Livescribe 3 Smartpen Announced for iOS Devices with IR Camera, Content Recognition Capabilities - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Livescribe 3 Smartpen Announced for iOS Devices with IR Camera, Content Recognition Capabilities

by

Paper-based computing company Livescribe has announced the Livescribe 3, the latest version of its popular Bluetooth smartpen for iOS devices. The smartpen includes an ARM 9 processor inside and a high speed infrared camera at the top, along with an on/off twist ring and a lithium ion battery that lasts up to 14 hours.

livescribe3_pen

Elevate Your Writing
From the integrated stylus cap to the Swiss-made tungsten-carbide ballpoint ink cartridge, the Livescribe 3 smartpen is a statement of elegant design that delivers the experience of a premium writing instrument.

Putting The Smart in Smartpen
The streamlined design of the Livescribe 3 smartpen conceals an astonishing amount of technology. An infrared camera, ARM processor, Bluetooth Smart chipset, flash memory and lithium ion battery all work together to bring your notes to life on your tablet or smartphone.

Not Just Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart
Bluetooth Smart wireless technology allows your Livescribe 3 smartpen to quickly and easily pair to your tablet or smartphone. It also extends the battery life, giving you over 14 hours of continuous writing between charges.

livescribe3_notebook2 The Livescribe 3 is also accompanied by the new Livescribe+ app [Direct Link], which works with the pen to recognize different types of handwriting on Livescribe paper, including tasks, reminders, contacts, and calendar events that can be shared to services such as Dropbox and iCloud, and imported into iOS apps such as Reminders and Maps. The app also includes a Find My Pen function which causes the device to emit a noise when prompted, a MyScript transcription option, and a view option named "the Feed" that groups relevant notes together.

The Livescribe 3 is avaliable in two versions, including a standard edition that comes with the pen, a starter notebook and a ballpoint ink cartrige for $149.95, and a Pro Edition that includes the pen, a bigger journal, a leather portfolio, two ballpoint ink cartriges and one year of Evernote Premium for $199.95. Both versions along with additional accessories for the smartpen are avaliable to purchase on Livescribe's official website.

Top Rated Comments

MrSmith Avatar
162 months ago
Can anyone still write by hand? My handwriting had regressed to pre-puberty levels. My typing speed has hit the roof, though. :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMat77 Avatar
162 months ago
Good idea but...

Special paper = no deal.


At least for me.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
I remember growing up and having to learn cursive handwriting. Now it's being cut from many educational programs.

Modern communication is about efficiency, yet there is an art to hand writing. While these are great devices with so much potential, it make me a bit sad.

There are people at my office who still like to use these. To each their own I suppose. Personally I hate writing
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrSmith Avatar
162 months ago
Because if you don't use paper, there won't be trees. All the paper you use was made out of trees grown to be paper. The tree farmer has to feed his family, and if he can't sell the trees he is growing on his land, he'll sell his land to some developer who will cut down the trees and put in a shopping mall. There are more trees in North America now than there were 100 years ago.
Interesting post, though probably not what the tree-huggers here want to hear.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
+1 for not wasting paper.

Paper/wood is the most easily renewed and recycled resource we have. I wouldn't worry about "wasting" it per se. It's not like coal, oil, or even natural gas. We can grow more.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nevaborn Avatar
162 months ago
So the make a new pen that still requires me to need paper and ink and just creates a digital copy. All well and good but I would rather a recision pen for the actual iDevice.

My handwriting is great but I would rather write on to my tablet than waste paper
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...