I've been taking advantage of my Apple Pencil for the past few months. I've been taking notes on my iPad Mini with an alternative stylus that I purchased from Amazon for about $25 rather than the $129 Apple stylus. It functions similarly, has a similar appearance, and even snaps onto and charges from your iPad. Even though this stylus costs $25, it comes very close to offering a similar experience at a fraction of the cost. However, it does not quite match all of the features of the Apple Pencil.
I've been using a random brand called "StylusHome" for my stylus, but Amazon sells many similar ones for about the same price. It looks exactly like Apple's second-generation Pencil; I wouldn't be able to tell them apart visually if it weren't for the logo on the first-party one. It has a flat side that magnetically snaps to the edge of my iPad Mini—and it would do the same for my iPad Pro or iPad Air—where it also charges the battery. In case the original ever fails, there is even a spare tip in the box.
Amazon records this Pencil clone for about $30, yet it was about $25 when I got it a couple of months prior. At the time of writing, a 10% coupon and a discount bring the price down to about $24. That is quite a distance from the Apple Pencil's regular price of $129 or even the $90 to $100 it costs when it goes on sale.
I really wasn't expecting it to work this well because of the price difference and the lack of third-party Apple Pencil alternatives outside of Logitech's Crayon. However, when writing on a screen, the StylusHome Pencil is just as responsive and lag-free as the Apple Pencil. It weighs slightly less (15.2 grams as opposed to 17.9 grams), but it feels exactly the same otherwise. It has pressure sensitivity but does not support tilt shading. That isn't a problem for me because I only use it to write notes, but if you're an artist, that feature might be missing.
The Apple Pencil's double-tap feature, which allows me to switch between writing and erasing with a single double-tap on the side of the stylus, is the feature I most miss. Similar to the first-generation Apple Pencil, the StylusHome does not support this at all, so you must use the on-screen controls each time to switch between the pen and eraser.
Also, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the StylusHome doesn't work as well with iPadOS as the Apple Pencil does. When you stick it to the iPad's side, for instance, you won't receive a small pop-up message letting you know how much battery life is left. However, Apple's battery widget, which you can place on your iPad's homescreen or in the widget tray to the left of the homescreen, supports displaying the battery life. Since I never use the stylus long enough to completely drain its battery, this is an excellent workaround for me.
The fake Pencil communicates with the iPad via Bluetooth, and the first time you use it, you must pair it using the iPad's Bluetooth settings menu. Additionally, the stylus will not write on the screen when you use it again after some time away because it has gone to sleep. Just stick it back on the side of the tablet for a few seconds to wake it up, and then try again. From there, it responds immediately, just like Apple's Pencil.
I still recommend using the original Apple Pencil for serious iPad users, including those who might make a living from digital art. However, a knockoff version like this can provide you with many of the same features for a fraction of the price if you've been curious if an Apple Pencil could enhance your iPad experience, whether for casual doodles, navigating the software, or taking handwritten notes.
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