Final 12 months Astropad launched its spectacular Rock Paper Pencil equipment for iPad that delivers a reusable/detachable matte display protector plus a ballpoint-style Apple Pencil tip for an actual pen-on-paper expertise. This 12 months the corporate delivered Rock Paper Pencil v2 with a NanoCling border, flat profile, improved Apple Pencil tip, and extra. Right here’s what I believe after testing out the improved model.
Rock Paper Pencil was certainly one of my favourite Apple equipment of 2023 (full overview). At $39, it provided a matte display protector for iPad that gave a brilliant real looking pen-on-paper really feel with a number of different nice advantages like immediate utility and removing, no bubbles, ballpoint-style Apple Pencil suggestions, and extra.
Regardless of making a unbelievable product with Rock Paper Pencil, Astropad took consumer suggestions and shortly applied two predominant refinements with the second era.
Rock Paper Pencil v2 upgrades
- NanoCling border attachment
- Stronger than magnets
- Simply detachable and reusable, non-adhesive, no residue
- Absolutely flat profile – 40% thinner than the magnetic border in v1
- Stronger and finer Apple Pencil suggestions
- Copper alloy core with palladium coating
- Broad inside anchor for durability
- 0.7mm precision ballpoint tip – 30% finer than v1
- 2 suggestions included
- Worth: $39.99
Like v1, v2 features a protecting sleeve to retailer your display protector and is suitable with 12.9-inch iPad Professional third gen and later, 11-inch iPad Professional or trendy iPad Air, iPad mini sixth gen, 10.9-inch iPad tenth gen, or iPad 10.2-inch seventh, eighth, or ninth gen.
In use
Like the primary Rock Paper Pencil display protector, v2 is tremendous simple to put in and take away. Whereas the unique’s magnetic attachment snapped into place a bit sooner, the NanoCling of v2 is a invaluable improve because it’s simpler to regulate, has extra endurance, and permits the display protector to be tremendous skinny and flat (the magnetic model had raised edges).
In my use, the Rock Paper Pencil v2 display protector with Rock Paper Pencil delivers the identical wonderful pen-on-paper really feel of v1 and it’s enhanced with a extra exact 0.7mm ball-point model Apple Pencil tip that’s 30% finer than v1.
Proven above, right here’s the v2 0.7mm tip on the left and the less-fine 1.0mm v1 tip on the best.
Like Astropad’s earlier builds, the brand new Rock Paper Pencil protector doesn’t trigger points with the iPad’s touchscreen responsiveness. I checked out how responsive my iPad felt with the protector on when tapping, swiping, and many others. with my fingers and it carried out in addition to when it was off.
Rock Paper Pencil v2 conclusion
Kudos to Astropad for listening to consumer suggestions and shifting quick to launch v2 with the NanoCling attachment and 0.7mm Apple Pencil tip whereas holding the value $5 cheaper.
As I felt after utilizing v1, should you’d like a pen-on-paper really feel together with your iPad and Apple Pencil, I extremely suggest Rock Paper Pencil v2. Heck, even simply the detachable matte display protector facet alone is well worth the value.
As I skilled in my overview of the unique, this product delivers a beautiful tactile expertise, has a slick design that’s detachable anytime, delivers an anti-glare end, and upgrades the Apple Pencil (gen 2) with a extra sturdy and exact tip.
If you have already got Rock Paper Pencil v1, I’d say you’re getting nearly all of the identical expertise of v2. Until you’d actually just like the 0.7mm finer suggestions and the NanoCling attachment.
You may get Rock Paper Pencil v2 direct from Astropad for $39.99.
All photographs by Michael Potuck
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