With Microsoft’s annual hardware event less than two weeks out, an influx of news regarding some potential new products has been surfacing online. The latest is a patent that shows that Microsoft’s next stylus could finally be charged wirelessly.
According to the recent FCC filing, it mentions that it will contain a “charging coil” for the Surface Pen. This strongly implies that the stylus will be designed with an internal power source to charge up the product; thus increasing the duration of the stylus compared to the current model, which requires one AAAA battery to function.
Similar products include the Galaxy Note 10 Plus‘ S Pen have a charging coil located inside the pen, with the stylus being charged directly through the phone. Thanks to a dissection conducted by iFixit, we now know that Apple’s Pencil 2 also uses similar “charging coil” technologies with the stylus receiving a charge by attaching to the side of your iPad Pro. Of course, those who already own a Surface Pro and Pen will already know that the stylus already attaches magnetically to the device, but without the capability to charge.
It is plausible that a revision of the Surface Pen could launch shortly, alongside a new Surface Pro 7 at Microsoft’s Surface Hardware Event on October 2. Several of the Surface Pro 7’s new features have been circulating, including a redesigned keyboard to make the product thinner, as well as the updated model with a second screen, possibly inspired by the Asus ZenBook Pro 15. With a new Surface Pro probably getting announced at the upcoming Surface Event, let’s hope Microsoft shows the stylus some love too. We’d like to see one that finally offers wireless charging, or at the very least an updated Surface Pen that addresses accuracy issues.
Of course, should a new Surface Pen come into fruition, it’s implausible that the stylus will not be included as a bundle with the Surface Pro. While pricing for the Surface Pen is up in the air, Microsoft may be looking to keep it around the same price range as the current Surface Pen, which is priced at $99.