As mentioned on an earlier Happy Hour podcast, I have a giant collection of iPad styluses, having tested dozens of them since the first iPad debuted in 2010. Earlier this week, my colleague Zac Hall reviewed the best (and most expensive) iPad stylus, Apple’s brand-new $99 Apple Pencil, which is hard to find in stores, and only works with the 12.9″ iPad Pro.
Since the Apple Pencil is two to six times as expensive as some other options, I wanted to spotlight its key strengths and weaknesses relative to rivals, all of which are more broadly compatible and readily available to purchase. During testing, I discovered that the Apple Pencil actually benefits from a surprising little Apple software cheat to make an ultra-fine first impression…
Apple Pencil: Fantastic If You’re Willing to Spend $99, Give Up Buttons, And Recharge Often
Once you’ve used the Apple Pencil, you’ll have no doubt that Apple’s first iPad stylus was worth the (very long) wait. Despite the fact that it’s unapologetically and almost entirely plastic, it’s unusually long and perfectly weighted to feel great in an adult hand, benefitting from excellent palm rejection so you can write or draw naturally as your wrist rests on the iPad’s screen. While including pressure and orientation sensors that help the iPad determine how forcefully and on what angle it’s being used, Apple has completely stripped it of buttons, removing the need to manually power it on. And rather than demanding disposable batteries or a charging cable, it has a hidden Lightning plug that lets it recharge directly from the iPad Pro it’s used with. Even if you (reasonably) question the wisdom of some of Apple’s design decisions, they collectively make the Apple Pencil a dead simple writing and drawing tool to use… assuming it has a battery charge.
The iPad Pro screenshot below shows how writing with the Apple Pencil (in Apple’s Notes app) differs from other styluses. What you can easily see is the tighter, thinner, and more detailed writing Apple Pencil delivers, but less obvious are the added hand comfort delivered by palm rejection, or the impact of pressure sensitivity, which makes some of the Apple Pencil writing look darker or lighter based on the way the stylus was applied to the screen. These features are found in a handful of rival styluses, but rarely supported by third-party apps.
Apart from the price tag, which is higher than almost every other iPad stylus, Apple Pencil’s key limitations are in run time and buttons. Apple promises 12 hours of battery life per charge, which isn’t terrible in concept, but becomes a more serious issue than with other styluses because there’s no way to manually turn the Pencil off. Additionally, the iPad Pro’s Bluetooth remains on to maintain communication with the Pencil, modestly impacting its battery life as well. Add to that the Pencil’s lack of control buttons — say, an undo or eraser button — and it’s clear that Apple has left room for improvement in a future sequel.
If you want to skip the Apple Pencil, there are four broad categories of iPad stylus alternatives out there, differentiated by two factors: the presence/lack of a fine-point electric writing tip, and the presence/lack of Bluetooth support. Some styluses have both a fine-point electric tip and Bluetooth, while others have one feature or the other, and many have neither. Here’s how the Apple Pencil compares to each category.
1. Apple Pencil Versus Adonit’s Jot Dash (And Other Electric-Tipped, Non-Bluetooth Styluses)
Shorter by an inch but otherwise wonderfully designed, Adonit’s Jot Dash ($40-$50, shown above in gunmetal) can be had for under half the price of the Apple Pencil, and is easy to recommend as an alternative for earlier iPads. Made from anodized aluminum and built with a shirt clip, Jot Dash has an electronically-powered 1.9mm fine tip and a very subtle but wonderfully implemented button — on the back, in the same place as the retracting mechanism of a ballpoint pen, you can press down to turn Dash on or off, conserving its battery. So while it promises 14 hours of run time, those hours don’t evaporate while Dash is actually sitting unused, which happens with Apple Pencil. Dash also includes a magnetic USB recharging base, and works with multiple iPads, through it seems to have some sensitivity issues with the iPad Pro.
In real world use, Jot Dash has three primary disadvantages relative to Apple Pencil. First, it doesn’t have palm rejection, which in most cases means that you’ll need to hover your hand over the screen to write with it. Second, while Dash’s tip can be precise when writing on screen, Apple’s Notes app cheats a little, automatically giving Pencil a thinner version of whatever pencil or pen other styluses are using. That makes Pencil’s output look crisper — a difference Apple might attribute to increased pixel-level confidence in Pencil’s location compared with other styluses. (In other apps, the results of Dash and Apple Pencil look far more similar.) Third, Dash doesn’t use Bluetooth, and so can’t share pressure sensitivity or orientation data with the iPad. As more developers start to support these features in the Apple Pencil, the gulf between Pencil and rivals will grow.
Jot Dash is noteworthy because it’s so small and wonderfully designed, but there are a bunch of other capacitive non-Bluetooth styluses out there. The Joy Factory’s AAAA-batteried Pinpoint ($30) and rechargeable Pinpoint X1 ($50) work with pre-iPad Air 2 models, while Lynktec’s Apex Rechargeable ($55) is a little larger, but works with all iPads, and is micro-USB rechargeable. Just Mobile’s AluPen Digital ($49) has one of the nicest designs but is quite thick to accommodate a AAA battery. Overall, I’d pick Jot Dash as the winner in this batch, but you may prefer the design of another option.
2. Apple Pencil Versus Wacom’s Intuos CS2 (And Other Electric-Tipped Bluetooth Styluses)
Several of Apple Pencil’s super powers are attributable to its use of Bluetooth hardware, which enables the stylus to wirelessly communicate tip pressure and angle data directly to the iPad Pro. Thus far, this data can be used to make writing look light, medium, or dark depending on how hard you’re pressing, or make thicker pen strokes, or simulate how the edge of a drawing tool adds thicker bars of color when raking across a surface. Apple Pencil isn’t the first iPad stylus to offer these features, but earlier rivals had to lobby third-party developers to support their tools, individually. App support barely materialized for third-party styluses, an issue the Apple Pencil certainly won’t have to worry about.
Perhaps the best-known of the electric-tipped Bluetooth styluses is Wacom’s Intuos Creative Stylus 2 ($61, shown in silver above), sequel to the earlier, rubber-tipped Intuos Creative Stylus ($17-$22, shown in black). Both Creative Styluses make a great first impression as they arrive in hard plastic boxes with replacement tips and power accessories, sporting pressure sensitive tips, side shortcut buttons, and the promise of palm rejection support in software. Stylus 2 added a micro-USB 22-hour rechargeable battery and finer tip to the original model. Unfortunately, less than 20 apps were compatible with each of the new Styluses, and some only supported one or two of the Bluetooth-enabled features.
Adonit’s Jot Script ($35) and Jot Script 2 ($65) start with the 1.9mm capacitive tip of Jot Dash, but add Bluetooth 4 support to provide tip angle and palm rejection-assisting location data. Script is AAA-powered; Script 2 has a 20-hour rechargeable battery. The hitches are that the palm rejection and angle features are only supported by a handful of apps, and many people have found the palm rejection to be of limited value — in my testing, it’s certainly not as good as the Apple Pencil’s, and in most cases, not close. Adonit also makes a step-up model called Jot Touch with Pixelpoint ($75-80) that includes a 3.18mm capacitive, pressure-sensitive tip and two shortcut buttons. These features are compatible with a few apps — not enough to justify the expenditure, in my view, and Jot Touch doesn’t work properly with the iPad Air 2.
3. Apple Pencil Versus Ten One’s Pogo Connect 2 (And Other Non-Electric-Tipped, Bluetooth Styluses)
Perhaps the best known examples of Bluetooth styluses with non-electric tips are Ten One Design’s Pogo Connect 2 ($40) and Adonit’s Jot Touch 4 ($60). Both are sequels to earlier Bluetooth styluses, sporting data-driven features: Pogo Connect 2 includes pressure sensitivity, palm rejection, and a location beacon to help you find it if it gets lost. The software features all depend on third-party app support, which with just over 50 apps (albeit with varying levels of feature support) is stronger for Pogo than most Bluetooth styluses. Jot Touch 4 debuted as a palm-rejecting, pressure-sensitive, and twin shortcut button-laden version of Jot Pro (discussed below), but has vanished from Adonit’s site. It promised that nearly 20 apps would support the stylus, but compatibility status is presently unclear. Pogo Connect 2 is clearly the better pick overall.
Pogo Connect’s other special feature: it actually supports replaceable magnetic tips, including finer-point rubber nubs and paintbrush tops, all of which are sold separately. It’s going to be interesting to see whether Apple “borrows” this feature for the Apple Pencil in the future.
4. Apple Pencil Versus Hundreds Of Non-Electric-Tipped, Non-Bluetooth Styluses
The easiest sort of stylus to make is one with a non-electric tip and no Bluetooth functionality; almost always rubber-domed, these styluses have been flooding the market for years. Their major differentiators are the material used for the shaft of the stylus (typically metal, sometimes plastic), whether or not they have a shirt clip (most don’t), and their length (most vary from around 3″ to 5″). In terms of accuracy, you might as well be using your finger to write or draw with one of these, but if you use your iPad with gloves on in cold weather, or prefer to hold something rather than using your fingertip, these aren’t terrible options. They are also compatible with all iPad apps, and all iPad models, with no restrictions; the iPad treats them just like fingers.
Lynktec’s TruGlide Pro ($15) is the rare stylus of this sort with a mesh rather than rubber tip; it doesn’t wear down as fast, but requires a little extra pressure. Nomad Brush’s FleX ($30) and Compose ($32) are even rarer variants, with capacitive synthetic paintbrush heads that can be used in painting apps; FleX has one head, Compose two, while a Mini 2 ($34) version has a retractable brush on one end and a dome on the other. The other standout is Adonit’s Jot Pro ($22-$30, color-dependent), which uses a special pivoting hard plastic and metal tip rather than a rubber dome; some people love (and continue to rave about) the accuracy of this tip, but I’ve never been a huge fan.
My Advice
Thanks to the Apple Pencil’s release — and its complete incompatibility with all iPad models besides the iPad Pro — the stylus market will be changing over the next couple of years. If you have an iPad Pro and are thinking of getting a stylus, don’t hesitate to (try and) get the Apple Pencil; it delivers the best overall experience, even though it’s certainly not cheap, and presently difficult to find in stores.
For non-Pro iPads, my personal suggestions would be Adonit’s Jot Dash if palm rejection and pressure sensitivity aren’t important to you, Ten One Design’s Pogo Connect 2 if you need those features (with respectable app support), or a more basic non-powered stylus such as Jot Pro if you need the slightly improved writing precision you’d get from holding a pen-like tool. Their prices are all reasonable at this point, so you’ll certainly get your money’s worth from any stylus you use while the dust from Apple Pencil is settling.
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You write
Despite the fact that it’s unapologetically and almost entirely plastic
It is actually reassuring to me that I’m working above my display with something that doesn’t seem like it could scratch the display. It does not feel cheap! The tear down showed that there is a metal case inside and solid build quality.
Some have criticized the lack of a clip. However a clip can define the way a person holds a pen (with the clip away from their hand). The Apple pencil is used in any orientation which will result in even wear all around the tip.
I agree, it doesn’t feel cheap at all. very solid, and the gloss finish reminds me of woodless pencils, which are just solid graphite pencils covered in lacquer.
A third party could make a clip for it in about 5min. In fact, anyone who wants a clip, could put a clip on it in about 5min of looking through pens.
There’s no way to turn it off but when it’s not being used and not moving its not leaking battery, at least that’s my experience.
The reason why the Apple Pencil won’t work with other IPads is due to the screen technology in the iPad Pro, until Apple releases the same technology in future iPads, we’ll be stuck using the Apple Pencil only with the Pro model.
I just wish they got rid of the Lightning cable and did a magnetically charging version and added an eraser at the other end and then had a button, that would be ideal for a top end digital pen.
Also, we still don’t know the levels of sensitivity. The top end Wacom is 2048, the Microsoft Pen is 1024.
Agreed on every suggestion you just made regarding additional features; I’d add to it swappable tip styles, but nothing else. Re: pressure sensing, having tested prior styli with ‘2048’ levels of sensitivity, the numbers seem pretty hard to truly quantify in any meaningful way. Whatever Pencil has, it’s good enough IMO.
An eraser isn’t actually a good idea at all. First of all, your other hand can press the the eraser button instantly, secondly an eraser means you have to physically flip the pencil around once to get to the eraser and then again to get back to writing which takes FAR longer than just pressing the on screen eraser or back buttons. And finally, using the tip of the pencil means that you have far far greater accuracy and precision for erasing as opposed to a big round blunt eraser on the other end of the pencil.
So once again, Apple nailed the hardware design, as they almost always do.
Software is their current weak-point.
When Apple adds an eraser, you’ll love it. And probably have a list of reasons why it was exactly the right idea at the right time.
I just gave the reasons why I think it would be a bad idea. Your assumption is that I love everything Apple does. I can list the reasons I think they’re screwing up majorly, but it would be a long list, and almost entirely software related. I’m with you guys on the iPad software needing total reimaging, it’s sad.
I’d say it might be cool if the pencil sensed touch so you could say double tap it with your index finger which is already resting on it to switch to the eraser, but I mean that’s adding all that for only a little convenience I think.
When using ACTUAL pencils wth erasers on the end, I have no issues flipping it over (pretty quickly because of all those years of practice behind classroom desks) to erase..and I believe many people are used to it as well.. it has become natural…
I’m sure the next version of Apple’s Pencil will have eraser tip on opposite end.. they just need to figure out a better charging solution..
Agree! Is more easy and accurate to select a software eraser. The eraser at the end of the device is a fancy feature trying to resemble something that only pencils used by children in school include. Pro pencils used by pro artists don´t, simply because they are terrible and scratch the paper. They use good erasers for properly removing undesired lines. So including in the pro sounds cool but it is not the best option by any means. In other way: it would´t be pro.
An eraser makes sense on an analog pencil… It makes absolutely no sense on a digital pencil, I’m sorry, it just isn’t intelligent design. Flipping a digital pencil around is taking an aspect of an analog pencil and slapping it on a digital pencil for the sake of continuity with a non-smart tool. I’m sorry, but in no way, is it a good idea. Your other hand is right there to tap the eraser, instantly, or they could even allow you to seamlessly erase with your finger, while you write with the pencil.
At the maximum they should do what I suggested with a double tap on the pencil with your index finger to switch to the eraser, before putting an eraser on the back of the pencil.
Having a rear eraser actually makes complete sense for a digital pencil, even moreso than with an analog pencil. The act of erasing is obviously necessary and valuable alongside the acts of writing or drawing, and unlike analog erasers, there’s no room to blame imperfections in the digital eraser’s functionality for leaving stray marks on the page. I would think, Apple marketing aside, that most people would agree that the two key things that distinguish a ‘pencil’ from a ‘pen’ are the presence of an eraser and the premise that markings are not necessarily permanent.
Further, I cannot fathom how anyone could seriously criticize a tool that could easily be flipped to start erasing, rather than needing to poke someplace on the screen to switch tools from writing to erasing, then erase, then switch tools back again from erasing to writing. The Apple Pencil has orientation sensors built in; why complicate the intuitive way of erasing by introducing double-taps or other foreign gestures? Apart from a relatively small group of users, very few of whom would actually complain if an eraser was built in, most Apple Pencil buyers would consider flipping the tool to be a natural and intuitive way to erase, and hugely more convenient than the alternatives. This is the key area where 53’s Pencil got it right over Apple’s Pencil (as discussed further below).
Okay well flipping it around makes no sense for a digital device, to me, and clearly to Apple as they didn’t do it. Don’t expect them to do it, it’s not like they didn’t consider an eraser. It’s not happening. Double tap with index finger makes about a million times more sense than flipping it around and then flipping it back around, just saying. And again, the eraser on the back wouldn’t be a fine point, it’s a big blunt point (unless you want it to look absolutely hideous) and much harder to get fine erasing, which is even more important digitally.
The fact that Apple didn’t do it in Pencil v1 has nothing to do with whether Apple thought it made sense. Apple repeatedly releases products that are obviously deficient in some way only to solve the issues a year or two later. I would wager the omission had everything to do with the engineering issues surrounding recharging the Pencil using Lightning. Would have made a ton of sense to attach it magnetically to the Smart Connector and draw power that way, just like the Smart Keyboard, but there was probably some reason (such as the shape of the Pencil) that didn’t happen. If they replace Lightning on v2, there will be an eraser on the back, and people will love it.
Haha seriously? You act like they didn’t think of all of that.
Yeah, seriously. It’s one thing to “think of all of that” and another to be able to engineer it into a shipping product. That’s why Apple (for the last five years) has been filing patents for yet-to-be-released stylus features such as haptic feedback, advanced stylus-dependent handwriting recognition, integrated video and audio recorders, and… yup, an eraser on the back end:
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2014/01/apple-continues-to-advance-the-ipen-in-3-new-detailed-filings.html
This whole “Apple only releases the ideally realized product, every time” train of thought is nonsense. It ships good products, then refines them to fix obvious omissions and add compelling new features. Most people would consider an eraser to be an obvious omission from a pencil, and the current Apple Pencil charging system (sticking out 7 inches from the bottom of the iPad Pro) to be bizarre. When Apple is capable of remedying both issues, it will.
The Apple pencil should never have any buttons on it. Why would you need buttons by the way? You can manipulate the screen with the other hand while you’re using the pencil…
I first bought a Wacom Bamboo stylus and I’m totally disappointed with it. It’s a total hit-and-miss story, where you have to exert lots of pressure for the input to register continuously (was like this from day 1). I very much regretted the purchase, so I then went for an Adonit Jot Flip…
The Flip works beautifully if you’re only drawing vertical lines. If you’re drawing anything relatively horizontal, the lines appear roughly 3-4mm higher than the tip of the stylus. Always!
So, my take is: steer clear out of either of those two products. I’m definitely NOT buying another Adonit stylus with a tip similar to the Flip.
Having read this article, I’m now tempted to buy a Wacom Intuos Creative 2 stylus and that’ll be the end of it, until Apple releases the right hardware for my tastes (an iPad mini that’s Pencil-compatible, and a new Pencil that can be switched off manually)
If you have that issue with the asking stylus. Don’t get the intuos stylus. I have it and the same issue happens. I think it’s just an issue of the software capabilities now.
I’m going to get the apple pencil for the palm rejection and the precision of it.
The pencil appears to go to sleep when it’s not being moved around, so the fact it has no on/off switch is irrelevant. As a test, we left our Pencil fully charged lying io the desk for a full day and when we returned, and picked it up, it woke up, reconnected to the iPad Pro, and reported its charge level still at 100%.
Thank you for finding that Apple isn’t completely oblivious to simple problems. People talking about switches on the pencil..
If you leave the Pencil on a flat surface, great. My colleague Zac Hall carries his in a pocket. I carry mine along with the iPad Pro using a UAG case. These motions – ones that are normal for some users – regrettably appear to trigger battery drain.
Further to this, I left the iPad Pro sitting overnight with the Apple Pencil beside it, and the Pencil’s battery is down 20% with zero use. Zac reported similar drain with his.
I just picked up an Apple Pencil and look forward to using it with my iPad Pro… I don’t know if you’ve heard that iPad Pro’s are having trouble with shutting themselves off after being charged all night! Some don’t come back on… My first iPad Pro had to be returned because of this glitch. I even got a call from an exec. about what went on prior to my iPad shutting down. It was turned on by an employee of Apple Store Boston, but I chose to replace it. I should have waited because that one had my company’s name printed on the back! I guess Apple is looking to correct the problem, so I was asked if it happens to this one would I contact his department to help with getting answers to what’s causing this shutdown. That’s something that could be looked into?
I noticed you didn’t include Fifty Three’s Pencil stylus in your comparisons. I’m curious how you think it measures up.
I’ve used 53’s Pencil briefly and have mixed feelings about it. On the positive side, I think its flip to erase concept is awesome, I like the texture choices 53 made for the body, and I think they picked almost all the right features to implement with Bluetooth. I can easily understand why some people (including fans of 53’s Paper app) would really like the design.
That said, it’s not the sort of stylus I personally prefer to use. It’s deliberately chunky, and I strongly prefer the feel of a longer and slimmer design like Apple’s Pencil. The use of a large rubber dome tip is also not ideal from my perspective as someone who primarily -writes- rather than draws; I write much better with a finer-point plastic or metal tip like the ones Apple and Adonit chose, but artists may feel otherwise. App support is also very limited (under 20 apps), which means that the palm rejection, eraser, and pressure sensitivity only work with certain software, the same issue plaguing other Bluetooth styluses. But the price is pretty appealing right now, so if the design appeals to your needs, go for it.
Great review. I am also a stylus addict on the iPad and concur that the Pencil is by far the best writing experience available on an iPad. But…. you get as good results or better with the S-pen on a Samsung tablet for way way less money. Plus the s-pen has no recharge requirements, comes with the tablet and fits into a slot inside the body. The Galaxy Note Pro is around the same size as the iPad pro and I would say equally good as a writing experience but just over half the price of an iPad pro and pencil.
I have been a big iPad fan for years but haven’t used any of my 3 Ipads since I picked up a Samsung Galaxy tab A 9.7 with S-pen about a month ago, and it was $299. Sorry Apple – just not good enough.
I wonder why you didn’t compare Apple pencil with this. http://www.fiftythree.com/pencil
Although 56 Pencil is fully supported only when apps use its SDK, it should be very comparable.
Yes. Apple Pencil can work more precisely with iPad pro like how accurate, how many pressure level higher-end of Wacom tablets have than its lower-end siblings. However, just like lower-level of Wacom tablets provide sufficient functionality, 56’s Pencil would provide enough functionality.
No eraser is fine. I rarely use it on my Cintiq. I have a key toggle set on a button and that makes it easier for me. I also have the hardware buttons disabled, so I don’t care about that. It’s the stupidest looking thing to charge the Pencil sticking out of the iPad, but if it bothers you that much, buy a charging cable from Amazon for $11 and charge it, while also not looking stupid or stabbing your spouse in the leg/eye/arm while showing your artwork to them. The real benefit is that you can continue to draw while charging.
Apple put their R&D into making, in my opinion, the world’s best digital drawing experience to have ever existed. I have tried a LOT of $100 styluses. The Adonit Pixelpoint Jot 4 is exceptional, and I will take the Apple Pencil all day over it as long as I have the iPad Pro hardware in hand.
Things they missed:
1. Not magnetically charged.
2. The cap is not screw on, thus risking losing it.
3. Literally nowhere to put it besides in a case or bag with your iPad Pro. They really should at LEAST have shipping the Apple Cover or Apple Keyboard with a clip to store it with the device.
Minor gripes. The thing does perform its intended purpose very well, and that’s what matters the most. Surface Pen Jitters too much for me. As it’s only comparable rival (reason being, the same company making both pieces of hardware so in theory there should be no issues with the actual drawing) the Pencil beats everything.
My Pencil arrived on the 23rd December in time for Christmas. It was worth the wait. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about an eraser on the back end. I find that I like to pick the type of eraser I use. I bought the iPad Pro because of the Pencil and the size of the device. This is like drawing on drawing pad. The drawing software is outstanding for a tablet. Having said that, I’m an Android man, and apart from the Pencil and the drawing and painting software available, I would never buy an iPhone or another iPad because they drive me nuts. I was only interested in the Pencil, the Pro’s size, and how good the software is. Apple needs to start learning from Android. I can imagine Samsung coming up with something just as good soon, and a device much easier to use. I only have so much hair to pull out.
What I also like about the Pencil is that I can actually type fasters with the Pencil than using my fingers. What I however don’t understand is why the on screen keyboard doesn’t have arrow keys like I have on my Samsung Tab S.
Another criticism I have is the poor quality of the photos when taken and the fact that there is no flash. Seems a bit strange for a device that is being promoted in the way the iPad Pro is.