In this case, that just means devices with USI 2.0 in-cell displays will have a more limited selection of pens at this point. This all makes sense and there are certainly times when the progression of technology simply means some hardware needs to be left behind. We have requested clear documentation and marking, and also shipping with a 2.0 stylus (ideally) in order to minimize the confusion and user frustration. We spent many months looking at alternatives to ensure backwards compatibility, but it was not doable. It is this timing constraint that caused us to have to modify our USI spec for some in-cell panels. We spoke to Peter Mueller, USI Chairman, about this slight hiccup in the universal nature of the USI pen and he had this to say:īecause the touch and display driver are more tightly integrated for in-cell, the touch sensing has to occur within certain timing windows in between the display being driven.

This type of display is basically USI 2.0 only, and there won’t be anything to change this down the road. You see, USI 2.0 panels that use in-cell tech simply won’t work with USI 1.0 pens.

An example of this new stylus type would be the pen that was included in the HP Chromebook x2 11 that attaches to the outside of the device and charges wirelessly while resting there. Included in this new spec are updates like NFC wireless charging capabilities, support for in-cell display panels, expanded tilt functionality, and an upgraded color pallet. USI 2.0 – a new standardīack in March of this year, we reported on an update on the way for the USI standard that has been a part of the ChromeOS story for a few years at this point. But that answer brings up some troubling issues for USI and Chromebooks, and the path forward isn’t exactly cut and dry. The answer to the problem is simple enough: we need Lenovo’s own USI Pen 2 for this particular tablet. At first, I wondered if we had a bad unit, but after a few emails it became clear that something a bit more complex was going on.

In our early testing of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, we noticed our review unit didn’t seem to be playing nice with our array of USI pens.

Lenovo duet 3 pen