The Apple Pencil 2nd Generation has a simple, matte design, offering better grip and precision. Its wireless, magnetic charging is highly convenient to keep the Pencil fully charged at all times. But it’s a bit costly for a stylus.Â
Styluses are to digital artists as pencils are to traditional artists. In fact, a perfect stylus should offer the feeling of sketching with a pencil.Â
And during our search for the best stylus, we stumbled upon the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation that has a simple design which doesn’t do justice to its other features. Today, we have reviewed the Apple Pencil based on its design, performance, compatibility, charging, battery life, and price for your benefit.Â
Apple Pencil 2nd Generation Review
Design: Simple, Matte, Plastic Design
The Apple Pencil 2 is known for its pixel-perfect precision, making it a much sought-after drawing tool among digital artists. It has a no-frill design, which is a huge improvement over Apple’s 1st Generation Pencil. The matte design offers a better grip and makes it easier to use compared to the glossy design of the original version.Â
This upgraded Apple Pencil 2nd Generation also features a flat edge instead of being rounded for a superior grip. So, the simple plastic design offers a more natural feel even though it’s a bit shorter than the 1st Generation Pencil. It measures 6.53 inches in length, and delivers a feeling similar to that of holding a real pencil.Â
On top of this, Apple has fixed a huge design error of its 1st Generation Pencil by eliminating the removable cap. No removable cap means no risk of misplacing it and guarantees only one solid, single unit.Â
However, a small step down from the original design is the lack of extra stylus tips in the box.Â
Performance: Super-Fast And Compatible
Over the years, the Apple Pencil 2 has become a favorite creative tool because of its super-fast and highly compatible performance. It offers better pressure sensitivity than the earlier model, making it great for drawing, sketching, taking notes, marking, and much more.Â
This new Apple Pencil works well with drawing apps, such as ProCreate, offering several customization tools and brushes so that you can use them for different painting styles. Furthermore, the intuitive touch surface of the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation supports double tapping to change tools while painting on an Apple iPad.Â
Just tap the flat edge of the Pencil to easily and effortlessly change the paint brush and other drawing tools for an uninterrupted painting experience.Â
Additionally, the new Apple Pencil has an excellent response time when you draw on the high-definition display of iPads. It’s compatible with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th generations of Apple iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini and delivers pixel-perfect precision with excellent tilt sensitivity.Â
The Pencil also offers the best painting experience with the Apple iPad Pro models, like the iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation models. Not to mention, the super-fast response time and excellent precision make you feel like you’re drawing on paper.Â
You won’t face any parallax errors or high latency while using this new Apple Pencil to create digital artwork on your iPad. Hence, it’s safe to say that the Apple Pencil 2 makes painting on iPads a fun and hassle-free experience.Â
Charging And Battery Life: Easy Charging, Long Battery Life
The wireless charging feature of the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation is an outstanding improvement. The Pencil simply attaches magnetically to the side of your iPad while charging instead of sticking out from the charging port. Its flat edge that attaches magnetically for automatic charging allows you to keep the Pencil charged at all times and makes it more convenient to use wherever and whenever you want.Â
The automatic charging and pairing also help you to jot down important notes during long lectures. Moreover, you can easily switch iPads without worrying about charging the Pencil because it charges wirelessly. Not to mention, it comes with a long battery life of 12 hours, so it won’t run out of juice any time soon, even if you use it continuously.Â
Other Features: Bluetooth Connectivity, Personalized Design, And Free Shipping
The Apple Pencil 2 offers wireless Bluetooth connectivity, making it easier to transfer files from your iPhone or MacBook to your iPad while working. Its lightweight, matte design also offers better grip and comfort, so your hands don’t suffer from cramps even after using the Pencil for a long time.Â
Not to mention, Apple offers several purchase options if you want to buy this Pencil with monthly pricing. You can also personalize the Pencil design for free and engrave it with different emojis, numbers, names, or initials to make it exclusively yours. Additionally, you can get free shipping if you purchase the Pencil from Apple’s online store.Â
Recommended: Best For iPad Users Or Professional Artists
If you’re a professional digital artist who prefers to work on iPads over Android tablets, this Apple Pencil 2 can be your perfect companion. Its intuitive touch surface that supports double-tapping will allow you to switch between different painting tools and apps seamlessly without any interruption.Â
On top of this, the design improvements will ensure that you have better grip and precision while sketching on your iPad. It magnetically attaches and pairs with all the latest Apple iPad Pro and iPad Air models for wireless charging, so there’s no need to worry about its battery running out in the middle of your work. You can charge it anytime and anywhere by simply snapping it to the side of your iPad.Â
Not to mention, the Pencil offers an industry-leading low latency, making it great and super-easy to use while sketching on the laminated display of iPads. Whether you’re coloring, sketching, or making PDFs, the Pencil is designed to offer superior precision that almost feels like using a real pencil.Â
The Apple Pencil 2nd generation also works extremely well for non-artists because they can use it for taking notes with iPad iOS note-taking apps like Scribble. Additionally, editors can use the Pencil for photo editing since it’s compatible with photo editing software like Photoshop. The narrow tip of the Pencil offers perfect precision and industry-leading accuracy compared to fingers while editing photos on iPads.Â
Price: On The Higher End
Apple products don’t come cheap, and the price of this Apple Pencil 2nd generation is probably its biggest drawback. You need to pay a hefty $129 to get this Apple Pencil 2. Even though there are cheaper alternatives, they won’t offer the precision, magnetic charging, and easy double tap control features of the Pencil.Â
Furthermore, if you have the latest generation Apple iPad models, there’s no better option than the Apple Pencil 2nd generation. Not to mention, no other styluses have the advanced features of the Apple Pencil 2, such as pixel-perfect precision, superior tilt and pressure sensitivity, low latency, and imperceptible lag. So, its price might be on the higher end, but it offers superb performance quality, which comes second to none.Â
Apple Pencil 2nd Gen Vs Apple Pencil 1st Gen
The Apple Pencil 2nd Generation is a better version of the 1st Gen Apple Pencil in terms of design and charging. Even though the completely round and circular design of the original version is aesthetically pleasing, it can easily roll off your desk while sketching. Its glossy finish is also problematic because the Pencil can easily slip off your hands.Â
In comparison, the flat edge design and matte finish of the Apple Pencil 2 offers a much better grip and ensures that it doesn’t roll off your work table. Moreover, the original version lacks the much-coveted double tap control feature of the latest version, which allows users to switch between color palettes, painting tools, and apps without putting down the stylus.Â
Furthermore, the 2nd Gen Pencil offers automatic magnetic charging, which is much more convenient than the Lightning connector of the 1st Gen Pencil. The latest version also doesn’t have a removable cap, unlike the original version. But in terms of tilt and pressure sensitivity or precision, both versions offer more or less similar results.Â
However, the original version is much more affordable than the 2nd Gen version, and it’s compatible with the older Apple iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini models. The Apple Pencil 2 won’t be much helpful if you have an old iPad. So, whether you should buy the original or the latest version of the Apple Pencil will basically depend on your iPad model.Â
What We Like
- Lightweight, matte, plastic design
- Better grip and support
- Simple double tap
- Excellent precision
- Wireless, automatic charging
What We Don’t Like
- No extra tips
- Slightly expensive
- No color options
Specifications
- Product Name: Apple Pencil 2nd Generation
- Product Brand: Apple
- Length: 6.53 inches
- Diameter: 0.35-inch
- Weight: 0.73-ounce
- Price: $129
- Color: White
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Compatibility: iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, and 5th generations), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations), iPad Air (4th and 5th generations), iPad mini (6th generation)
Apple Pencil 2nd Gen Final Verdict
Digital artists strive to create masterpieces that are realistic and life-like. Thanks to the precision performance and pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil 2, it’s possible for digital artists to create eye-catching digital art pieces. Not to mention, the easy double-tap control allows them to switch between apps and tools without touching the display.Â
Its magnetic, wireless charging makes it ideal for taking notes during a long lecture or working on a major art project. The Apple Pencil 2 is also perfect for anyone using the latest models of iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini, thanks to its high compatibility. Best of all, its fast Bluetooth connectivity makes it effortless to transfer files from your iPhone to your iPad.Â
But it’s not compatible with Android tablets and is much more expensive than other similar styluses. So, if you’re not an iOS user or have a tight budget, we suggest you look for other options.Â
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