Microsoft’s Surface Pen stylus could one day also be a Bluetooth earpiece
According to a patent
Microsoft could be planning on designing a future Surface Pen stylus that can be wrapped around your ear and used as a Bluetooth headset.
The plans were spotted in a patent, which suggests that when the stylus isn’t being used to draw or sign documents, it can be attached to a user’s ear and used as a Bluetooth communication device.
- Best Bluetooth headsets of 2019
- How about the best wireless headphones?
- The best Windows tablets to use the new stylus with
According to the patent, the device – which is called “Flexible Carpenter’s Stylus with Dockable Earpiece” in the document – is a stylus with a capacitive nib and an earpiece dock.
The patent explains that “the earpiece includes a speaker, an earpiece battery, and a wireless radio configured to communicatively couple with a host device”, and that the earpiece will charge when docked.
Will it see the light of day?
The patent points to a bendable stylus that can go over the user’s ear. For people – such as carpenters, which might be where the name comes from – who like to tuck their pens, pencils and styluses behind their ears when not using them, turning the stylus into an earpiece is a pretty cool idea.
We’d love to see this come to a future Surface Pen stylus, but as this is just a patent at the moment it could be a long time before we ever see this device for real. Sadly, like many patents, it might never see the light of day at all.
Still, it’s good to know that Microsoft is looking at innovating its peripherals. Another patent spotted by Windows Latest suggests that Microsoft could look at creating a stylus that has a built-in display that can be used to show notifications, battery status and more.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.
Hopefully we'll see some sort of innovative new stylus from Microsoft in the near future.
- These are the best laptops of 2019
Via OnMSFT
Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.