The Apple Pencil is the best stylus accessory for the iPad but if you are like me and only spent 300 bucks on your Ipad, the idea of spending a third of that price on an accessory seems excessive. Thankfully, Logitech's alternative is a great solution for those of us who want Apple Pencil features without the cost.
The Logitech Pencil is a well-constructed, aluminum-built accessory that is designed in a rectangular shape that as a lefty, I find easier to grip than the Apple Pencil. Additionally, this shape doesn't roll or shift nearly as easily as does Apple's Pencil. I also like the charging implementation better than that of the 1st gen Apple Pencil as you don't have to worry about damaging the pencil by placing it awkwardly inside the iPad. This one just requires plugging into the standard lighting connector that shipped with your iPad.
The major drawback of the Crayon is its incompatibility. The Crayon only works with 6th Gen iPads, 3rd Gen iPad Air and the 5th Gen iPad Mini. This incompatibility error stems into cases as well. Most iPad cases that have dedicated slots/silos for the Apple Pencil will not accommodate the Crayon. In fact, I have not found any cases that have built-in slots that are made specifically for the Crayon but have heard Logitech offers one on their site. I can't confirm the veracity of that claim as I have opted to use a separate pencil carrier for my Crayon. I did see that replacement tips are currently $15 on Logitech's website and they last about as long as those for the Apple Pencil.
As for the functionality of the Crayon, it's as responsive as the Apple Pencil. In fact, you get all of the features of the Apple Pencil, except pressure sensitivity. If you are an artist, designer or the like you'll have to step up to the Apple Pencil or acclimate yourself with continually switching the thickness settings inside each app you intend to use. While you will see the 'tilt' feature advertised by Logitech as a means of adjusting from a fine line to a thicker one, in my usage I could not consistently trigger this functionality as it would work sometimes and fail others. I eventually gave up on it.
If you're a student or a professional or anyone else who has to take digital notes, highlight portions and/or add handwritten markups to them this is an excellent, cost-effective choice. You get 75% of the Apple Pencil's functionality at roughly 60% of the price. You also get a product that is easier to charge and cheaper to maintain. If you can live with the incompatibility issues you'll face with this offering and do not need pressure sensitivity for your workflow I recommend the Logitech Crayon over any other alternative to the Apple Pencil. However, if you are invested in the Apple Ecosystem or want to be certain you will have Day 1 access to all forthcoming features of Ipad OS, spending the extra $40 on the Apple Pencil is the way to go.
| Standing screen display size | 12.9 Inches |
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