24kupi Super Pen Review — $175 for a Pen with a Hidden Screen
The 24kupi Super Pen is their most expensive writing instrument at $175. It looks like a normal thick ballpoint pen but has a tiny LCD screen hidden in the barrel that displays scrolling text. Available in left-handed and right-handed variants. I tested the right-handed version.
The Hidden Screen
The LCD is embedded in the side of the pen barrel. It's about 15mm wide and 60mm long — like a very thin strip. The screen displays one line of text at a time, which auto-scrolls at an adjustable speed. You can also manually scroll with a tiny button near the clip.
The screen is only visible from one specific angle — you have to hold the pen in a natural writing position and tilt it slightly toward your face. From any other angle, it looks like a normal pen. This is actually clever engineering.
Loading Content
Same as other 24kupi products — connect via the included 3.5mm USB cable, drag text files onto the device. 24kupi claims "unlimited text" storage, which is technically true for practical purposes — I loaded 50 pages of notes without any issue.
The auto-scroll feature is useful for formulas and definitions that you need to read continuously. You set the speed before the exam and it just cycles through your notes on repeat. Manual scrolling with the button lets you jump to specific sections.
Does It Actually Write?
Yes — it's a functional ballpoint pen. The ink refills are standard and 24kupi sells replacements for $7. The pen is thicker than a normal pen though, which is noticeable. It feels like holding a fat marker rather than a sleek ballpoint.
Detection Risk
This is the Super Pen's biggest vulnerability. While the screen is hidden from most angles, any proctor who picks up the pen will immediately notice:
- It's heavier than a normal pen
- It's thicker than a normal pen
- The LCD screen is visible if you rotate the pen
- The charging port at the bottom is unusual
- The scroll button near the clip doesn't exist on normal pens
If a proctor confiscates your pen for any reason — even just to borrow it — you're caught. Unlike the calculator where the emergency button hides everything, the pen's screen is physically visible when the pen is examined closely.
Is $175 Justified?
Honestly, no. The Invisible Watch does the same thing (displays pre-loaded text) for $70. The calculator does it for $99 with a larger screen. The Super Pen is the most expensive text-viewing device in the 24kupi lineup and it has the smallest, hardest-to-read screen.
The only advantage over the watch is that nobody bans pens from exams. You can bring a pen into any exam room without question. That's the tradeoff — lower suspicion at the door, but higher risk if physically inspected.
Emergency Button
Like the calculator, the pen has an emergency button that turns off the screen instantly. But unlike the calculator, the pen doesn't have a "fake screen" to show — it just goes dark. A proctor who saw the screen one second ago and sees it dark the next second might get suspicious.
Pros
- Pens are never banned from exams — zero suspicion bringing it in
- Screen only visible from writing angle — clever design
- Auto-scroll feature is useful for continuous reading
- Actually writes — functional as a real pen
- Large storage capacity
Cons
- $175 is overpriced for what it does
- Screen is very small — hard to read dense notes
- Heavier and thicker than a normal pen (noticeable)
- Easily detected on physical inspection
- No internet, no camera, no AI — just text display
- Non-standard charging cable
- Left and right handed variants mean you might order the wrong one
Final Verdict: 4/10
The Super Pen is an overpriced text viewer in a pen form factor. The viewing angle trick is clever, but the tiny screen, high price, and easy detectability on inspection make it hard to recommend. The Magic Calculator V3 does the same job better for $99 with a bigger screen and a more convincing emergency switch. The only reason to buy the pen is if calculators are banned but pens aren't — which is most exams, admittedly.