The Lenovo Precision Pen is a handy tool to use with the ThinkPad X1 Fold, especially when you’re using it as a tablet. If you buy an X1 Fold model that comes with a TrackPoint Keyboard, it’ll almost always come with a Precision Pen as well.
There’s a tail button on top of the pen that can perform two functions, one with a single click and the other with a double click. You can use these buttons to quickly open Sticky Notes, take a screenshot, use Windows Search, and more.
The button close to the tip of the pen is called the “barrel button,” and this is a rocker button with a top and bottom side that can also be programmed to carry out two different functions. One of the button sides should definitely be set to open the Radial Dial feature, which brings up a custom menu of eight different functions. By default, these eight functions are Play/Pause, Next Track, Previous Track, Volume Up, Volume Down, Mute, Email, and Web Browser.
It wasn’t clear at first, but to use the Precision Pen’s barrel button functions, you have to hold the button down and tap the screen with the pen’s tip. Once this was figured out, using the Precision Pen made many tasks easier and faster.
With the included AAAA battery, the Precision Pen can last up to 400 days, according to Lenovo. This 400-day estimate is based on someone using the pen for three hours a day, five days a week, and clicking the tail button 10 times a day.