The iPad Pro, Apple's biggest tablet yet, launches this week.
The first reviews of the iPad Pro arrived Wednesday — most people love the iPad as a tablet, but they're not so sure it'll replace their laptops anytime soon, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has suggested.
One of the major differences with the iPad Pro is its accessories: Apple is now selling a $170 Smart Keyboard and a $100 stylus called the Apple Pencil that work specifically with the iPad Pro (they're both sold separately).
But critics have vastly different opinions of the two accessories — while they find the Smart Keyboard to be overpriced and underwhelming, most critics actually love Apple's new iPad stylus, which can be used to write, draw, and more (once more apps support the hardware).
WIRED's David Pierce called the Apple Pencil an "unbelievably accurate" tool for creating and controlling elements on the iPad. He says it "feels like ink is coming straight from its tip." And since the iPad's display is pressure sensitive and it can sense the Pencil's unique angle and positioning, "you can shade with the side of the Pencil, write in beautiful calligraphy, or sketch with amazing accuracy."
Andrew Cunningham from Ars Technica, though he emphatically states he is not an artist, says he "really enjoyed the accessory" when he did have a chance to use it. He says it's comfortable to use and has "a nice heft to it," but he also notes how well it works with the tablet: "The iPad is excellent at recognizing the pencil's input and separating it from other input, whether it's rejecting your palm (or your entire arm) or simply differentiating the pencil from your fingers."
Lauren Goode from The Verge called the Apple Pencil "just plain fun," and said its greatest feature is its precision. "In my experience there was almost no latency between the Pencil and the screen; it really felt like I was using a pencil or pen."
, called the Apple Pencil "brilliant," saying he was "blown away" by the device. "It easily sensed pressure and darkened or thickened lines, and it could even be held almost parallel to the screen, like a real pencil, for creating shading with the side of the point."
Matthew Panzarino from TechCrunch actually invited his dad, who is a working artist, to try out the Apple Pencil (you can watch the video of his dad trying the device on TechCrunch). Panzarino's father said the Apple Pencil is weighted properly and incredibly fluid and precise — much more so than any other iPad and stylus combination, and more than Microsoft's Surface Pro stylus. He did note the glossy material made the Pencil a bit slippery — a matte finish could've prevented that — but said that wasn't a deal breaker.
Overall, critics really love the Apple Pencil. It sounds like an accurate and dynamic tool that's fun to use, and can help you do things you previously couldn't on the iPad.
There is one downside some reviewers noted: There's no means of storage for the Apple Pencil. It's not magnetized so you can't stick it to the side of the tablet like you can with the Microsoft Surface, and there's no "garage" inside the tablet itself that can hold the stylus, like you'd find in Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 phone.
But if you plan on buying the iPad Pro, do you need the Apple Pencil? That depends. If you draw at all professionally, or you just like to draw on a sketchpad while sitting around the house or during a commute, you'll probably love the Apple Pencil and all it has to offer. If you plan on using the iPad Pro like you'd use any other iPad you've ever owned — happy to navigate with your fingers, and maybe even a keyboard — you might not need the Apple Pencil. But it sounds like a joy to use. Tech Insider will have its own review of the Apple Pencil coming soon.
