Well, I thought I'd share my findings here on my blog in hopes that some of you could benefit from it. Sharing is caring :)
It's iPad Stylus Comparison Time!
Did you get in on the Black Friday sale on a new iPad yet?
These newer iPads work with Apple Pencil, but those things are really, really pricey, so I set out to look at alternatives. 🤑
Lots of styluses are on sale now and choice paralysis is setting in. Maybe these considerations could help YOU decide so have a look:
✏️Compared to the Adonit Note, the Crayon can make thick and thin lines because it supports tilt, but I'm still not yet sure if that means you can make shading in sketches happen or not. None of the sub-$50 stylus models seem to support pressure sensitivity, so you'll need to pick and choose from their other features. Reviewers on Amazon for the Adonit Note report a better on/off/connection experience compared to the Adonit Crayon. Both have nibs that wear out over time and need to be replaced, but they are soft on the iPad's glass and don't scratch. I still think it sucks that they don't come with replacement nibs. You'll need to factor in the replacement pricing towards the total cost over ownership.
✏️Then there are the lesser-known (or not really known at all) brands like FoJoJo — which is just fun to say. Styli made by these makers all seem to be knock-offs of each other and it's difficult to tell from the reviews how well these models will hold up over time or if they'll be supported with new firmware down the road when needed. (Hello, FiftyThree Pencil, anyone? :(
✏️The thing that frustrates me about the "carbon fiber" nibs is that I can't seem to determine whether or not they can or will scratch the iPad's glass. The details are sketchy at best. (See what I did there?) In some of the product details they recommend that you put a screen protector on your iPad, but they don't want to admit it's because their nib could potentially scratch the glass like some buyers reported. It says on other product details that the nib is smooth and won't scratch, so which is it?! They all seem to provide replacement nibs, which is handy. but compared to the cost of having to get a screen protector, we're then back to factoring in yet another add-on to the total cost. There is a 5-minute auto-shut off feature which, at first I thought was cool, but then I thought about how frequently I get distracted by interruptions and then I imagined that it would feel like it was constantly losing the connection, so now I'm not so sure if that will be a good feature. One last thing to consider is power button placement. Some look like they would get pressed by accident while others are a tap on the top which might be better.
🛍Either way, these are all great alternatives to the pricier Apple Pencil if you don't need the additional bells and whistles. If you can keep your expectations reasonable for whether or not the money you save is worth the lack of longevity and future support, then one of these might get you creating more with your fancy new iPad!
Here are the three I've been comparing: (The Adonit went on sale again while I was writing this!)
✍️Logotech Crayon:
✍️Adonit Note:
✍️FoJoJo:
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