Apple Pencil review

Christopher Phin puts the Apple Pencil through its paces to discover if it can truly rival a pro stylus.

Our Verdict

If you're a creative of almost any stripe and have an iPad Pro, buy the Pencil. If you don't, it's honestly not preposterous to suggest buying one just so you can also buy the Pencil; the experience is that good.

For

  • Fast and fluid – preposterously natural
  • Works with some wonderful iOS apps…

Against

  • …but it is limited to iOS apps on the iPad Pro
  • Only one tip feel – slippery plastic on glass

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Apple Pencil review

Apple hopes to attract design professionals with iPad Pro and this, the Pencil

Let me be completely clear: the Apple Pencil is the best digital drawing tool there has ever been. Better than a Wacom Intuos, better than a Wacom Cintiq, and better, by a margin so wide it's downright comical, than any other stylus for iOS or Android.

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The Verdict
8

out of 10

Apple Pencil

If you're a creative of almost any stripe and have an iPad Pro, buy the Pencil. If you don't, it's honestly not preposterous to suggest buying one just so you can also buy the Pencil; the experience is that good.

Christopher has written and edited a range of publications, including Apple-specialist titles MacFormat, Mac|Life and iPad User. His work has also featured in the BBC, Computer Arts, Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoRadar, Practical Photoshop, Macworld and TechRadar. He is currently head of podcasts at DC Thomson and has spoken at various design and tech events.

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