Design and Build

The tablet stylus pen is a modern, precisely designed instrument for drawing and notes, mainly made of aluminum or plastic. It is 14–16cm long, 8–10mm in diameter, and 15–25g to provide ergonomic work. The majority of the models come with a magnet, thanks to which it can be very easily attached for instance to the surface of a tablet, and a single button for erasing and other functions frequently used by the user. The colors are mainly silver, black, and white with interchangeable tips for accuracy. The users appreciate the pen-hold feeling, but they warn that plastic pens may wear out quicker.

• Aluminum or plastic body
• 15–25g, 14–16cm length
• Magnetic attachment
• Replaceable precision tips
• Silver, black, white colors

Performance and Features

The stylus pens register multiple pressure sensitive points (up to 4096 levels) and thus allowing drawing that feels more natural, and the tilt feature gives the desired shading. Most of them are supplied with an internal battery (10–20h, USB-C charging), a category in which some specific devices such as Apple Pencil are the standout that don’t need a battery. No delay in the reaction results in a free method of writing and there also exist those that you can control with gestures (e.g., two taps change the pen size). If used regularly, those explicitly mentioned refill accessories, which often cost more, can work for a few months. The users reckon the fact that they have to recharge the latter as a con while the extra-presence of such pens is on the up-side.

• Up to 4096 pressure levels
• Tilt support, low latency
• 10–20h battery or battery-free
• Gesture controls (e.g., double-tap)
• Replaceable tips

Compatibility and Usage

We are talking here about devices like the iPad (Pro, Air), Galaxy Tab S9, or Surface Pro, explicitly created to be used with a tablet such as Apple Pencil for iPad or S Pen for Samsung. Such stylus models are usually tailored to particular users, for instance, sketching artists, students, professionals working in various fields who need to annotate PDFs and take notes. The connection is put into effect via Bluetooth or by the magic of the magnet. They are compatible with the majority of the tablet apps (e.g., Procreate, OneNote). Free from restrictions, the users are in no doubt the winners, although they acknowledge the following obstacle: their being not cross-brand compatible is limiting.

• Fits iPad, Galaxy Tab, Surface
• Model-specific pairing
• Works with drawing, note-taking apps
• Automatic Bluetooth/magnetic setup
• Ideal for art, notes