Expert rating
Benefits
- Inductive charging and magnetic holding on iPad
- Two different tips on both ends
- Available in five colors
The inconvenients
- Significant delay with Adobe Photoshop
Our Verdict
The Pro Stylus 2 is a good alternative to the Apple Pencil. It magnetically attaches to the iPad Air and iPad Pro and charges at the same time. The Pro Stylus 2 also works perfectly unless you’re using Adobe Photoshop.
The Pro Stylus 2 has many similarities to the Apple Pencil when it comes to specifications. These include wireless charging, a replaceable tip, and the flattened side for magnetic attachment to the iPad. This alone makes the Pro Stylus 2 an alternative.
What it has over the 2nd generation Apple Pencil is that it can be used on any iPad since 2018, not just the iPad Pro, but also the standard iPad and the iPad Air. With its flattened edge, it holds magnetically on the iPad Air and iPad Pro and also charges at the same time. For iPads without wireless charging, the Pro Stylus 2 comes with a matching wireless charging dock. Alternatively, any Qi charger can be used.
Practical test with a surprise
The Pro Stylus 2 fits comfortably in the hand thanks to its matte finish. It has two tips: one is the replaceable stylus tip and the other is the capacitive rubber tip located at the rear end of the stylus. For turning pages, the capacitive rubber tip is more practical than the drawing tip.
The rubber tip also has a second function, that of a power button to turn it on/off. This is particularly useful when using normal iPads, as there is no magnetic charging surface and the stylus does not automatically turn on when removed. To save power, the Pro Stylus 2 automatically turns off after 15 minutes of inactivity. The battery should last around 6.5 hours.
In addition to the usual note-taking applications, we also tested the pen in many creative applications. There was virtually no difference in use with the Apple Pencil 2. However, as with other competitors, the Pro Stylus 2 fails in Adobe Photoshop. When painting, for example, the brush stroke is executed with a significant delay. This makes the Pro Stylus 2 unusable for Adobe Photoshop.
Zagg plays with color with its Pencil alternative: in addition to white, the Pro Stylus 2 is also available in blue, gray, pink and yellow.
Should you buy the Zagg Pro Stylus 2?
The Pro Stylus 2 is convincing in practice. Capacitive rubber tip allows sensitive scrolling. The pen tip also behaves like the Apple original. Whether in Notes, Notability, Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Fresco. Writing, drawing and coloring are possible without any restrictions. But if you use Adobe Photoshop a lot, the Pro Stylus 2 won’t be a good replacement for the Apple Pencil.
This article was originally published on Macwelt and was translated by Romain Loyola.
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