Livescribe Echo 2 Smartpen, Bluetooth, Wireless, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows

Needed a replacement for my original Echo pen (no longer supported) and this is a big improvement.

This is the third Livescribe pen I've had but the first Echo 2. It works fine although it's less streamlined than the earlier models. Would be nice if it worked with a desktop machine. Downside is that Livescribe notebooks are so expensive.

I have owned a number of Livescribe Echo smart pens. I liked the fact that you could record sound directly on the pen and play it back easily using the book as an index for the audio. Livescrive decided to stop supporting the original echo, so the new books didn’t work with the old pen. That forced me to invest in an echo 2. Here’s what I have found so far.The pen top developed a split in it within a few weeks. You can’t get spares. They are not covered under the warranty for the pen because Livescribe deem them an accessory. I’ve registered it with them and they said they would send me a new one when they had one available. That was months ago and I’ve heard nothing.You can’t use refills from any other manufacturer or the ones from previous pens. They are slightly too wide meaning the pen doesn’t work properly.The refills don’t last and are not the best quality. You’d be better off with a Bic pen.The cost of the books and refills is high in the UK because you have to pay shipping from the US.On the original echo, you could plug in the external headphones and microphone for better sound recording. You can’t on the echo 2The recorded sound quality is rubbish compared the the original echo.The PC software doesn’t automatically sync up the audio with the pages you’ve written like it did on the original echo. You have to sync manually.I’ve had to completely reset the pen a couple of times because of sync related issues. I now have a sound file that seems to crash the desktop app when I try and sync the files. Looks like I’m going to be resetting it back to factory defaults again!!!It’s a real pity there isn’t something on the market that is as good as the original Echo pen. Other than the failing OLED displays and the lack of notebooks available now, they were great. It’s just annoying that the new one is a bit rubbish in comparison.I wouldn’t buy another one. Come on Anoto. You need to make some serious improvements. It’s a lot of money for a smart pen with all these issues.

Having had these pens before, it was time for an upgrade. The pen and functionality are as expected. One big niggle is the pen top cracks easily as mentioned in other reviews. Fixed with tape but it is not a great look. Sort it out Livescribe.

So this pen functions as you would expect however I would say that it does not ooze quality in fact quite the opposite. The materials and build feel cheap certainly compared to previous models.

I work in HR and this product is a great asset to my job

I had a Livescribe pen previously, but it lost its nib piece and could not be used. I liked the concept and found the pen useful when it was working. I decided to get the Echo 2; the reviews were mixed but they were sufficiently positive to give it a go.The pen is more solid than its predecessor, but the lid is loose and falls off the end when using it. However, it does not link to the Livescribe App. I spent many hours trying to get it to work but to no av ail. I contacted customer services, who were quick to respond. I followed the advice given to the letter, but it still did not work. Reading the reviews, I see that I am not alone. It is a waste of money and is regrettably on its way back to Amazon.

Didn’t pair with two iPhones but did connect to BT speaker. Finally paired with iPad and said mandatory firmware update required. Tried four times so far and all failed. No response from support email. Also the support links on the livescribe help pages actually take you to a non-existent domain. I will give it one last try using a laptop before returning.