Review: eiP Pencil X Classic (Apple Pencil USB-C alternative)

Review sample provided by eiP

The eiP Pencil X Classic is an alternative to the Apple Pencil USB-C, and has more features and is selling at less than half the price. At the time of review, the price is USD 29.90 on Amazon US.

The pen is well made with good build quality. The three colours available are red, yellow and blue. The design is clearly inspired by old-school wooden pencils.

One extra pen tip with a metal point is included. The default black tip is made of plastic, and the writing or drawing experience is similar to Apple Pencil. Original Apple Pencil tips can be used with this pen too.

The back of the pen has a USB-C port for charging. The eraser at the back is magnetically attached and does not work like an eraser; instead, it works just like the pen tip, except it's bigger and softer.

This pen is compatible with iPad models from 2018 to recent models. The pen does not require pairing with iPads to work. The pen will not work if there's already an Apple Pencil connected wirelessly to the iPad. The pen does not work with Android tablets.

Magnetic attachment works with iPads that have magnets on the side. The pen does not support magnetic charging.

It's important to know that you should not leave the pen in a discharged state for long periods of time as that can damage the small battery in it easily. If you're not someone who uses the pen often, I recommend setting a monthly alarm just to charge the pen. The same applies to the Apple Pencil USB-C, by the way.

The side button is used to power on the pen, after which you can use it as a shortcut button. The pen tip is firm and does not move.

You can use the eiP app to customise shortcuts for Goodnotes, Notability, Procreate, and iPadOS. Unfortunately, the shortcut button does not work with other drawing apps.

The drawing and writing experience is good. There's minimal to no pen latency, depending on the app. The pen supports tilt sensitivity and palm rejection, but does not support pressure sensitivity.

It is possible to use tilt sensitivity to create line variation depending on the brush and drawing app used. Shown in the picture above is the Pencil brush from the Concepts app, and tilt works well. You can draw with the sharp point of the pencil and shade with the broad side.

Digital artists would probably still prefer a pen with pressure sensitivity, but note that third party pens do not support pressure sensitivity.

The eiP Pencil X Classic is good for note-taking, and can be used for drawing but you need to know the limitations. This pen is a more affordable alternative to the Apple Pencil USB-C and it works well. The design looks beautiful and is likely to attract compliments.

Availability

You can find the eiP Pencil X Classic on eiP online store | Amazon.