by 
While there are a number of stylus options out there for use with your iPad, it’s been hard to dethrone the king, known as the Apple Pencil. It just works, and the ease of charging it directly from your iPad, well, that’s hard to argue against as well. Now, Zagg is offering up a new stylus that can do just that: meet the ZAGG Pro Stylus 2.
What is it?
The ZAGG Pro Stylus 2 is an evolution of their earlier stylus, which we reviewed here. The big change for this version is in the charging. While the earlier version required a USB-C cable to charge up, this one can charge wirelessly – either on a Qi-compatible pad, with the included charging adapter, or even directly on the side of your iPad Pro. That’s a huge step for usability, and helps ensure that the stylus is always charged up. Sure, the 6.5 hour battery life sounds like not a lot, but that should easily last you throughout the week, especially with it turning itself off after 15 minutes of inactivity.
One potential drawback
While the wireless charging is great, the ZAGG Pro Stylus 2 still is not bringing pressure sensitivity to the pen. If the app you use for notetaking or art can work with tilt recognition to change the width of your line, then you’re golden. On the other hand, if you’ve gotten used to just pressing harder to get a darker/thicker line, well, then this won’t work for that. Then there are folks like me who just manually change line widths in my note-taking app (Goodnotes, for those curious). Oh, and you also won’t have the double-tap to switch between tools (say, to an eraser) that the Apple Pencil offers, but that’s a feature I don’t use nearly as much.
Some potential wins
As we mentioned earlier, the wireless charging leads the charge in this section. You’ve also got a lot more color options available (five of them), and they automatically ship with an extra spare tip. The last thing that really might push the ZAGG Pro Stylus 2 over the edge for you is the price. As with the prior version, it’s a good deal cheaper than what Apple offers. If you want to get one, they’re running $79.99, so it’s a great way to jump into digital notetaking and art if the budget is a bit tighter. We’re also working on getting one in for review, and will compare it to the first-gen and the Pencil. zagg.com
Features
- Wireless Charging: The Pro Stylus 2 attaches magnetically to the included wireless charging cradle. It also charges with iPad Pro or any wireless Qi-charger.
- Dual Tip Stylus: The active tip lets you draw smooth, precise lines for notes or sketches, and the universal capacitive backend tip lets you scroll through pages easily.
- Attaches Magnetically: The Pro Stylus 2 attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9.
- Pen-click Power On: It’s easy to turn on the Pro Stylus 2. Just push on the round, capacitive end. The stylus will turn itself off after 15 minutes of inactivity.
- Tilt Recognition: The Pro Stylus 2 has tilt recognition so you can vary the width of your stroke.
- Palm Rejection Technology: While you’re using the Pro Stylus 2, if your palm touches the screen, only the Pro Stylus 2 will register so it won’t interfere with the path of the stylus.
- Replaceable Tip: The Pro Stylus 2 comes with a spare tip.
- Long-lasting Battery: The Pro Stylus 2 lasts up to six and half hours before it needs to be recharged.*
- Compatible with Apps that Support Apple Pencil: Use the Pro Stylus 2 with your favorite apps that support Apple Pencil, and with all iPad models from 2018 and later.
- LED Charging Indicator: A light will appear on the charging cradle when the Pro Stylus 2 is charging.
