Best stylus for iPad: Compatible Apple Pencils & alternatives for iPad sketching

Works with: iPad (from 6th gen), iPad Pro (from 2nd gen), iPad Air (from 3rd gen), iPad Mini (from 5th gen)

Following on from the inexpensive but capable Smooth Writing 3, Baseus adds a few more features to its successor – the Smooth Writing PS4 360. Gone are the three LED power indicator lights, with the power button and its illuminations now positioned at the top of the Stylus, so it acts like the click on a ballpoint pen. You still get the lightweight plastic construction, with the same flat edge with magnets underneath that’s found on the Apple Pencil USB-C. The pen clip bearing the Baseus name is acutally a sliding panel that reveals the USB-C port inside, much like on Apple’s offering.

With the PS4, there’s now a touch sensitive area that can either be double-tapped to execute a pre-assigned command (there’s 32 to choose from, including redo, undo, erase, screenshot, etc.) or you can slide your finger up and down to scroll through documents or websites. When these features work, they’re very useful, but several of the commands are non-functional in some apps, while the scrolling is quite hit and miss – works fine in Safari, but hardly at all on Chrome.

Writing with the PS4 is a pleasant affair. The feel is a bit stiff, but you quickly find a comfortable grip and then it’s plain sailing. Tracking is fast and accurate, palm cancellation is also good, making it easy to take notes, annotate documents, or doodle quick sketches. There’s no pressure sensitivity or tilt sensitivity, meaning those of an artistic bent will no doubt prefer a more advanced stylus.

Battery life is strong, with Baseus stating that you’ll get a maximum of 17 hours of use from a single 20-minute charge. I certainly found it kept going throughout the week, with standby drain kept to a minimum.

If you want something along the lines of the Apple Pencil USB-C or Apple Pencil 2, then the Baseus Smooth Writing PS4 is a good, cheaper alternative. Availability is the US and UK appears uncertain at the time of writing, but European shoppers can pick one up for around €40 or often much less.