When I first started using drawing tablets, they were teeny little pads with ill-designed pens and a glitchy connection, and I used to dream of how awesome it would be to be able to draw straight onto the screen. I remember this from time to time, and it makes me really appreciate how far tech has come over the last decade.
Whichever app you use to unleash your creativity, whether you’ve just picked up one of the best iPads or one you’ve had for a couple of years, an Apple Pencil is a must-have accessory.
The price can be off-putting for many, however, with the cheapest model costing $79 / £79 from Apple, or as much as $129 / £129 for the top spec at the time of publishing. I used the Apple Pencil (1st Generation) for years, but more recently I’ve been using the Apple Pencil (USB-C), which, although being the basic, no-frills model, retails at a considerably costly $79 / £79.
While this newer Apple Pencil is far more convenient than my previous model, thanks to its clever hidden USB-C charging port and highly satisfying magnetic attachment, I found myself wondering if I could garner the same results without having to shell out so much. This led me down a rabbit hole of cheap Apple Pencil alternatives, and after sifting through a lot of options that didn’t exactly fill me with confidence, I settled on the ESR Geo Digital Pencil and the Metapen Pencil Air8.
At a list price of $36.99 / £31.44, you can pick up the ESR Geo Digital Pencil for less than half the price of the Apple Pencil (USB-C). Better yet, I’ve spotted discounts popping up, and at the time of writing, it’s down to $32.99 / £28.04 at ESR.
I chose the Metapen Pencil Air8 as I also wanted to check out something even more budget-friendly that still looked like it’d do the job. The Metapen Pencil Air8 retails for $15.99 / £15.99, and it’s another that looks to be regularly discounted, with Amazon offering it for $10.99 / £11.60 at the time of writing, making it very affordable.
Both the Geo Digital Pencil and the Pencil Air8 rock a similar aesthetic to the Apple Pencil (USB-C), in that they’re mostly rounded in shape, with a flat edge on one side. This flat surface is useful for avoiding the pen rolling to its doom from your desktop, but in the case of the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and the Geo Digital Pencil, this is the edge that magnetically attaches the pencil to the side of your iPad.
I was very pleased with the magnetic strength of the Geo Digital Pencil, finding it to be just as reliable as the Apple Pencil (USB-C). While it’s a shame the Metapen doesn’t possess this skill, I can forgive this considering how little it costs.
If you happen to like the sound of this Metapen and are willing to spend a little more for magnetic attachment, I recommend checking out the Metapen Pencil A8, which ended up being the Apple Pencil alternative of choice for one of TechRadar's contributor.
When it came to syncing each pencil to my iPad Air 11-inch (M2), it was pretty plain sailing for all three, though they all connected in different ways. The Apple Pencil required me to connect it to my iPad via a USB-C cable (which doesn’t come included), the Geo Digital Pencil was a simple case of connecting via Bluetooth, and the Pencil Air8 just went ahead and synced itself to my iPad once it was powered on, no intervention necessary.
I like that the Geo Digital Pencil and Pencil Air8 have power buttons on the end of the pencil, with the ESR’s offering the secondary function of opening the Expose display, making it easy to switch between apps.
They’re both easy to turn on and off, and having the option to do the latter is a plus for me, as I like to be able to disconnect my pencil if I’m having trouble with a glitchy app without having to unpair it, as I have to do with the Apple Pencil. Being able to power them off should help conserve battery life, too, which I particularly appreciate the idea of after being used to needing to recharge my Apple Pencil if I’ve not used it for a while.
Speaking of batteries, Apple hasn’t stated the battery life of the Pencil (USB-C), but it’s reported to last several days when used for multiple hours a day. The ESR Geo Digital Pencil’s battery can last up to 12 hours, with a full charge taking just 30 minutes, and the Metapen Pencil Air8’s battery lasts up to a frankly impressive 20 hours, apparently requiring just two minutes of charging for enough juice to run for two hours.
There’s a small light near the charging port of the Pencil Air8, which changes color to indicate if the battery is below 100, 60, or 20 percent. This is an essential feature in this pencil’s case, as the lack of Bluetooth connection means I can’t check the battery level on my iPad like I can with the other two.
When wielding the pencils, the Pencil Air8 feels noticeably lighter due to the fact that it doesn’t contain any magnets. The Apple Pencil feels the heaviest of the three, with the Geo Digital Pencil hitting the sweet spot in the middle, as far as I’m concerned, as it feels more comparable to the weight of a traditional pencil.
None of the pencils had trouble keeping up with me as I wrote or doodled, and they were all perfectly pleasant to use. I found the Geo Digital Pencil the most enjoyable to use, as my lines flowed as smoothly as from the Apple Pencil, but felt even better due to its convenient weight.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Apple Pencil (USB-C) | ESR Geo Digital Pencil | Metapen Pencil Air8 |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $79 / £79 | $36.99 / £31.44 | $15.99 / £15.99 |
Dimensions | 0.35 x 0.35 x 6.1 inches / 8.9 x 8.9 x 155mm | About 0.54 x 0.54 x 6.5 inches / 9 x 9 x 165mm | 6.54 x 0.38 x 0.39 inches / 9.65 x 9.9 x 166mm |
Weight | 0.72oz / 20.5g | 0.25oz / 7g | 0.35oz / 10g |
Battery life | Not provided | Up to 12 hours | Up to 20 hours |
Tilt sensitivity & Palm rejection | Yes | Yes | Palm rejection only |
Magnetic attachment | Yes | Yes | No |
Find My compatibility | No | Yes | No |
Accessories included | None | 3 replacement tips, charging cable | 3 replacement tips, charging cable |
Each of the three pencils feature palm rejection, which worked well. The Apple Pencil and Geo Digital Pencil also offer tilt sensitivity, but the super-cheap Air8 does not. This means it won’t be the one for you if you want to achieve different line weights as you draw, but it’s still useful for technical drawings, note-taking, and quick sketches.
After spending time testing all three, my pencil of choice would have to be the ESR Geo Digital Pencil, due to its magnetic attachment, easy Bluetooth connection, and the fact that it works with Find My, reducing the risk of me losing track of it. And, being the little color goblin that I am, I also really appreciate that it comes in a choice of colors (though I restrained myself and opted for the white model for the sake of this comparison).
If cost is your main concern, and you aren’t fussed about fancy features, then the Metapen Pencil Air8 is definitely a worthwhile choice thanks to its budget price, quick connection, and long battery life.
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