Review of all Apple Pencil features. How to replace Apple's Pencil

Apple Pencil is a drawing device for iPad tablets. Initially, the appearance of this gadget caused a mixed reaction among fans of Apple technology. After all, the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, promoted purely manual control of equipment produced by the legendary company, and the stylus, in his opinion, is a relic of the past. Therefore, Apple promised not to produce this, in their opinion, unnecessary accessory.

In support of styluses, it is still worth saying that people of certain professions really need this tool, so the founder of Apple may have been deeply mistaken when making such statements. Since Apple lost its key figure, Steve Jobs, from its leadership team, their views have clearly changed somewhat. They did see a certain category of people in the market who would be interested in the appearance of the Apple Pencil for the iPad Pro.

Specifications

Apple Pencil has the following parameters:

Contents of delivery

The standard set includes:

Apple Pencil
Lightning adapter
Extra tip

Standard equipment, price and description of Apple Pencil

So, the company has released a standard stylus that comes with:

Reserve cap for Apple Pencil;
Adapter for charging from a cable.

By and large, the Apple Pencil is just an additional accessory for the iPad Pro series tablets, which can be purchased separately. Apple tablets do not come standard with a stylus. Of course, most people can quite successfully operate touch screens with their fingers, and, nevertheless, the new product has found its buyer and has already gained popularity in certain circles, for example, designers, planners and people of other professions never tire of singing the praises of Apple Pencil for iPad Pro .

Some are confused by the cost of the Apple Pencil; in Russia its price tag is close to 8,000 rubles, but do not forget that, for example, styluses for Wacom tablets cost about 10,000 rubles, so the issue of price is moot.

As for the appearance, like other equipment from the company, the Pencil looks excellent. The design of the Apple “pencil” is kept in a laconic style, has a uniform, smooth, glossy surface, only on the rim, under the magnetic cap you can see the inscription (manufacturer’s name), under this cap there is actually a hidden connector that allows you to charge the stylus. The Apple Pencil case is made of durable white plastic.

The reliability of this product has been confirmed by numerous tests. The device is quite light in weight, only 20 grams, which is important for people who constantly use it at work.

Many people know that Apple produces high-quality equipment, where everything is thought out to the smallest detail, and the new gadget is no exception. The engineers designed it in such a way that even if the stylus rolls across the desk, and this will definitely happen, because it has a round shape and is absolutely smooth, the device will stop on its own, while the manufacturer’s logo will always look up.

Interestingly, the Apple Pencil does not have a battery charge indicator; you cannot track the charge level through the tablet. Most likely, the developers divided the calculations into high charging speeds. So, after just 15 seconds of charging, the device can work for half an hour, and to fully charge the device it will take about 10 minutes. A full charge will last for 12 hours.

When describing the Apple Pencil, one cannot help but mention the question that interests many: what devices does it interact with? Apple engineers did not deviate from the company's policy and created a gadget that is suitable only for use in tandem with Apple equipment. Apple Pencil is compatible with:

iPad Pro,
iPad Air,
iPad Mini,
iPhone.

Now it’s worth returning to the issue of charging again, since the Apple Pencil only works in conjunction with released Apple tablets, then there should be no problems with fully charging the battery. After all, you can connect a pencil to an existing device.

Apple's new product “understands” over 2000 degrees of pressure. Simply put, by increasing or decreasing pressure on the Apple Pencil, you adjust the thickness of the lines, and by tilting the gadget, you get shading. With these features, the Apple Pencil is very similar to a regular pencil, which certainly adds points to it. In addition, the high accuracy of the stylus reproduction is achieved due to the signal reading frequency, namely 240 times per second.

Using Apple Pencil, you can easily work on devices from the Cupertino company. It easily reproduces the simplest commands, movements on the screen, moving icons, etc., but if you need this gadget for creativity, then in order not to draw with your fingers you will have to master programs that can work with the Apple Pencil. Fortunately, there are many such products on the market today, so no one should have any difficulties with this.

Principle of operation

Most often, this gadget is used for drawing. The nuances of its operation can be seen using the standard Notes application as an example. There are three modes here, in each of which the Apple Pencil identifies the angle of the pen and the pressure applied, simulating drawing on real paper. For example, by selecting the “pencil” mode, you can make a sketch, and then, by increasing the angle of the device, shade the necessary details of the drawing.

There is another interesting “trick” here - a ruler. With its help you can easily draw straight lines. Simply use your Apple Pencil to draw a line next to this makeshift ruler and the app will reproduce it on the screen. At the same time, at first, when using this technique, a person usually waits for contact from the pencil touching the ruler, and experiences some inconvenience when this does not happen, but after several attempts, users adapt to this.

There are other programs for your iPad that are better suited for drawing and drawing. They have “pens” that allow you to create lines of different thicknesses, “watercolor brushes”, layers and transparency settings.

Comparison with analogues

The main competitor of this stylus is the Adonit Pixel from Adonit. Only professional designers can evaluate the convenience of each option, and the technical components are described in the table below.

Who needs an Apple Pencil?

Initially, Apple released a stylus for people in technical and creative professions, such as planners, designers, and artists. This tool greatly simplifies their work and saves time.

However, later, in addition to people of these professions, Apple Pencil for iPad Pro became a good solution for the management team of companies. Now managers can easily and quickly make the required adjustments to layouts, without writing out all the amendments point by point, working with documents, making comments on them, crossing out individual words or phrases. It’s much more convenient to do all this not using a keyboard and mouse, but using an interesting accessory – the Apple Pencil.

Steve Jobs once said that styluses are a thing of the past. Our devices, said the mastermind and creator of Apple, will never have styluses. But Steve left. And the new managers decided not to listen to his opinion on this issue, based, by the way, on a unique instinct, thanks to which perhaps the most successful brand in the world was born.

In the fall of 2015, the Apple giant introduced an accessory called the Apple Pencil along with the new iPad Pro tablet. At the presentation, however, they assured that this is by no means a stylus, but a convenient tool for drawing and working, a niche product for our most creative fans. Well let's figure out whatWhat Apple Pencil really is, and it’s not for nothing that the successors of Jobs’s work disobeyed him.

It's not for nothing that the Apple Pencil was introduced along with the iPad Pro. This device became the pioneer of a new line of Apple “tablets”. The Pro was positioned as a tablet that could replace a work laptop. The gadget received a powerful processor, 4 gigabytes of RAM unprecedented for Apple devices, an almost 13-inch screen, as well as a special connector into which a removable keyboard could be connected. Thus, Pro has become, at a minimum, just an ideal tool for demonstrating presentations and other materials to partners, while connecting a keyboard, you can quickly make edits to the document.

But on the other hand, it was even more convenient, easier and faster to make changes using... Apple Pencil! Well, if we think in this vein (let's be honest - the above reasoning can hardly be called illogical), the release of an accessory that suspiciously resembles a stylus can be considered completely justified. And, perhaps, given the circumstances that caused the appearance of this product, even Steve Jobs would not be against its “birth.”

A real exclusive: Apple Pencil for iPad Pro

iOS gadgets have eternal compatibility problems, and this is no secret to anyone. However, Apple Pencil for iPad Pro has crossed the line. The company was not afraid to present an accessory that at the time of presentation was compatible with only one device in the line!

In fairness, however, it should be said that the reason for the “limitations” of the Apple Pencil was quite valid - in order for the stylus to be convenient, fast and functional, the iPad Pro screen had to be equipped with a number of new technologies. Well, you understand that it was not possible to add them to already released devices, thus making the field of application of the accessory wider. However, now the second Pro has already been released and it is promised that the third will be released soon, so little by little the field of application of the Pencil will expand...

Owners of Apple Pencil are unfamiliar with the pangs of creativity

...as well as the functionality of the accessory, which at the time of release could hardly be called impressive. However, while the functionality was expanding, skeptics managed to write a bunch of negative reviews of the new device from the Apple giant and talk about a lot of its much cooler analogues. However, today, when Pencil has found its niche and become more functional, there is no need to talk negatively about its abilities.

The accessory is most loved by users who often have to face the task of drawing something - in other words - by designers from a variety of fields. You can make the first sketches of, say, a logo directly at a meeting with the customer; you can make edits, like “is it possible to make black blacker”, as they say, without leaving the cash register, without wasting time on a bunch of post-approvals.

Today there are quite a few applications for drawing, the most advanced of which at the moment is probably Procreate - its capabilities are appreciated by both designers and artists. However, you can even make a simple sketch in the native Notes application, which with Apple Pencil turns into something like Paint - different colors and tools are available - marker, ruler, eraser, etc. The thickness and type of line can also be selected in the program, but (!) the same thickness can also be changed, as they say, with a slight movement of the hand - press the i-pencil lighter, the line will become thinner, show a little more diligence - the thickness will increase.

Another cool feature is drawing through paper. What does it mean? And the fact is that if you want to quickly redraw something from a sheet of paper, you can put it on the display and quickly trace it with an i-pencil - and voila - the drawing is already on the tablet screen! Of course, the sheet should not be too thick, but, for example, classic printing paper is quite suitable.

Or maybe a stylus?

Apple Pencil, however, is good not only as a drawing tool - it is suitable wherever, as Apple itself assures, additional precision may be required. To be honest, it is very convenient even if you use it as... yes, an ill-fated stylus. The last century is the last century, but on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro the stylus can often be more convenient than a finger. For example, your hand is tired of being suspended, and you still have a lot of work to do - you need to look through your mail - take an i-pencil and start working with it, and you can put your hand on the screen - special technology will allow the display not to respond to palm pressure if you use an Apple Pencil .

Now let’s imagine that you don’t just need to look at your email - let’s say you work as an editor and have received texts for editing. You don’t necessarily have to turn on your computer, open Word and use the special “Review” tool; it’s much faster and more convenient to make notes from the iPad, and you don’t even need to sit at the table, you can, for example, lie on the sofa. In general, there may not be as few scenarios for using the Apple Pencil as it seems at first glance.

Fast and long lasting

As we said above, everyone knows about the compatibility problems of iOS devices, but it is also no secret that all Apple technology is very fast and responsive, and it also has no problems with autonomy. All these “compliments” are relevant for the i-pencil - its response speed is amazing. It’s also easy and quick to create a Bluetiich pair between an iPad and an Apple Pencil - you need to connect the device to the connector and, when prompted, tap “Create a pair.”

You can charge the Apple Pencil either through the tablet itself or through an outlet; a full charge occurs in about half an hour, after which the accessory can exist autonomously for up to 12 hours. In general, very decent. It's also nice that the charge level can be monitored through the notification center, and a notification appears when the charge level is low.

A few but...

However, no matter how fast and autonomous the Apple Pencil is and no matter how many possibilities it offers, there is no escaping its obvious shortcomings. Firstly, the Apple company’s engineers came up with a wildly strange charging mechanism - you need to remove the “cap” from the accessory and insert it into the Lightning connector of the tablet. It’s supposed to be convenient - they say you can charge it directly from the iPad, but in reality the design turns out to be wildly awkward and fragile - a very long “stick” sticks out of the tablet - one awkward movement and the connector will break.

Apparently, having realized the horror of the situation, when it was too late to fix something, it was decided to include a special adapter with the i-pencil - it is put on the accessory and a charging cable is attached to the adapter, which is inserted into the socket. Of course, you’re not afraid to break the connector here, but, you see, the “vegetable garden” turns out to be a notable one, it’s almost tempting to say that this would not have happened under Jobs.

Another obvious design disadvantage is the lack of a mechanism for attaching the Apple Pencil to the tablet - yes, it seems to be magnetic to the case, but it’s very flimsy, that is, you can magnetize it so that it doesn’t get lost on your desktop among papers, but it’s unlikely to be moved somewhere in this form If anyone makes up his mind, he will fall.

And finally, it should be noted that when working with an i-pencil, the iPad discharges very quickly - after half an hour of use, 10 percent of the charge is lost.

A matter of taste

Also, many people attribute the disadvantages of the Apple Pencil to the fact that this accessory does not look at all Apple-like, they say, it lacks grace and soul. However, this, of course, is a matter of taste - one might say boring, or one might say organic. Besides, an artist shouldn’t be distracted, right?

Price issue

Stop. You didn’t think until now that the i-pencil comes completely free with the iPad Pro? No. Apple in this case would not be Apple. Of course, you have to pay quite a bit for the accessory - its official cost is $100. As before, the exchange rate still doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but at the current price, it’s not a bit of a bite and it immediately seems that you can draw with your finger, whatever. The average cost of an Apple Pencil (MK0C2ZM/A) is now about 7,500 rubles.

Who needs it?

The question - “Who needs it for that kind of money?”, of course, is on the tip of the tongue, but here you need to remember that this is a niche product, whatever one may say, Apple does not hide this and does not say that it is absolutely necessary for any user. But, nevertheless, in this world there are quite a few people who will find this instrument a very successful acquisition. All these people can be divided into two groups: creative people - designers, artists, etc., and people on whose opinion a lot depends - editor, director - quickly making changes to the current project is worth a lot. As you can see, the niche is not so narrow.

Another question is, why don’t all these people buy a similar tool from another brand? Yes, we will not hide the fact that the Apple Pencil has quite a few competitors - some of them are cheaper, some are more expensive, some have more features, some have less. But, you need to understand that not a single stylus will work with the iPad Pro as smoothly and quickly as the Apple Pencil. Moreover, do not think that good styluses, which can be called worthy competitors of the Apple giant’s product, will cost much less.

Apple Pencil can be used not only for drawing, but also for full control of the operating system. However, there are some tasks that the iPad Pro cannot handle.

You can open apps and links, scroll and navigate

Obviously, you can use the Apple Pencil to launch programs, follow links, scroll content, and navigate the system. This works in all applications, including those not adapted for the use of a stylus. In this case, you use the Apple Pencil in a similar way to your finger. The system recognizes long presses, so you can delete applications or open links in new tabs.

You can't open Action Center or Control Center

It is impossible to swipe from the top or bottom of the screen using the Apple Pencil. To access the relevant sections of the system, you must use your finger. It's just a matter of Apple's decision, not any technical limitations.

iOS 9 multitasking features are not available for Apple Pencil

The stylus cannot be used when calling Slide Over or Split View modes. Swiping on the right side of the screen does not bring any results.

If you have an app open in Slide Over, you won't be able to remove it from the screen using the stylus. Apple Pencil will not allow you to control the call and position of windows in Split View mode.

You can type on the keyboard, enter your password on the lock screen, and bring up Spotlight

If you're used to typing with one finger, you can use the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro's virtual keyboard when typing in Safari, Spotlight, App Store searches, and any other app.

If you don't want to unlock your device using Touch ID, use the stylus to enter the password.

Third party keyboards work great with Apple Pencil

The regular Apple keyboard doesn't offer the fastest typing experience, so using third-party solutions that support gesture controls can speed up your typing experience.

The system does not respond to palm touch

Want to give your hand a rest while using Apple Pencil to scroll in Safari? This works great.

You can rest your hand on the iPad Pro display while navigating, typing, or taking handwritten notes. The Apple Pencil works great with apps that haven't received a special update to interact with the stylus.

You can charge your Apple Pencil using a Lightning cable

Although you can charge the stylus battery directly using the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil can be charged via a standard Lightning cable using a special adapter from Apple.

You can draw through a piece of paper

If you place plain paper on top of the iPad Pro's screen, the display will recognize your pen movements. Depending on the thickness of the sheet, you can change the brightness level to view the resulting pattern. The display also does not respond to palm touches through the sheet.

You can't use the opposite end of the stylus as an eraser

Despite its name and the presence of a round cap, the Apple Pencil does not have sensors for working in eraser mode. Although instinctively you may try to erase the excess.

In adapted applications, to erase something, you must programmatically select the eraser mode.

You can't use multi-touch gestures (obviously)

There's no way to return to the home screen or switch to another app in iOS 9 using the Apple Pencil.

If you use gestures to control the system, you must use your fingers. Of course, a pencil cannot replace four or five fingers at once.

But if you want, then press the Home button with the stylus to return to the home screen.

Apple Pencil won't work with other iPads or iPhones

This accessory was designed specifically for the iPad Pro and only works with Apple's new 12.9-inch tablet.

iPad Pro has a low-latency display, thanks to reading the position of the pen 240 times per second. The device absolutely accurately recognizes the moments when the Apple Pencil or fingertip is used for control.

These technologies aren't included in the iPhone 6s or iPad Air 2, so you don't have to worry about buying a $100 Apple Pencil if you haven't splurged on the iPad Pro.

Apple Pencil can be used not only for drawing, but also for full control of the operating system. However, there are some tasks that the iPad Pro cannot handle.

You can open apps and links, scroll and navigate

You can't open Action Center or Control Center

iOS 9 multitasking features are not available for Apple Pencil

The stylus cannot be used when calling Slide Over or Split View modes. Swiping on the right side of the screen does not bring any results.

If you have an app open in Slide Over, you won't be able to remove it from the screen using the stylus. Apple Pencil will not allow you to control the call and position of windows in Split View mode.

You can type on the keyboard, enter your password on the lock screen, and bring up Spotlight

If you're used to typing with one finger, you can use the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro's virtual keyboard when typing in Safari, Spotlight, App Store searches, and any other app.

If you don't want to unlock your device using Touch ID, use the stylus to enter the password.

Third party keyboards work great with Apple Pencil

The regular Apple keyboard doesn't offer the fastest typing experience, so using third-party solutions that support gesture controls can speed up your typing experience.

The system does not respond to palm touch

Want to give your hand a rest while using Apple Pencil to scroll in Safari? This works great.

You can charge your Apple Pencil using a Lightning cable

Although you can charge the stylus battery directly using the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil can be charged via a standard Lightning cable using a special adapter from Apple.

You can draw through a piece of paper

You can't use the opposite end of the stylus as an eraser

Despite its name and the presence of a round cap, the Apple Pencil does not have sensors for working in eraser mode. Although instinctively you may try to erase the excess.

In adapted applications, to erase something, you must programmatically select the eraser mode.

You can't use multi-touch gestures (obviously)

There's no way to return to the home screen or switch to another app in iOS 9 using the Apple Pencil.

If you use gestures to control the system, you must use your fingers. Of course, a pencil cannot replace four or five fingers at once.

But if you want, then press the Home button with the stylus to return to the home screen.

Apple Pencil won't work with other iPads or iPhones

This accessory was designed specifically for the iPad Pro and only works with Apple's new 12.9-inch tablet.

These technologies aren't included in the iPhone 6s or iPad Air 2, so you don't have to worry about buying a $100 Apple Pencil if you haven't splurged on the iPad Pro.

And it became clear to Pencil that all the company’s previous models were out of business. Well, okay. The market for pens for tablets is so wide that finding a stylus that perfectly suits your needs will not be difficult.

Yes, yes, we all remember Steve Jobs’s attitude towards styluses. But it’s one thing to control the system interface with a stylus, and completely different to use it for specific tasks. Making sketches or diagrams with your finger on a tablet screen is the same as trying to draw on a canvas. Gioconda using sausage.

We tested three styluses for different tasks - more interesting than the Pencil, priced by Apple at 7,790 rubles.

Simple, convenient, functional.

Why it's good:

Double-sided stylus (pen + eraser)
Defines the slope
There is protection against erroneous clicks
Very light: 26 gr.
Fully charges in 1.5 hours
Compatible with iPad 3/iPad mini or later
Works in 20 programs
Can be used switched off

Suitable for:

Firstly, to those who use a cool application Paper– probably the best program for sketching and taking notes. Especially for it, several special features have been added to the program, such as determining the inclination and pressure. The same features are available in 19 other applications. In other programs it works like a regular stylus.

Editor Paper was conceived as a simple program for drawing sketches. As a result, it has grown into a powerful processor for organizing sketches, notes, projects and diagrams. At the same time, Paper managed to maintain its minimalism! Recently the program received support for 3D Touch technology. Try creating something yourself in Paper. You can even do without a stylus. Download Paper for free on iTunes.

Secondly, Pencil– a great thing for children: it looks like a pencil, doesn’t scare you away, you immediately understand how to use it.

Third, Pencil looks very cool and stylish. Certainly more interesting than the Apple analogue – dry and soulless.

Not suitable if you plan to take a lot of notes. The tip is a bit thick. This is a thing for cool sketches and drawing - first of all.

Adonit Jot Touch. For writing

Fine tip, precise writing, elegant shapes.

A stylus that is considered one of the best of its kind.

Why it's good:

Fine tip, only 1.9mm
Defines 2048 pressure levels
2 buttons for quick access
There is protection against erroneous touches
Very light: 20 gr.
Continuously working 11 hours
Works in 21 programs

Suitable for:

Firstly, the stylish Jot Touch is designed for truly passionate professionals. They have a Wacom at their workplace (where would we be without it?!), and on the road and travel they use a stylus and a tablet to quickly translate their ideas into any of the available professional applications.

Secondly, it looks like a regular pen. Lovers of handwritten notes can take notes right on the screen iPad. Sketches and notes are made easily and accurately, one-on-one, just like with a ballpoint pen.

Third, Jot Touch is perfectly balanced. It's a pleasure to work with him.

Not suitable if you don't like fine art and make notes exclusively in ink.