ESR Launches $30 Apple Pencil Alternative With Find My

[AppliedMicro]

thank you for agreeing with me that this is not a “Pencil Alternative with similar features,” but just a stylus (or a finger replacement).

It‘s way more than just a finger replacement.
Because it supports palm rejection and tilt.

The most important features in an iPad stylus pencil - in that order:

1. Palm rejection
2. Tilt sensing
3. Pressure sensitivity

First two are enough and make for good notetaking/handwriting experience.
Third (pressure sensitivity) I would recommended for digital artists.
Double tapping, squeezing and hover are relatively minor „conevenience“ features.

If you want an Apple Pencil Pro, this is obviously not for you. But it is very comparable to an Apple usb-c pencil (better even) while being significantly less expensive. It’s a good option for a lot of people who are very casual (or occasional) pencil users.

Fully agree.

this thing is cheap enough to not care about "find me" - while the expensive Apple Pencil Pro is built to get lost

Also agree - the kind of ironic thing on such an inexpensive accessory.

 

[555gallardo]

Great,  products on a budget. Good luck with that

well, on the other hand, it has the right connector right from the beginning so you don’t need an adapter in order to use the Pencil with your iPad

 

[alexandr]

well, on the other hand, it has the right connector right from the beginning so you don’t need an adapter in order to use the Pencil with your iPad

I guess I'm just a big fan of wirelessness and seek it out where I can.

 

[goonie4life9]

It‘s way more than just a finger replacement.
Because it supports palm rejection and tilt.

The most important features in an iPad stylus pencil - in that order:

1. Palm rejection
2. Tilt sensing
3. Pressure sensitivity

First two are enough and make for good notetaking/handwriting experience.
Third (pressure sensitivity) I would recommended for digital artists.
Double tapping, squeezing and hover are relatively minor „conevenience“ features.


Fully agree.

Also agree - the kind of ironic thing on such an inexpensive accessory.

Correction: Every stylus and finger has palm rejection, tilt sensing, and pressure sensitivity because these are capabilities of the iPad, not the input device.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Correction: Every stylus and finger has palm rejection, tilt sensing, and pressure sensitivity because these are capabilities of the iPad, not the input device.

Wrong.

Source: put my palm on the display. Experienced inhibited scrolling.
Neither does tilting my finger tip make the brush narrower or wider - as my third-party Pencil does.

Nor does pressure sensitivity work.
I mean… I can sense more pressure in my finger.
But my iPad’s brushstroke doesn‘t change, like it does with Apple Pencil.

 

[goonie4life9]

Wrong.

Source: put my palm on the display. Experienced inhibited scrolling.
Neither does tilting my finger tip make the brush narrower or wider - as my third-party Pencil does.

Nor does pressure sensitivity work.
I mean… I can sense more pressure in my finger.
But my iPad’s brushstroke doesn‘t change, like it does with Apple Pencil.

Wrong.

I just put my palm on the display and nothing appeared on the screen and I was able to scroll without issue. I just tilted my finger in a drawing app and the more finger I had on the screen, the more intense the stroke. Likewise, when I put more pressure on the screen with my finger, my finger is wider, and the stroke is more intense.

Apple has not opened-up the Apple Pencil APIs to third parties, so all third-party products are using the same features. The only thing that changes is the physical design.

 

[AppliedMicro]

I just put my palm on the display and nothing appeared on the screen and I was able to scroll without issue

Depends on how you do it. The iPad has decent „multitouch“ detection against accidental input - put it‘s definitely a difference to Pencil-induced palm rejection (or maybe more appropriately called „side of the hand“ rejection - cause you‘d usually only place the side of your hand on screen or paper when writing).

I just tilted my finger in a drawing app and the more finger I had on the screen, the more intense the stroke

The app can (likely) interpret your finger profile on the screen.
Apple‘s standard Pencil-based drawing tools won‘t.

Edit: The iPad Settings app on iPadOS18 has this Apple Pencil setting:

When enabled, I’m unable to draw with my finger in the Apple Notes app (or many other apps using standard drawing tools). Yet I can with my third-party pencil.

👉 The iPad clearly distinguishes between fingers and Pencils - detecting my third-party Goojodoq Pencil as a non-finger “pencil” input device.

Apple has not opened-up the Apple Pencil APIs to third parties, so all third-party products are using the same features

This is Apple’s standard (built-in) iPad battery widget showing my Goojodoq GD13 Pencil with a remaining 91% charge on its battery (when switched on and connected to my iPad over Bluetooth):

 

[goonie4life9]

Depends on how you do it. The iPad has decent „multitouch“ detection against accidental input - put it‘s definitely a difference to Pencil-induced palm rejection (or maybe more appropriately called „side of the hand“ rejection - cause you‘d usually only place the side of your hand on screen or paper when writing).


The app can (likely) interpret your finger profile on the screen.
Apple‘s standard Pencil-based drawing tools won‘t.

Edit: The iPad Settings app on iPadOS18 has this Apple Pencil setting:

View attachment 2471209

When enabled, I’m unable to draw with my finger in the Apple Notes app (or many other apps using standard drawing tools). Yet I can with my third-party pencil.

👉 The iPad clearly distinguishes between fingers and Pencils - detecting my third-party Goojodoq Pencil as a non-finger “pencil” input device.


This is Apple’s standard (built-in) iPad battery widget showing my Goojodoq GD13 Pencil with a remaining 91% charge on its battery (when switched on and connected to my iPad over Bluetooth):

View attachment 2471211

Yes, thank you for agreeing with me that this stylus operates just like every other stylus and one's finger (of course a finger doesn't appear in the battery widget, but other Bluetooth devices do).

 

[AppliedMicro]

thank you for agreeing with me that this stylus operates just like every other stylus and one's finger

I’m standing by my previous post to disagree.

Open a Quick Note in Apple’s Notes app and drawing a straight line with the yellow marker pen, while tilting the Finger’s/Pencil’s tip perpendicular to it:

• finger: drawn line width does not change much or at all
• pencil: drawn line gets considerably wider the more I tilt

👉 It clearly works differently than a finger

 

[subjonas]

this thing is cheap enough to not care about "find me" - while the expensive Apple Pencil Pro is built to get lost

What do you mean? Pencil Pro has Find My too.

 

[goonie4life9]

I’m standing by my previous post to disagree.

Open a Quick Note in Apple’s Notes app and drawing a straight line with the yellow marker pen, while tilting the Finger’s/Pencil’s tip perpendicular to it:

• finger: drawn line width does not change much or at all
• pencil: drawn line gets considerably wider the more I tilt

👉 It clearly works differently than a finger

Thank you for agreeing that this stylus works like any other stylus and for confirming that a finger also produces different width of lines. Of course, the thinner the input device, the thinner the line, so again, thank you for agreeing with that.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Thank you for agreeing that this stylus works like any other stylus

Not every stylus can display its battery in Apple’s widget.
Also, not every stylus made for other manufacturers products work with iPads’ built-in digitizers.
It is important to buy a Pencil that’s built with iPad compatibility.

and for confirming that a finger also produces different width of lines

It does not if drawn in a perfectly straight line (unlike a Pencil).
Though it does when you begin to draw and then change direction.

Of course, the thinner the input device, the thinner the line

Pencil and finger have the same initial width, according to my observation.

A Pencil’s width will change based on how you tilt it though (even with Apple’s standard drawing tools, such as in the Notes app). Unlike a finger. That’s because Pencils and fingers work differently - thank you for agreeing to that.

Thank you for establishing that fingers work differently than compatible Pencils on iPads.
This is true also not only for display of battery capacity but also tilt and palm rejection.

 

[goonie4life9]

Not every stylus can display its battery in Apple’s widget.
Also, not every stylus made for other manufacturers products work with iPads’ built-in digitizers.
It is important to buy a Pencil that’s built with iPad compatibility.

It does not if drawn in a perfectly straight line (unlike a Pencil).
Though it does when you begin to draw and then change direction.


Pencil and finger have the same initial width, according to my observation.

A Pencil’s width will change based on how you tilt it though (even with Apple’s standard drawing tools, such as in the Notes app). Unlike a finger. That’s because Pencils and fingers work differently - thank you for agreeing to that.

Thank you for establishing that fingers work differently than compatible Pencils on iPads.
This is true also not only for display of battery capacity but also tilt and palm rejection.

Thank you for again agreeing that this is simply another stylus that looks like an Apple Pencil but, like all other styluses, does not function like an Apple Pencil.

The starting width of the mark for any drawing object on an iPad is directly related to the physical width of the object. Most styluses have narrower points than a finger and only get wider when they are rotated, such that more of the stylus is in contact with the screen. A finger operates the same way - the narrower the finger, the narrower the line. The iPad makes this determination and thank you again for agreeing that this is an iPad capability.

The availability of battery is dependent on the Bluetooth device and its use of Bluetooth features. Thank you for agreeing that this stylus has the same capability as other styluses that use Bluetooth battery-reporting protocols.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Thank you for again agreeing that this is simply another stylus that looks like an Apple Pencil but, like all other styluses, does not function like an Apple Pencil.

No - it works just like the Apple Pencil USB-C, ticking the same feature checkmarks (with the exception of the hover functionality) as listed on Apple's web site:

• Pixel-perfect precision
• Low latency
• Attaches magnetically

Not every Pencil does.
Neither do fingers.
And it displays its battery status.

A finger operates the same way - the narrower the finger, the narrower the line.

No, not with Apple's default drawing tools.
As is easily demonstrated with Open Apple's Notes app:

Select the marker pen. Irrespective of your width/girth of your finger, and how much of it you touch the screen with, it begins to draw a line with always the same (preselected) width. This is not true for Pencils (whether third-party or Apple's), for which the line drawn immediately takes into account the tilt of its tip on the screen.

Same is true for the crayon tool.

👉 Pencils and fingers clearly work differently.

The iPad makes this determination and thank you again for agreeing that this is an iPad capability.

Apple's drawing tools obviously can't or don't.
They only make this determination with Pencils (whether third-party or Apple's), not with fingers.

The availability of battery is dependent on the Bluetooth device and its use of Bluetooth features. Thank you for agreeing that this stylus has the same capability as other styluses that use Bluetooth battery-reporting protocols.

Yes.

Thank you for agreeing that both are pretty much equivalent in function.
It really is a Pencil Alternative with similar features.

 

[goonie4life9]

No - it works just like the Apple Pencil USB-C, ticking the same feature checkmarks (with the exception of the hover functionality) as listed on Apple's web site:

• Pixel-perfect precision
• Low latency
• Attaches magnetically

Not every Pencil does.
Neither do fingers.
And it displays its battery status.

No, not with Apple's default drawing tools.
As is easily demonstrated with Open Apple's Notes app:

Select the marker pen. Irrespective of your width/girth of your finger, and how much of it you touch the screen with, it begins to draw a line with always the same (preselected) width. This is not true for Pencils (whether third-party or Apple's), for which the line drawn immediately takes into account the tilt of its tip on the screen.

Same is true for the crayon tool.

👉 Pencils and fingers clearly work differently.

Apple's drawing tools obviously can't or don't.
They only make this determination with Pencils (whether third-party or Apple's), not with fingers.


Yes.

Thank you for agreeing that both are pretty much equivalent in function.
It really is a Pencil Alternative with similar features.

No, the Apple Pencil uses private APIs. Styluses pair as Bluetooth peripherals. They can use a variety of Bluetooth protocols. Some use the battery protocol, some don’t. Thank you for confirming this is not a feature of the Apple Pencil and is available to any Bluetooth device.

It does not work just like the Apple Pencil.

• Pixel-perfect is a marketing term they have no way to verify, particularly because it will vary based on the iPad.
• Every input device, including fingers has low latency. That is a feature of Apple’s multitouch technology and has been a feature since the very first iPhone.
• Any device with magnets can attach to the magnetic portions of an iPad. In fact, the Apple Pencil 2, which does not work with the M4 iPad Pros, still attaches magnetically to the M4 iPad Pros.

A finger can produce a variety of width on an iPad screen. Select the a marker. Depending of your width/girth of your finger, and how much of it you touch the screen with, it begins to draw a line with different width. This is true for styluses and the Apple Pencil. Styluses and the Apple Pencil have narrower tips, so it is easier to draw narrower lines with them.

Same is true for the pencil tool.

👉 Third-party styluses and fingers clearly work the same.

Apple’s drawing tools can and do make this differentiation, just like they do with third-party styluses.

Yes. Thank you for agreeing the third-party styluses and fingers are nearly identical in function. Both fingers and third-party styluses are alternatives to the Apple Pencil, which is why the Apple Pencil is not required to use iPads.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Styluses pair as Bluetooth peripherals. They can use a variety of Bluetooth protocols. Some use the battery protocol, some don’t. Thank you for confirming this is not a feature of the Apple Pencil and is available to any Bluetooth device.

It has the same functionality showing the battery capacity as the Apple Pencil.
Thank you for confirming that the Apple Pencil does not work differently.

It does not work just like the Apple Pencil.

Yes it does.
You just confirmed it yourself.

• Pixel-perfect is a marketing term they have no way to verify, particularly because it will vary based on the iPad.
• Every input device, including fingers has low latency. That is a feature of Apple’s multitouch technology and has been a feature since the very first iPhone.

…same as for Apple's own Pencils. No difference.

Third-party styluses and fingers clearly work the same.

But not with Apple’s default drawing tools.

A finger can produce a variety of width on an iPad screen. Select the a marker. Depending of your width/girth of your finger, and how much of it you touch the screen with, it begins to draw a line with different width

Not with Apple’s standard drawing tools (such as clearly observable by using the Crayon brush in Apple Notes) that are supported by most apps.

 

[AppliedMicro]

A finger can produce a variety of width on an iPad screen. Select the a marker. Depending of your width/girth of your finger, and how much of it you touch the screen with, it begins to draw a line with different width

I just also tried this with “Pencil” brush in the popular Notability app:

• It works with a Pencil connected: different width line depending on tilt of the tip
• It does not work as you claim with fingers. It always draws the same width with a finger

Furthermore, Notability will ignore finger input once you have connected an Apple Pencil or Logi Crayon, as stated here.

To re-enable finger input, you have to disconnect the physical pencil in Notability’s setting (merely turning it off does not suffice). For which my Goojodoq pencil Pencil is detected just like an Apple Pencil or the Logi Crayon - but not like a finger.

Again, there’s a clear difference in functionality between

1. Pencil devices (whether Apple-branded or third-party) and
2. fingers

You can not draw the red line with Notability’s “Pencil” brush with your finger. Tilting your fingertip on the screen does not make it wider. Whereas you can and it does get wider when drawn with a compatible physical capacitive stylus (such as the Apple Pencil or Goojooq GD13). Also, the Goojodoq stylus is detected as an “Apple Pencil” to enable Pencil input mode in Notability - that has to be “disconnected” in its settings to re-enable drawing with fingers.

Furthermore, going back to Apple Notes, enabling the “Only draw with Apple Pencil” setting in the Settings app…

…will disable drawing with a finger in the Apple Notes app - or other apps that use Apple’s standard drawing tools.

Yet a compatible third-party Pencil (such as my Goojodoq-branded ones) will still draw in those apps - they are detected and work just like an Apple Pencil - but unlike a finger.

👉 Pencils and fingers clearly do not work the same.

And it’s not just the width of their respective tips.
A compatible third-party Pencil can be detected and work like an Apple Pencil - but a finger does not.

 

[goonie4life9]

I just also tried this with “Pencil” brush in the popular Notability app:

• It works with a Pencil connected: different width line depending on tilt of the tip
• It does not work as you claim with fingers. It always draws the same width with a finger

Furthermore, Notability will ignore finger input once you have connected an Apple Pencil or Logi Crayon, as stated here.

To re-enable finger input, you have to disconnect the physical pencil in Notability’s setting (merely turning it off does not suffice). For which my Goojodoq pencil Pencil is detected just like an Apple Pencil or the Logi Crayon - but not like a finger.

View attachment 2471528

Again, there’s a clear difference in functionality between

1. Pencil devices (whether Apple-branded or third-party) and
2. fingers

You can not draw the red line with Notability’s “Pencil” brush with your finger. Tilting your fingertip on the screen does not make it wider. Whereas you can and it does get wider when drawn with a compatible physical capacitive stylus (such as the Apple Pencil or Goojooq GD13). Also, the Goojodoq stylus is detected as an “Apple Pencil” to enable Pencil input mode in Notability - that has to be “disconnected” in its settings to re-enable drawing with fingers.

Furthermore, going back to Apple Notes, enabling the “Only draw with Apple Pencil” setting in the Settings app…

View attachment 2471532

…will disable drawing with a finger in the Apple Notes app - or other apps that use Apple’s standard drawing tools.

Yet a compatible third-party Pencil (such as my Goojodoq-branded ones) will still draw in those apps - they are detected and work just like an Apple Pencil - but unlike a finger.

👉 Pencils and fingers clearly do not work the same.

And it’s not just the width of their respective tips.
A compatible third-party Pencil can be detected and work like an Apple Pencil - but a finger does not.

Again, thank you for confirming that styluses with thinner tips draw narrower lines than styluses with wider tips. Your finger works the same way - the wider your finger, the wider the line, the narrower your finger, the narrower the line. Most people’s fingers are substantially wider than styluses tips, so the line starts wider. I’ve replicated this many times in several apps.

Thank you for confirming that the technology of the iPad, not the stylus or finger, determines input. The iPad can detect fingers separately from other devices because of the capacitive nature of the screen. This is just like palm rejection. Again, both fingers and third-party styluses work the the same when finger input is enabled.

Thank you for confirming that any Bluetooth device, if it uses the right protocol, can report its battery. That in no way makes every Bluetooth device the same as an Apple Pencil. For example, non-input devices, like speakers and headphones, can report their battery status.

Thank you for confirming that different apps have different features, which ultimately control the input. As with Guided Access, apps can use public APIs to control input, which could include disabling finger drawing. Again, this is a feature of the iPad, not a device.

👉 Pencils and third-party styluses do work the same when it comes to drawing.

Finally, thank you for again confirming that this third-party stylus operates the same as other third-party styluses and fingers because it cannot access the private APIs that the Apple Pencil uses to enable Squeeze, Barrel roll, Haptic feedback, Hover, and Double tap. I’m glad that you’re in agreement that the physical style of a third-party stylus does not mean it works like an Apple Pencil.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Pencils and third-party styluses do work the same when it comes to drawing.

Thank you for agreeing. 👍

They do not work the same as fingers though (not in popular notetaking apps, for instance).

Your finger works the same way - the wider your finger, the wider the line, the narrower your finger, the narrower the line

It does not in many apps though, among them popular notetaking apps like Apple Notes or Notability (see above).
Fingers don‘t support variable width by tilting in these apps, whereas compatible capacitive styluses do.

it cannot access the private APIs that the Apple Pencil uses to enable Squeeze, Barrel roll, Haptic feedback, Hover, and Double tap

Neither can the current USB-C Apple Pencil (except Hover). As such, a third-party stylus can a good alternative to Apple‘s USB-C Pencil (let alone using a finger), though both lack some functionality of the Apple Pencil Pro.

 

[joecomo]

What do you mean? Pencil Pro has Find My too.

Yes - but at least in my case, it never shows a location, making it useless

 

[subjonas]

Yes - but at least in my case, it never shows a location, making it useless

Sorry to hear. Mine works and I haven’t heard of others with your issue. Yours is still under the one year warranty, you should get it replaced.

 

[joecomo]

Sorry to hear. Mine works and I haven’t heard of others with your issue. Yours is still under the one year warranty, you should get it replaced.

I'll do some experimentation now - I was not aware it can do this (thanks for the hint)

 

[joecomo]

I'll do some experimentation now - I was not aware it can do this (thanks for the hint)

After some testing - still no tracking. So seems its broken.

 

[joecomo]

Sorry to hear. Mine works and I haven’t heard of others with your issue. Yours is still under the one year warranty, you should get it replaced.

This fixed it for me:

2024 Apple Pencil Pro “Find My” does not … - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

Thanks a lot for the hint

 

[Manokea]

I’ve never used one of these pencils but the price is appealing.

How often do they need to charge with light use?

Says 12 hours on a 30 min charge