Six years ago I wrote about the SonarPen, a $30 Apple Pencil alternative that plugged into the iPad’s headphone jack, using audio signals emitted from the port as a means to detect stylus pressure. It was an unconventional idea, but worked well enough given the price. The bad news for the SonarPen, however, was that Apple would phase out the headphone jack from its iPad lines the year after.
It took longer than expected, but the SonarPen 2 is here, swapping the previous headphone jack plug with the do-it-all USB-C plug. Launching on Kickstarter at $32 (with final retail being $45).
The SonarPen 2 works just as before: plug it into a USB-C port iPad Pro (those came out starting in 2018) and the stylus is immediately functional (though the degree to which it is functional depends on the app — more on this next paragraph). There’s no need for pairing, no charging. Overall in hand feel is similar: it’s slightly chubbier than a usual digital pen that’s tethered to the base (or right side) of the iPad. But the Hong Kong-based developers didn’t just swap out the headphone jack for USB-C plug, there’s more advanced electronics than its predecessor. The new pointed nib uses an independent circuit that requires power (drawn from the iPad) to function. For pressure detection, the nib circuit moves vertically against the screen, transmitting force to the pressure detection system. New in this generation is tilt detection, which makes the pen strokes for aspiring artists a bit more natural. There’s also a new shortcut button that is designed to replicate the double tap feature of Apple Pencil Pro.
It’s worth noting that not all apps will support pressure sensitivity, tilt detection and the pen’s shortcut button — that requires app developers to write code for the SonarPen 2. Currently, there are five apps that offer full support for all of the SonarPen 2’s features, including Zen Brush 3 and HiPaint. There are another half dozen apps that mostly support the SonarPen 2 but lacks tilt detection or palm rejection. But even with non-supported apps, the SonarPen 2 can still work as a basic stylus, with relatively lag-free detection. But you’ll ultimately want to use it with the supported apps, as the stylus works much better — I could even do my usual Batman sketch without noticeable performance issues.
Ultimately, is the SonarPen 2 as good as the Apple Pencil? Of course not. Apple’s stylus is one of the very best on the market. But if you, like most people find the stylus too costly, the SonarPen 2 is a worthy alternative budget option that gets the job done.
