LAMY Al-Star Black EMR Stylus For Samsung Galaxy Tab

WHAT IS IT? The LAMY Al-Star Black EMR is a digital stylus offering great ergonomics wrapped in an aluminum build. It retails for about $10-$15 more than the S Pen that comes bundled with the Galaxy Tab S7+. On paper, the LAMY Al-Star Black EMR looks like the ultimate upgrade of the S Pen for note takers. Here’s everything you need to know about the LAMY Al-Star Black EMR before you pick one up for your Galaxy Tab.

In the box you’ll get the pen itself, a couple of replacement nibs (0.7mm) and a nib removal tool. The design of this stylus is based off of LAMY’s Al-Star Rollerball pen. That one actually comes in a bunch of different colors, this EMR version is only available in black. Just like the S-Pen, it comes with WACOM’s EMR technology which means it’ll work on any device that the S-Pen would work on.

One thing to note is that it didn’t work right out of the box, I had to go into the S Pen settings then toggle “Allow multiple S Pens” to get the tablet to even recognize it. 

One of the best things about these WACOM based pens is that there’s no battery and it never needs to be charged. If you unscrew the barrel, there’s really not much going on in here. It’s completely hollow (You could actually store the extra nibs inside the pen itself).

It comes with a protective cap that has a super satisfying click when closed. There’s also a built-in clip, so you can clip it onto your shirt pocket. 

Putting it side by side with the S-Pen, I can tell you right away that the LAMY just looks +  feels like a more premium and durable stylus. Material wise, it’s made mainly out of aluminum vs the rubberized plastic of the S-Pen. With the cap on, it weighs about 21g, take that off and it sits comfortably between the weight of an Apple pencil (18g) and the S-Pen (8g). To put things into perspective, the cap alone weighs the same as the entire S-Pen.

I’ve been taking a lot of handwritten notes lately and it was the grip ergonomics of this stylus that I was really curious to try out. The LAMY is thicker and has a triangular grip, meaning there’s 3 flat sides that your thumb, index and middle finger can rest on. Combine that with the extra weight and the writing experience is definitely better, to me at least. I wouldn’t say it’s way way better, but it’s an improvement. I can go a little longer before my hand starts to cramp out. At first, I felt like I was gliding a bit more, I wasn’t getting as much of that friction compared to the SPen,  but after an hour or so the nib must have softened up because they feel pretty much identical now. I took the nibs out of both and they’re actually interchangeable, which is nice to see. 

On paper, you’re getting the same levels of pressure sensitivity, but I feel like I have a lot more control with the LAMY. I find it almost impossible to draw really light lines with the S-Pen, but I can do it with the LAMY with no problem. If you do a lot of sketching, you’ll definitely notice the difference. 

Now, usually with a cap pen, Most of us will put it on the back of the pen and write like this, but because the cap alone is like 8g, I really didn’t like it. It completely throws off the balance so I just usually leave it off to the side. Just be careful because without the cap on, the pen rolls around a lot easier.

You still have this physical button that activates the eraser or brings up the air command menu. It sits flush and they placed it a little higher up on the grip, so you’re not accidentally hitting it while you’re writing. The physical button is one of my favorite things about the S-Pen, so I’m glad this has one too. 

Besides the build and improved ergonomics, you’re gonna get a very similar experience. It can pretty much do everything the S-Pen can do except for one main thing. It’s biggest drawback is that you lose all of that Bluetooth functionality built into the S-Pen. So, if you’re a fan of air actions or use the remote functions regularly, you’re gonna want to just stick with the S-Pen.  The 2nd drawback is storage. As you know, the S-Pen can magnetically attach to the top, bottom and of course on the back of the Tab S7+. You can’t do that with the LAMY.

If your initial reaction to this is - Why in the world would I spend more money on another stylus when Samsung already bundles this one, then... this isn’t for you. If you ask me, I’d say this is more of a nice to have, rather than a must have. It's the ultimate upgrade for avid note takers. If you take tons of notes for work or school, you’ll definitely appreciate the build quality and improved ergonomics. LAMY have literally been producing pens since 1930, so that’s to be expected. Personally, I don’t see myself carrying this around, so if I’m gonna be travelling, I’ll likely just stick to the SPEN. But when I’m home, I’ll definitely be using the LAMY for the better writing ergonomics.

Check out the LAMY Al-Star Black EMR HERE (Affiliate Link - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Honesty is key on my blog, thank you for supporting me)

Watch my video review HERE