Adonit Note Pencil REVIEW Digital Stylus for iPad Pro 2018 and newer | Mac Sources
Adonit Note Pencil
9.5
The Adonit Note will allow you to enjoy many of the features of the Apple Pencil 2, but at a fraction of the cost.
Growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s, I fell in love with the tech and the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise and U.S.S Voyager. I wanted my own portable touchscreen computer, computer assistant and ultimately a Holodeck. Luckily, the Apple iPad has fulfilled 1.5 of those desires. As a Xennial, I was caught between two eras, an analog childhood, and digital adulthood. I learned to take notes upon paper, to enjoy the smell and touch of a book, the need to use a paper map, and how to write in cursive. As our world digitized, more and more of my activities have been completed with my tablet. One of my students was taking notes the other day, utilizing only their iPad Pro, Good Notes and an Adonit Note Pencil. Stepping back, I was amazed that the device was sensitive enough to capture the data at the end of the pencil tip but knew enough to not capture the hand resting upon the screen. She was able to quickly change between pen types, colors, search, move/grab, edit/erase, etc. Even though I utilize my iPad for similar activities, that was the first moment that I realized how much note taking has changed since I was in college.
Measuring 2 1/4 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches tall by 1 inches thick, the ADONIT Note pencil arrived in a very Apple-esque retail package. The cover provided an attractive triangular-prism Adonit logo across the top and a 3/8 inches wide by 5 3/4 inches tall image of a black/rose gold stylus-pen. Both side panels provided “ADONIT NOTE” and listed “For 2018 iPad.” The back of the panel detailed three features of the pencil: Palm Rejection, Tap iPad to Opens Notes App and Continuous 12 Hours. As an added convenience, this information was provided in English, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese. The bottom panel provided many of the standard product manufacturing labels and a product SKU, whereas the top panel had a clear plastic hanging tab. To remove the inner box, grip the hang tab and pull upward. You will find a thin off-white cardboard box with a QR code and a white sticker detailing instructions to update to iOS 12.2 or above, and to disconnect previously connected digital pencil/Apple Pencil. Within the box I found an undecalingual (11) instruction manual and a short 8 3/8 inches long boxy ended USB-micro to USB-A cable. On a fun side note, you can access the cable by opening a small posterior access panel, like a butt flap on booty-pajamas.
With the instruction manual and charging cable removed, the shiny black pen with rose gold accents was your removed from the surrounding foam material. The 0.4-ounce Adonit pencil had a posterior micro USB charging port, a removable/replaceable tip, a rose gold lapel clip, and rose gold side button. A single tap of the button caused a small rectangular blue LED to illuminate and a second tap extinguished the LED. When activated, I was pleased to find the pencil paired directly with my iPad Pro 11". I did not have to go to settings, did not have to select Bluetooth, did not have to find the pencil within a list, nor did I have to pair it to my iPad Pro 11". The Adonit Note Pencil is only compatible with iPad Air Generation 3, iPad Mini Generation 5, iPad Generation 6, and iPad Pro Generation 3 (11 and 12.9"). Additionally, the iPad’s must be updated to iOS 12.2 or newer and you must remove any previously connected digital stylus.
To confirm iPad compatibility, I tried the Adonit Pencil with my wife’s iPad Pro 10.5" and it did not work. As noted above, the pencil/iPad supported native palm rejection, which meant that the iPad recorded data from the pencil but not from your hand resting upon the surface of the iPad. To charge the pencil, you could either utilize the included short USB-A to USB-micro cable or you could substitute another cable. The Adonit Note webpage promised an hour of utility after a four-minute charge. To enjoy a fully charged 12-hour battery life, you will only need to wait forty-five minutes.
I loved the shape, weight, and design of the Adonit Note Pencil. With the screw-off spiral tip, I think it would have been nice to have an additional tip within the packaging. Alas, this was not a deal breaker. Additionally, I would have liked a rubberized plug for the micro-USB port. The lapel clip was secure and rested comfortably within my shirt pocket and within the pen slot in my Timbuk2 Large Messenger bag. The ability to pair with a single button press was outstanding and was perhaps my favorite feature of the pen. The writing was smooth, and the tip of the pencil soothingly glided across the screen of my iPad Pro 11". Despite all of the positive aspects of the Adonit Note Pencil, it did not magnetically attach to my iPad Pro 11", nor did it charge through that mechanism. The Apple Pencil 2 felt a little heavy/thick within my hand, unlike the Adonit Note, which felt like a standard pen. In fact, I had to remind myself that I was holding a digital marking device with a 1mm fine point tip. As an even greater benefit, I was pleased with the price of the device. At nearly a third of the price of the Apple Pencil 2, the Adonit Note Pencil will save you a few greenbacks. If you desire wireless charging, customizable tap features, and a $129 price tag, the Apple Pencil 2 may be more to your liking. If you are interested in picking up a few dongles, and an attractive, comfortable digital-stylus, look to the Adonit Note Pencil to fulfill your needs.
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Originally published at https://macsources.com on August 5, 2019.
