Chromebooks are about to get better stylus options for drawing

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

The Universal Stylus Initiative has established a new USI 2.0 open stylus standard, which includes new features that will make it easier to use on Chromebooks.

The new feature of wireless charging is compatible with the newest version of the Near Field Communication standard, which means that it can be used with compatible devices. More devices can host wireless charging for attached styli, like how the Apple Pencil 2 charges against an iPad, because of the USI 2.0 standard.

USI technology can be found on many Chromebook devices. The standard gained traction among manufacturers after they joined the initiative, but has not been widely implemented on other devices.

The USI standard allows for stylus interoperability between different screens and devices, a key benefit over proprietary technologies such as Microsoft's Surface Pen and Apple's Pencil. USI styli can retain settings within the stylus itself. There is support for new or existing USI compatible styli that can be added by manufacturers.

With the new USI 2.0 standard, in-cell screens that combine the panel and the digitizer into one thin layer are now included. The USI can support an expanded color palette of over 16 million colors. Future styli can have more tilt and shading functions.