Logitech Combo Contact and Crayon for Apple iPad (Tenth gen) overview

Apple’s 10th-gen iPad is a little bit of an enigma, a mixture of newer design and expertise with older options and limitations. Nowhere is that this extra obvious than with the accent scenario, the place the Tenth-gen iPad makes use of Apple’s older Pencil as a substitute of the mannequin used with the iPad Air, iPad Mini, and iPad Professional and the bafflingly costly and restricted Magic Keyboard Folio.

Luckily, the place there are frustrations, there are alternatives, and Logitech has swooped in to seize them. The corporate has launched a Crayon stylus and Combo Touch keyboard case for the Tenth-gen iPad that handle to do a greater job than Apple’s gadgets whereas costing significantly much less cash as well.

Beginning with the stylus, Logitech’s $69.99 Crayon prices $30 lower than the Apple Pencil and avoids the awkward charging and pairing scenario Apple cornered itself into. Whereas the first-gen Apple Pencil has a lightning connector, necessitating the usage of a silly $9 adapter to pair and cost with the Tenth-gen iPad, the Crayon has a USB-C port inbuilt, which makes it straightforward to connect with the pill utilizing the cable that comes with it. You may also cost it utilizing any normal USB-C cable. Plus, there’s an influence swap and battery meter proper on the stylus itself, neither of which is discovered on the Pencil.

The Crayon’s flat, carpenter-pencil design prevents it from rolling off a desk, which the spherical Apple Pencil is liable to do, and its matte aluminum end is way much less slippery than the shiny white plastic on the Pencil. The unorthodox form does take some getting used to, however between the matte end and wider barrel, it’s extra comfy for me to carry than the Pencil as soon as I acquired accustomed to it.

Writing with the Crayon is simply as easy and lag-free because the Pencil, although it lacks the strain sensitivity discovered on Apple’s stylus. (It does help tilt for various line width, although.) Stress sensitivity is basically solely necessary for severe artists — I’ve had no bother utilizing the Crayon for my hand-written notes in Apple Notes, despite the fact that I sometimes use a second-gen Pencil with an iPad Professional — and in case you are a heavy stylus consumer seeking to make digital artwork, the Tenth-gen iPad isn’t seemingly the iPad for you. (Get one which helps the second-gen Apple Pencil — you’ll be a lot happier.) For these simply testing the waters of digital artwork, the Crayon is greater than succesful.

There are some things I want Logitech went even additional with. Neither the first-gen Apple Pencil nor the Crayon gives a straightforward approach to swap between writing and erasing, just like the second-gen Apple Pencil’s double-tap gesture affords. There’s additionally no approach to retailer the Crayon with the iPad with out an extra accent, an issue the first-gen Pencil suffers from as nicely. However Logitech does tackle this with its Combo Contact keyboard case, whereas Apple ignores it solely. The Crayon’s writing tip is simply as arduous and plastic-feeling as Apple’s Pencil and may really feel slippery on the iPad’s glass. A matte display protector goes a great distance to enhance the writing really feel of each styli since there aren’t softer nib choices for both.

In the end, I can’t consider a very good motive to purchase the first-gen Apple Pencil over the Logitech Crayon when you’ve got a Tenth-gen iPad. It’s simpler to carry, simpler to pair and cost, and cheaper whereas offering a really related writing expertise.

In the same vein, Logitech’s $159.99 Combo Touch keyboard folio beats Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio in various vital methods at a $90 lower cost. Each instances use a two-piece design, with a kickstand for the pill and a removable keyboard you can take away everytime you don’t wish to use it. However Logitech’s keyboard has nicer options, its case gives rather more safety than Apple’s, and the kickstand affords a a lot wider vary of usable angles. As a bonus, the Combo Contact has a built-in loop to carry both Logitech’s personal Crayon stylus or Apple’s Pencil. The Magic Keyboard Folio affords no such function, leaving you to retailer the stylus separate out of your pill.

The obvious distinction between Logitech’s product and Apple’s, other than the worth, is that the case half that attaches to the iPad has a rubber body round all sides of the pill, with a bit of piece reduce out for entry to the Contact ID sensor within the energy button. This gives significantly better safety from knocks and drops than Apple’s case, which magnetically attaches to the again of the iPad and doesn’t shield the edges in any respect. Whereas the Magic Keyboard Folio is less complicated to placed on and take away, which could attraction to those that swap instances typically, for most individuals, the added safety of the Combo Contact is a greater choice.

Though it has extra safety than Apple’s choice, the Combo Contact is simply barely thicker when all closed up than the Magic Keyboard Folio, one thing you received’t discover in day-to-day use. It’s additionally barely lighter than the Magic Keyboard Folio, whether or not you could have the keyboard connected or not. Logitech’s kickstand design gives a a lot wider vary of movement than Apple’s, permitting you to prop it up at decrease angles for writing or drawing. Apple’s case solely is available in white, with a soft-touch end that draws mud and dirt like a magnet. Logitech’s has a grey, fabric-like texture that’s nicer to carry and far simpler to maintain clear than Apple’s.

The Combo Contact’s keyboard is similar to Apple’s by way of measurement and format, with a well-spaced keyboard and responsive trackpad. The keys have good suggestions and journey and are backlit, which isn’t obtainable on the Magic Keyboard Folio. Logitech’s row of operate keys is barely totally different than Apple’s, swapping the lock button for a screenshot key and buying and selling the Do Not Disturb and App Library keys for the backlight controls. Neither change is a deal breaker, and I type of like having the one-key screenshot button as a substitute of the Do Not Disturb key I’ll by no means use.

The keyboard attaches to the underside of the Combo Contact utilizing pogo pins, identical to Apple’s, and doesn’t require any pairing or charging. One trick the Magic Keyboard Folio does that the Combo Contact can’t is allow you to fold the keyboard again behind the pill when it’s not in use — you actually must take away the keyboard solely whenever you wish to use the iPad as a pill when you’ve got the Combo Contact. However on the plus aspect, the Combo Contact is rather more safe and strong when the keyboard is closed and doesn’t awkwardly slide round like Apple’s keyboard. It’s general only a significantly better case for the iPad.

It’s a bit stunning to see third-party equipment so soundly trounce Apple’s first-party choices, however within the case of the Tenth-gen iPad, that’s precisely what’s occurred. Logitech’s stylus and keyboard case are higher designed, have extra options, and price lower than Apple’s equivalents. It’s a no brainer advice.

Pictures by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Correction, December twentieth, 11:45AM ET: An earlier model of this text said that the Logitech Crayon lacked help for each strain and tilt — it in truth does help tilting the tip to differ line width. We remorse the error.