Anyone who wants to sketch, take notes, or use a precise tool for picture editing will probably want to pick up one of the digital pencils, especially when every iPad on sale is compatible with a smart stylus option. These digital pencils for iPads allow users to get creative and boost their productivity to a great level.
Along with the Apple Pencil, the Logitech Crayon is another popular option when it comes to drawing on the iPad. The Logitech Crayon was initially exclusively offered to educators and schools when it first debuted in 2018. However, later on, it became the first Apple-sanctioned iPad stylus option making it accessible to all of us common schmucks. Since then, the competition between the Apple Pencil and Logitech Crayon has become fierce.
Apple Pencil vs Logitech Crayon
The prime difference between an Apple pencil and a Logitech pencil is that the Apple one features a pressure sensitivity feature, and the Logitech doesn’t. Now, let’s go through all the details you need to know about these two, so we can find out the major areas of comparison.
Design and Ergonomics
With its circular design, the Apple Pencil appears pretty sophisticated and sleek; however, it’s not completely round and has a flat edge preventing unwanted movement. Unlike its predecessor, it has a matte finish that’s much more resistant to grease and fingerprints. The apple pencil is 8.9mm in diameter, making it ergonomically optimal, and it weighs only 20.7g. Moreover, if you buy it online from Apple directly, you can get it engraved for free.
On the other hand, with a square shape design, the Logitech Crayon appears to be chunkier rather than sleek or elegant. It feels more durable and provides a stronger grip due to its practical squared-off design. It also includes a flappy plastic cover for its charging port, a silicon rubber cap & grip.
Performance and Features
Apple Pencil delivers pixel-perfect precision and industry-leading low latency, making it great for drawing, sketching, coloring, taking notes, marking up PDFs, and more. It includes pressure sensitivity features that allow the pencil to detect how thick to draw a line, depending upon how much pressure you place on the iPad. Pressure sensitivity is a must-have feature if you need anything for professional artwork or want to do anything more than highly basic outlines.
Logitech pencils offer zero perceptible lag time leading to a seamless, intuitive experience. Despite having the same level of precision for drawing and writing and tilt recognition as the Apple Pencil, the Logitech pencil doesn’t handle pressure well. If all you want to do is jot down notes or make precise applications for photo editing, then pressure sensitivity is not required, and Logitech pencils are perfectly functional. Moreover, both of these pencils come with tile support and palm rejection and draw flawlessly without any lag.
Ease of Use
The Apple stylus feels like a real wooden pencil and makes it much more pleasant to use. And despite being circular, it has a flat edge that prevents it from rolling off the desk. It clicks magnetically to the side of the iPad Pro and has wireless charging. It’s clear that Apple Pencil 2 is much more convenient compared to its predecessor from a usability standpoint. Most artists and pro-stylus users enjoy using this Apple pencil.
The Logitech pencil has a square design which may not be comfortable for everyone, but it offers a firm grip and does stay flat on a table. Kids enjoy using this pencil as it offers them the extra grip that they require. It includes a smart tip so you can just tilt, and it dynamically adjusts line weight depending on the angle you place it down. This way, you can get a perfect thinner or thicker line every time with ease.
Moreover, both smart pencils use replaceable tips. But unlike Logitech, the Apple Pencil offers one extra tip out of the box, which is a nice touch for long-term usage.
Compatibility
The 2nd generation Apple Pencil is compatible with the following iPad models: iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation) and iPad mini (6th generation).
The Logitech Crayon is compatible with all iPad models from 2018 or later. Meaning the Logitech pencil works with every iPad that’s presently on the market, including the new iPad Pro models, the 10.2-inch iPad, the 9.7-inch iPad, the current iPad mini, and the current iPad Air. However, Logitech should not be your choice if you have iPads older than this.
Charging and Battery Life
Designed for iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini, it features a flat edge that attaches magnetically for automatic charging and pairing. It connects magnetically to one side of the iPad Pro and powers up with a simple double tap. So you don’t need any cable or charging adapter. In addition to that, it boasts 12 hours of battery life.
Logitech pencil has a standard USB-C charging port, so you can use the same wire to charge your iPad without a converter. Pull out the silicon end cover on the Logitech Crayon to expose the charging port, then attach a USB-C cable. Moreover, it offers about 8 hours of battery life and has a power-off button that saves it from wasting power unnecessarily. So, if you aren’t using it for 30 minutes, the software’s built-in power-saving feature switches it off automatically.
| Specs | Apple Pencil (2nd gen) | Logitech Crayon |
| Material | Aluminum | Polyoxymethylene |
| Connection | Bluetooth | Bluetooth, USB-C |
| Battery | 12 Hours | 8 Hours |
| Pressure Sensitivity | Yes | No |
| Power-off Button | No | Yes |
| Palm Rejection | Yes | Yes |
Apple Pencil vs Logitech Pencil: Which One Should You Choose?
You might have figured out which one serves your need the most by now.
The short answer is – Apple Pencil and Logitech pencils both draw smoothly and without any latency, provide you with a rich experience, and feature excellent palm rejection. Thus, working with any of them won’t be challenging for you. However the Logitech Crayon is more reasonably priced than the Apple Pencil, but in order to be so much less expensive, it had to make some serious compromises. The Apple Pencil just nails pressure-sensing features that the Logitech Crayon lacks. For many artists and creative people, this is a crucial and non-negotiable feature. And if the pressure sensitivity feature is not on your requirement list, then the Logitech Pencil is perfect for you.
