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Lynktec Trueglide Apex Stylus
Review by: Neil Pearce
Steve Jobs famously hated the idea of using a stylus with a tablet device. "As soon as you have a stylus, you're dead," he said, and “God gave us 10 styluses—let’s not invent another." So why have I purchased a stylus with the express use of writing on my iPad?
At work I have decided to go as paper free as possible. I found myself filling up notebook after notebook with scribbled notes and diagrams and leaving them stuck at the back of a drawer taking up space and never being referred to again. I want to make things more secure, searchable, and available wherever I am. To make this a reality I have dived headfirst into the world of iPad note taking & handwriting apps and styluses.
The majority of styluses that I've come across are the fat squashy rubber nibbed type and these never felt anything like approaching natural writing when dragged across the glass screen of a tablet. While the nibs have got smaller the technology in the tablets themselves don't generally recognise any under 4mm across.
The Lynktec Trueglide Apex is one of the latest breed that have managed to shrink the nib down to around 2mm. The only other stylus I have come across that is similar is the Adonit Jot Pro which has a 1.9mm hard nib, and runs with Bluetooth 4 LE technology to provide both precision and extra functionality such as palm rejection and pressure sensitivity as long as the app supports its iOS API.
In contrast the Lynktec Trueglide Apex has been designed with a 2.3mm hardened rubber nib and not to require Bluetooth or any specific apps or OS so, according to the FAQ, it will happily run on most Android tablets as well as iOS.
Lynktec has managed this by powering the stylus with a AAAA battery (yes 4 A's) which creates a 'magic energy field' around the nib giving the tablet something to recognise without requiring Bluetooth pairing. The battery should last around 16 to 20 hours of use, and in the packaging along with a replacement nib is another battery.
Using it is as simple as turning it on by twisting the large end until the blue led lights up, then starting the app on the tablet and you are away. The rubber nib making it feel more like writing on a paper surface than something like metal on glass as with the Adonit Jot Pro.
Conclusion
I have enjoyed using this stylus so far, but it will take a few weeks of using it daily to know if it will replace my current pen and notebook set up at work. But that will be more a make or break on whichever note taking app I end up using rather than by any failing of the Lynktec Trueglide Apex.
The Good
- Simple to use
- Good looking, in either black and chrome or brushed silver
- Rubber nib feeling natural and easily replaceable
- Not tied to any application or OS
The Bad
- No Auto-off feature
- Unusual battery size
Specifications
- Tip: 2.4mm replaceable hardened rubber nib
- Height: 1.3cm (0.5”)
- Length: 14cm (5.5”)
- Weight: 31gr (1.1oz)
- Composition: Brass barrel and fittings with plastic end cap for circuit isolation
Author
Paul Wright