Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen Review: The Ergonomically better S Pen

If you were to purchase or if you have purchased the newer Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, you’d realize – one of the freebies that it comes along with is the Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen and unlike the usual Twin pen which we have indeed seen with LAMY that consist of a ball point and a Mechanical Pencil, this one replaces the mechanical pencil for the EMS enabled S Pen – So, our question is, is this is the Pen we have been waiting for?

Look and Feel

1/5

The Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen isn’t different from your usual German-made LAMY Twin Pen. It has the same plastic construction, that signature clip and the coarse finish that isn’t really course but it’s like a nice rough kind of feel that helps you grip the pen very well and not to forget, you have three flat sides on the pen for you to hold it comfortably. In my case, this is pretty useless because not only am I left-handed, but I also hold my pen in a way that I’d like to call it different, others call it bizarre.

The thing that you will really notice that there’s a subtle change is the little logo on the pen that shows which tool comes out when you twist it. So, twist it to the left, you have a ball point pen and twist it to the right, you have the S Pen. When you are done, you will have to twist it and leave it right in the middle, to retract the tool when it’s not in use.

The problem with this is that: when you do twist it to the middle (halfway if you will), it doesn’t really instill that confidence as there’s no lock mechanism for it to prevent from accidentally twisting and opening the Pen or the S Pen which might damage the tip, specifically for the S Pen as it only has two extra replacements in the box.

Specification

In terms of specification, there isn’t much to say about the Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen as it is straightforward:

• Ball Point: LAMY M21 Ballpoint Refill (Black)
• S Pen EMR Digitizer: similar to the S21 Ultra S Pen
• 7 grams in weight
• Black color polycarbonate body

As a Pen

The Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen, as a pen is a bit of a hit-and-miss for various reason. Before I talk about this particular pen, I’d like to talk about the Safari Twin Pen which is no longer made as far as I know because those pens have a distinctive rubberized top. These pens by default come with a Ball Point pen, and not a rollerball. To be frank, at that price point, it is quite a tough pill to swallow but it’s quite alright really, as you can see the eBay prices converts roughly to RM150.

But the Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen is no “cheap” pen, but unfortunately, it still uses a ball point pen rather than a roller ball which is smooth and consistent. Personally, I have never been a fan of LAMY’s roller ball because it does skip ink which can be noticed here in comparison to my go-to ball point, Uni Jetstream Edge, which in my opinion a magnificent ball point pen and as a lefty, given the ink dries up extremely fast, makes it convenient, leaving no smudges on paper. But, say if you are like me, who isn’t convinced by the LAMY M21 refill that it comes with, there’s good news for us.

Now, Lamy M21 Ballpoint is a D1 size refill, and these refills are particularly made for their multi-pens and in this case, this Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen is a multi-pen. The thing is, other manufacturers like Uni, Kaweco, Pilot and even Mont Blanc makes the exact D1 Pen refills with several types like fine point, gel, So, if say you want to replace it with a different refill, the option is open. Chances are, I’d pick up the Uni Jetstream SXR-200 D1 Multipen refill and use it with the LAMY pen. At the end of the day, if it fits my preference, that’s all it matters.

You can click here to check out some of the refills available in the market, and to be very honest – if you live in Malaysia, your best bet are: CZiplee and PenGallery. The pen aspect is done, now what about the S Pen?

As an S Pen, with the Galaxy S22 Ultra

Now, to be very honest, the Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen – with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, has its pros and cons. For one, incorporating the S Pen into a proper pen is a genius idea, giving the users to be able to write legibly and have a nice flow. This has got to be the best part of the twin pen. The cons-but-not-really-one-but-feels-like-one is that this pen doesn’t go well with the S22 Ultra.

For one, the S Pen that comes baked within the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the only pen you will need, ever. Given that it has all the bells and whistles to give you all that you need, makes it perfect – with the support for Screen Off Notes and all that – which we spoke about it in another “review”, you can click here to read.

The Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen’s S Pen aspect works exactly the way the S21 Ultra S Pen work, being a passive pen and lacks the button for you to trigger the S Pen quick panel and even screen off notes mode. It’s a nice pen for you to immediately whip out or if you’re like myself, who still rely on a physical planner, notepad and jumps between the S22 Ultra’s screen and your notebook back and forth. Otherwise, it’s a wasted opportunity.

On the side note, the only place where I see this Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen excelling is among users who have the Samsung Galaxy Tab S Series, including the new Galaxy Tab S8 Series – which is something we have yet to look at, and hope to review soon. Given that it has a bigger real estate, more flexibility to maneuver the Twin Pen around, makes it an excellent tool for the tablet. Sure, it does come with a pen on its own but having an S Pen and shaped like a normal pen gives the user that natural flow and experience overall – think of it like the Apple Pencil, but this is the Samsung Pen.

Conclusion

If you got Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen for free with your phone, good for you. At RM 269, it’s not something I can go about and recommend you to buy one – in fact, Samsung Malaysia site lists it as an accessory you can purchase but there’s no way you can purchase it online. If you heavily rely on a physical notebook, planner, whatever it is, and use the S22 Ultra or the S Series Tablet, well then it is a valuable tool that lets you switch back and forth with a twist, but the device I can really see it excel better, is without a doubt the Samsung Galaxy Tab S Series.

Thanks to our wallets for purchasing the Galaxy X LAMY Safari Twin Pen to make this content happen.