Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

TL:DR I have used this product and I have also used the Apple Pencil, and I go over a detailed comparison in this review for those who are undecided between this and the Apple Pencil. I go over the similarities and differences, and I explain the decision-making factors from my perspective as a pilot who uses my iPad as an electronic flight bag, and also a student taking notes in college. If you are reading this, you are probably still hurting from an iPad purchase that you will or already have made, and are looking to get this for either drawing or notetaking, instead of buying the $120 dollar Apple Pencil (V2). I initially bought this pencil with the purpose of saving some money as I already spend 700 dollars on the iPad Air 4. However, after using it for around 3 months, I decided to purchase the Apple pencil today. However, I won't say that this pencil was a bad purchase. In this review, I will outline how it compares to the Apple Pencil in detail. I will cover what features you will miss out on exactly, so you know what you are getting. First, the basics. This pencil is solidly built, with a metal body, most likely aluminum. The Apple Pencil is made of solid plastic but is not flimsy in any way. Both are built well. I think this pencil feels a little bit more substantial, but not by much. Both write fantastically on a compatible iPad, with no skips or lags. Both of them make use of Apple's Scribble feature, which enables you to handwrite in text boxes (like in a Google search box) and it is automatically converted to text. This is nice because typing on an iPad is rather unwieldy, and the scribble feature makes it a bit easier. This pencil also magnetically attaches to the side of a compatible iPad (Pro and Air versions after 2018). In addition, there are no pairing hassles and it works with the iPad right out of the box, just like Apple's Pencil. These are the essential features of the Apple pencil that make it a fantastic alternative to Apple's pencil, and for $30 you can't beat the price. There are some features, however, that the Apple Pencil has that this one does not, and whether you can sacrifice those features for the cheaper price is up to you. I will list them here, and then I will describe my decision-making process for choosing the Apple pencil over this one. 1) Integrated charging. This Pencil is NOT automatically charged when attached to the iPad, unlike the Apple Pencil. You have to charge it yourself, via a USB-C charging cable. This pencil comes with a charging cable. My practical experience is that this is a minor inconvenience that can be easily overcome by just charging it every couple of days or so, depending on how often you use it. I've never been stuck with a dead battery in a classroom, and you only need to charge it for a few minutes to be able to write with it for a few hours or so. However, this does mean that you need to pay attention to the charge, while with the Apple Pencil you do not have to think about charging it, as long as it is attached to the iPad (Which is where it should always be anyways) Something to note is the Apple Pencil has a battery level indication when you attach it to the iPad, while this pencil does not have any battery indication. So you have to play guesswork with how much charge this pencil has. 2) On/Off button. This is a feature that this pencil has, but the Apple pencil lacks. However, this is more of an inconvenience than anything. The "Button" is pressed by a light touch with a fingertip. It doesn't press or give any audible or tangible notification that it has been turned on, only a visual in the form of a very small blue light. It automatically goes into standby mode when you haven't used it for a few minutes, which then requires you to turn it on again to use it. The Apple Pencil doesn't have an on/off button, so it never turns off and you can always write with it. I found myself getting annoyed at having to turn on the thing all the time, and also turning it off when stowing it. The Apple pencil does make this whole process easier. 3) Pressure sensitivity. This is a gamechanger if you plan on using your pencil and iPad for any kind of drawing or art. This pencil does not have pressure sensitivity, while the Apple pencil does. If you plan to draw, don't give this pencil another look and go with the Apple pencil. For notetakers (Like me), this feature does not affect you much. However, after using the Apple pencil for a day, I've found it easier to write more neatly because of this feature, however, it is something that one can easily live without if you want the $90 difference instead of this feature. 4.)The longevity of the tips. When I got my iPad, I put a paper-like screen protector on it. I don't know if having a smooth screen protector changes the longevity, but I noticed the tips of this pencil wore out fairly quickly. After about a week of very heavy notetaking, I noticed the tip wearing down from its original shape. In the space of three months, I've pretty much used up two tips. The replacements are fairly cheap, at around 8 dollars for 4 replacements, but I didn't want to be replacing them that often. Without a paper-like screen protector, I would expect the tips to last longer, however, this is not something I have tested. I decided on the Apple pencil for the reason that I decided I couldn't live without the magnetic charging feature and the automatic on/off feature. I am a pilot, so being able to write things down at a moment's notice with guaranteed reliability is something I needed, as well as being sure of the charge so I don't run out of battery when in a flight. However, for a student just taking notes, this is a perfectly viable alternative if you are willing to ignore the relatively minor inconveniences. If you are an artist or a pilot, I think having the Apple pencil is worth the extra money, as the lack of those features is often not justifiable. I hope you find this review helpful. I wrote what I would have wanted to hear before I made a purchase either way. EDIT: I just found a feature on the Apple pencil that this one does not have. This is the double-tap action. This makes it so you can swap between the current tool and eraser, or current tool and previous tool, or current tool can color pallate. This feature is *very* nice, as it makes erasing even faster than it would be with this pencil, or changing colors. I must say, I personally find the apple pencil worth the extra money, but if you can live without the 4 features that I have described, then go for this pencil.