Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)

Spec sheets will tell you about pressure levels and latency. But after spending two weeks actually using the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) for note-taking, sketching, and design work, I’ve learned what matters: does this thing feel natural enough to replace pen and paper? And is it worth the premium Apple charges?

The magnetic charging is brilliant. You stick it to the side of your iPad Pro or Air, it charges wirelessly, and it’s always there when you need it. No more fumbling with Lightning adapters like the first-gen model required.

But (and this is important) the double-tap sensitivity can be a bit touchy. Sometimes it triggers when I’m just adjusting my grip. You can turn it off if it annoys you, but I’ve found it more useful than frustrating once I learned to hold the Pencil more deliberately.

I tested this primarily in Procreate for digital painting and GoodNotes for note-taking. The pressure curve feels natural straight out of the box. Light touches give you thin, transparent lines; press harder and you get bold, opaque strokes. There’s no need to fiddle with sensitivity settings like you often do with Wacom tablets.

Tilt sensitivity is where this really shines for artists. Tilt the Pencil to shade with the side, and it responds exactly as you’d expect. The transition from tip to side is smooth, not stepped or jerky.

For note-taking? It’s brilliant. Writing feels natural enough that I’ve actually started preferring it to paper for lectures and meetings (something I never thought I’d say). The combination of low latency and good palm rejection means you can write quickly without worrying about accidental marks.

The flat side is clever. It prevents rolling (mostly, it can still roll off angled surfaces), and it’s where the magnetic attachment lives. The magnets are strong enough that the Pencil stays put on your iPad, even when you’re carrying it around. I’ve not had it fall off accidentally.

One criticism: there’s no clip. The first-gen Pencil didn’t have one either, but third-party styluses often include clips for securing to notebooks or pockets. You’ll need to keep this in a case or attached to your iPad, or it’ll get lost.

Daily use is equally simple. The Pencil is always attached to your iPad (or should be), so it’s always charged and always paired. Pick it up and start writing. Put it back and it charges. There’s no on/off switch, no battery anxiety.

The software integration is where Apple’s ecosystem advantage shows. The battery level appears in the iPad’s widget panel. The double-tap gesture can be customised in Settings > Apple Pencil. Apps like Notes and Procreate are optimised for it. Everything feels cohesive in a way that third-party styluses can’t match.

The Zagg Pro Stylus 2 sits in the middle. It has some pressure sensitivity, but it’s not as refined as the Apple Pencil. The palm rejection is decent but not perfect. And while it’s cheaper, the experience isn’t quite as polished.

So why pay more for the Apple Pencil? The latency, the pressure sensitivity, the magnetic charging, and the overall integration. If you’re using your stylus daily for creative work, those differences add up. If you’re just marking up PDFs occasionally, save your money and get the Crayon.

Here’s my take on value: if you use a stylus occasionally for signing documents or tapping around iPadOS, this is overkill. Get the Logitech Crayon for half the price. But if you’re sketching, designing, or taking handwritten notes daily, the Apple Pencil is worth every penny.

The magnetic charging alone is worth a premium. Never having to think about charging, never losing a cap or adapter, that convenience adds up over months of use. And the pressure sensitivity and latency make a genuine difference for creative work.

Yes, it’s expensive. And yes, there are cheaper alternatives. But the integration with iPadOS and the build quality justify the cost if you’re using it for hours every day. For occasional use? Save your money. For daily creative work? This is the one to get.