5 explanation why I feel the Apple Pencil Professional is a waste of cash for iPad customers

Apple has been a reasonably constant producer in the case of handheld units over time. The iPhone is the most popular smartphone on this planet. The iPad is the best-selling pill to ever exist. If you wish to depend laptops as handheld units, the MacBook Air or Proare perennially a few of the best-selling laptops.

There are many individuals who will not give one firm autonomy over all of their units. However there are various who do, and Apple merchandise’ capability to work with each other for a seamless expertise is a large plus, as you possibly can go from engaged on one thing in your MacBook to your iPhone with out a lot challenge. Through the years, Apple has produced many equipment to work with their units to reinforce them.

You’ll be able to consider the Magic Keyboard for Macs, AirPods to work with iPhones, and the Apple Pencil to work with iPads. The 2 most up-to-date variations of the Apple Pencil now are the Apple Pencil USB-C and the Apple Pencil Professional, with the Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2 predating them. These styluses have been used to make drawing in your iPad extra easy. However I am right here to let you know to avoid wasting your cash and do not buy it.

1

It has restricted compatibility

Simply because I’ve an older iPad does not imply I needs to be punished

Look: I get it. It is sensible as an organization to make newer merchandise and solely make them appropriate together with your newer units. This causes individuals to improve the gadget so as to use the brand new accent. It is not like Apple solely made the Apple Pencil Professional appropriate with one iPad. However they did restrict the usage of it to solely iPads with at minimal an M2 chip, minus the one iPad mini it really works with.

That is it. Until you may have any of those seven iPads, you possibly can’t use one. If you wish to have a greater expertise with extra iPads, the Apple Pencil USB-C might be a greater match for you, as it really works with many extra iPads. When you’ve got one of many appropriate iPads, this is not a problem for you. However in the event you do not, that is an added chunk of cash it’s important to spend so as to use it.

2

It is extremely costly

I am spending how a lot on a stylus?

Manufacturing units is not low-cost. It prices cash to mass-produce issues and to get the know-how into such small units. However do I really want to pay $129 for a glorified stylus? Even the first-generation Apple Pencil (which has a ton of different points in comparison with the Pencil Professional) remains to be $99, and it was upgraded in 2018 after debuting in 2015. Apple tends to cost their equipment excessive throughout the board, as it’s important to pay almost $30 for a USB-C charging cable.

However for one thing as simple to misplace, $129 is a steep capsule to swallow. Clearly, the extra you lose one thing, the extra you could have to purchase. I’ll give Apple credit score for placing monitoring skills within the Apple Pencil Professional, as that was a giant detrimental for earlier variations. However the developments of the Apple Pencil Professional aren’t so significantly better that I have to spend this a lot on it.

The most affordable iPad model that it really works with prices $499. That is a minimal of almost $630 earlier than I even add in a potential case for simply the iPad and Apple Pencil Professional.

3

Haptic suggestions is overly delicate

That is each a plus and a minus

Individuals use iPads for all types of actions — it is a versatile tablet that may do lots, and the Apple Pencil Professional added haptic suggestions to assist it do extra. One of many new methods with the Apple Pencil Professional is the addition of squeeze-sensitive areas alongside the perimeters. If you press them, you may really feel a refined haptic “pulse” that confirms the Pencil received the message. It is neat and opens up new use circumstances relying on the app you are working in.

That stated, it takes some getting used to. The sensitivity is mild sufficient which you can set off it by chance simply by holding the Pencil naturally, which suggests you would possibly discover the Device Palette popping up again and again when you don’t need it. It’s useful when you practice your grip, however in comparison with the previous double-tap function, it feels much less intuitive and just a little extra finicky.

4

The battery life is not stellar

And a very lifeless one could possibly be ineffective

Due to its new options, the Apple Pencil Professional does not have a long-lasting battery life. Extra tech inside means extra drain, so whereas it will probably normally stretch three to 4 days on reasonable use, heavy customers will discover themselves charging extra usually. A full cost takes about an hour, which is not too unhealthy.

For those who’re something like me and overlook to cost something that is not your cellphone, you may in all probability decide it up lifeless greater than as soon as. The excellent news is you possibly can snap it magnetically to your iPad for charging, which is handy — except your iPad itself is lifeless. And when the Pencil runs out of juice, it isn’t simply lacking options — it flat out does not work. It is extremely irritating, and chances are you’ll simply need to have a non-interactive one and not using a battery as a backup in case that occurs.

5

It has options you actually do not want

I am not trying to reinvent the wheel

Apple

On the finish of the day, I actually simply need a stylus that helps me sketch concepts for work tasks and jot down notes. I am not knowledgeable illustrator, so I do not want each new trick packed into the Apple Pencil Professional. The haptic suggestions is intelligent in concept, however in observe, it looks like overkill. Having the Device Palette pop up each time it is triggered rapidly turns into extra distracting than useful (particularly since not each app even helps the suggestions).

As somebody who’s primarily targeted on note-taking, this is not a function I significantly want. For instance, in a note-taking app, I am extra prone to need to change the colour than I’m to fiddle with the thickness of my notes. That may be difficult, particularly in apps like Goodnotes, as they do not fairly reply to the contact options. Additionally, the unintended set off of sensitivity could make my notes thicker and fewer legible if I am making an attempt to put in writing rapidly. Then, all of the notes can look completely different from each other as I scribble. The Apple Pencil Professional can really make it tougher to do easy issues on the iPad.