectre x360 13 13-inch convertible based on Intel’s 10th generation Core processors is unmistakably a high-end convertible. You can already tell simply by holding it in your hands. The light-weight aluminum case feels incredibly premium and robust. The display bezels are very narrow, the display itself is very bright, and the keyboard offers adequate feedback. HP’s convertible also offers a microSD slot, plenty of ports, a long battery life of up to 10 hours in our Wi-Fi test, and is even available with a WWAN modem.
If we had two wishes it would be better upgradeability and a better calibrated display. It lacks an HDMI port, and CPU performance fluctuates more than on other similarly priced convertibles.
The HP Spectre x360 13 is not without its flaws but remains a premium convertible with stylus support.
Nevertheless, the HP Spectre x360 13 remains a great device with superb functionality. If you want the stylus pen you can opt for a package deal. By default, the device is sold without the stylus.
HP Tilt Pen
The HP Tilt Pen will cost you an extra $70. At 14.5 g it is very light and offers both tilt and pressure detection, the latter with up to 4,096 levels of sensitivity. HP promises a 10-hour battery life, and the pen is recharged via a USB-C port. It offers two buttons and a configurable Bluetooth button. In addition, it can be used as presentation remote.
Pricecompare
9th – HP ProBook x360 435 G7
The HP ProBook x360 435 G7 is a very special piece of technology. After all, business convertibles with AMD hardware are a rare breed. In our test, the convertible turned out to be very powerful, long-running, fairly cool, and housed in a high-quality premium case.
The stylus itself is not included and must be purchased separately. The device also lacks a Thunderbolt 3 port, it is comparatively heavy, and its display is rather dim. On the flip side the HP ProBook x360 435 G7 is also comparatively affordable and thus a true price-performance tip.
HP Pro Pen
The HP Pro Pen is powered by regular batteries and supposed to last for almost a full year on a single charge. It comes with two buttons, supports up to 4,096 pressure levels, and weighs 17.3 g (0.61 oz) including battery. Thanks to a beveled design it will not roll off the table. However, it cannot be stored inside the convertible itself.
Pricecompare
10th – Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1
The Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1 is successor to the Latitude 7400 2-in-1. Both convertibles are fairly similar, especially in regard to case. The new device continues its predecessor’s design language with its great build quality and its very long battery life.
However, the display could have been brighter, and a dedicated GPU option is not available. The stylus pen is sold separately. All things considered Dell’s convertible is worth a closer look despite the fact that the predecessor is still available at a lower price and the differences between the two are rather minor.
Dell Premium Active Pen
The Dell Premium Active Pen has a magnetic side that attaches to compatible convertibles. It connects via Bluetooth 4.2 and supports various protocols, such as MPP 1.51 (Microsoft Pen Protocol), Wacom AES 1.0, and even the latest Wacom AES 2.0 technology. Thanks to Windows Ink Workspace you can configure its three buttons to your liking. It offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a sampling rate of 240 Hz. According to Dell, the battery is supposed to last for up to 12 months and it is even replaceable. As are of course the tips.
Pricecompare
Best Convertibles with Stylus Input
Test Results
| Acer Spin 5 SP513-54N-79EY | Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | Microsoft Surface Book 3 15 | Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 20SA000GUS | Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX563FD-A1027T | HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx | HP ProBook x360 435 G7, Ryzen 5 4500U | Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1 P110G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 49 (22, 27) | 34.8 (16.8, 18) | 47.6 (23.2, 24.4) | 38 (18, 20) | 49.6 (23.6, 26) | 32 (16.4, 15.6) | 60 (29, 31) | 60.8 (26, 34.8) | 45.6 (23.6, 22) | 58.4 (26, 32.4) |
| Response Time Black / White * | 28 (16, 12) | 26.4 (13.2, 13.2) | 29.2 (16, 13.2) | 25 (15, 10) | 30 (16.4, 13.6) | 23.6 (12.8, 10.8) | 35 (21, 14) | 36.8 (15.6, 21.2) | 30.8 (18, 12.8) | 37.2 (18.4, 18.8) |
| PWM Frequency | 208 (90) | 21550 (24) | 2500 (25) | 250 (50) | 1667 (44) | |||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 454 | 480.4 | 549.8 | 428 | 384 | 284.6 | 351 | 447.4 | 354 | 293.4 |
| Brightness | 426 | 485 | 520 | 413 | 363 | 269 | 335 | 420 | 344 | 290 |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 91 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 92 |
| Black Level * | 0.33 | 0.48 | 0.39 | 0.23 | 0.17 | 0.28 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.16 | 0.19 |
| Contrast | 1376 | 1001 | 1410 | 1861 | 2259 | 1016 | 1132 | 1443 | 2213 | 1544 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 1.27 | 5 | 2.12 | 2.65 | 3.5 | 2.07 | 1.74 | 4.23 | 3.4 | 1.29 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 2.42 | 7.72 | 3.66 | 8.12 | 5.5 | 3.75 | 2.76 | 9.34 | 5.8 | 3.61 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 0.78 | 2.44 | 1.37 | 0.92 | 1 | 2.05 | 1.32 | 2 | 0.88 | |
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 1.07 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 3.99 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 2.22 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 1.7 |
| Gamma | 2.39 92% | 2.38 92% | 2.3 96% | 3.12 71% | 2.32 95% | 2.17 101% | 2.35 94% | 2.11 104% | 2.29 96% | 2.18 101% |
| CCT | 6530 100% | 7805 83% | 6884 94% | 6309 103% | 6884 94% | 6627 98% | 6667 97% | 6136 106% | 6046 108% | 6394 102% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 65 | 60.3 | 65.4 | 58 | 62 | 61.7 | 62 | 64.8 | 59 | 63.8 |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 100 | 93.2 | 99.7 | 93 | 97.7 | 95.8 | 97 | 98.9 | 90.6 | 99.1 |
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 26.9 | 28.1 | 30.2 | 29.3 | 28.4 | 30.3 | 28.5 | 29.3 | 26.1 | |
| Idle Minimum * | 26.9 | 28.1 | 30.2 | 29.3 | 28.4 | 30.3 | 28.5 | 29.3 | 26.1 | |
| Idle Average * | 26.9 | 28.1 | 30.2 | 29.3 | 28.4 | 30.3 | 28.5 | 29.3 | 26.1 | |
| Idle Maximum * | 27.8 | 28.1 | 30.2 | 29.3 | 29.3 | 30.3 | 28.5 | 30.4 | 26.1 | |
| Load Average * | 30.5 | 31.7 | 30.9 | 33.3 | 29.3 | 33.7 | 28.5 | 31.3 | 39.9 | |
| Load Maximum * | 32.4 | 43.4 | 34.3 | 33.3 | 38.2 | 38.9 | 35.3 | 34.6 | 44.7 | |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 43.4 | 45.1 | 37.4 | 35.3 | ||||||
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 38.7 | 43.6 | 51.4 | 41.4 | 41 | 42.4 | 42.6 | 37.2 | 39.6 | 48.4 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 40.2 | 47.8 | 46.4 | 39.7 | 44.6 | 49.4 | 41.5 | 42.2 | 45.3 | 55.2 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 27.8 | 32 | 32 | 34.6 | 24.4 | 23.6 | 26.4 | 25.8 | 25.8 | 25.4 |
| Idle Bottom * | 27.3 | 32.4 | 32.8 | 30.3 | 25 | 24 | 26.3 | 28 | 28.4 | 28.6 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1301 | 1336 | 969 | 1195 | 1169 | 2223 | 2892 | |||
| H.264 | 627 | 776 | 793 | 669 | 659 | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 645 | 597 | 537 | 512 | 636 | 553 | 566 | 594 | 580 | 1141 |
| Load | 148 | 116 | 179 | 64 | 95 | 149 | 160 | 63 | 202 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
| Cinebench R11.5 | |
| CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 | |
| Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
| CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 | |
| Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
| OpenGL 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 | |
| Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |