Review of Adonit Note+ 2

Our Verdict

A solid stylus that offers a range of desirable features including pressure sensitivity, natural tilt support, palm rejection, and programmable shortcuts, the Adonit Note+ 2 is a sleek piece of kit with a solid battery, suitable for both casual use and digital art. While its supported apps are limited and there are some kinks with connectivity, it’s a strong and affordable competitor for the Apple Pencil.

I've always been drawn to the concept of sketching on my iPad as a hobbyist digital artist, but I've never been able to afford the Apple Pencil's high price. I've used a variety of graphics tablets over the years, including as the Wacom screenless, a big Huoin digital display pen tablet, and the Huion Kamvas Pro 12, which I now use. It's by far my favorite screen pen tablet, even better than some of the more costly ones I've tested. But using these tablets for sketching requires you to be plugged into your workplace, which may occasionally impede your creative flow.

Therefore, it is appealing to be able to work on a digital art project from anywhere in the home, including the couch while my significant other and I watch a movie or in bed. Therefore, I leaped at the chance to use the Adonit Note+ 2 firsthand when I had the chance. I've heard a lot about how the Adonit, which costs about half as much, is a formidable competitor to the Apple Pencil. Is it really comparable, though? Is it deserving of a spot in our ranking of the top styluses for iPads and iPhones? That's what this Adonit Note+ 2 review is all about, anyhow.

Advantages:

• Affordable alternative to the Apple Pencil
• Automatic connection
• Supports pressure sensitivity, tilt, and palm-rejection
• Programmable buttons
• Lightweight and magnetic
• Comes with three replacement nibs
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Limited range of apps that support all functions
• Can be finicky to connect with certain apps
• Still quite pricey
• Hard to get/expensive replacement tips

The cost and accessibility

The Adonit Note+ 2 is offered for sale on the company's official website as well as via a number of independent retailers, including Amazon. Its MSRP of $69.99, which is almost half that of the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation, makes it a competitively priced option for artists on a tight budget. The availability of replacement tips for the Adonit Note+ 2 is the only problem, which I'll address later.

Details

Design

The Adonit Note+2 is packaged in an elegant box that can be opened to expose a cardboard inner sleeve with the stylus, three replacement nibs (soft, medium, and hard; we'll talk about them later), and a short USB-C to USB-C charging connection. Adonit app QR code (not necessary for pen use) and a brief user manual covering the pen's basic functions, charging and turning it on, and connecting it to your iPad are also included.

Despite its modest size and understated appearance, the box is well-made, with a thick foam inner that protects the pen throughout shipping. Although it is just five inches long and is USB-C to USB-C, the USB-C cable is also of good quality, but it isn't the best fit for conventional charging ports and plugs.

Let's go on to the stylus. Its light weight and comfort strike you the moment you take it up. Some people prefer a heavier pen stylus, but I find that the Adonit Note+ 2 is remarkably lighter at 14g—1g less than its predecessor, the Adonit Note+, and a whopping 7.7g less than the Apple Pencil 2nd Gen. It also keeps me from getting tired after using it for extended periods of time.

It is surprisingly thin and fits comfortably in your hand like a regular pencil thanks to its body's lightly textured gray aluminum construction, which gives it the feel of a high-quality writing pen without the weight. This is very different from graphics tablet pens, which are typically much thicker. Along with the USB-C connector at the top and two programmable buttons at the other end, it has a thin, flat magnetic edge on the back. Its appearance is so clean and understated that, except from the little white letters stating its name, one might easily mistake it for a mechanical or graphite pencil at first sight.

The two buttons are positioned in a way that makes it simple to click them comfortably while working, but it also puts them rather near to where most people would usually place their thumbs and fingers. This might cause some unintentional button pressing when sketching. If you have any kind of fingernail or thumb, you can easily remove and replace the nibs; just catch it under the edge and give it a gently tug before slipping it out and inserting the new one. The nibs feel rather secure.

In contrast to its predecessor, the Adonit Note+ 2 really comes with four tips: three hard, medium, and soft tips, plus one hard tip that is already included in the pen. It's fortunate that it included these other tips as well, as the original one broke off after just a week of mild usage. Since the pen was linked to my iPad cover and was occupying its own space in the storage cart next to my desk, I'm not sure how it occurred. It might very well be my fault; it could have snagged on something when I was cleaning. It is important to note that, similar to many other styli, this one does not come with a cover or case; instead, you will need to attach it to your iPad using the magnet and you will be good to go.

Nevertheless, it seems like this is a quite regular problem with pen styli; a quick search turned up many posts from individuals who were seeking help after finding their S-pen, Wacom stylus, and other pen's tip had broken off. Nevertheless, the well-known hot needle method is ineffective in this case since the Adonit Note+ tip's connection is made of metal. Rather, you will need a steady hand, a little patience, and some really fine-nosed tweezers. It wasn't the end of the world, however, since I was able to remove the little metal rod and replace it with a new tip within a few minutes.

Regarding advice, getting more tips beyond the ones that come with the pen seems to be somewhat difficult. As of this writing, it is not possible to get an additional pack of the Adonit Note+ 2 tips that accompany the stylus. On the official Adonit website, a pack of three Adonit Note+ tips is available for $15. However, the tips are all in the hard form, and I am unable to locate the soft or medium tips. Adonit is based in the US, therefore shipping outside may be pricey, and I've had trouble finding them on other websites. Although they are more costly and take longer to arrive than if you were to purchase them directly from Adonit (presumably to cover import/shipment costs), there is a listing on Amazon that offers free delivery to the UK.

Now, this may not be a problem for you if you're a light sketcher or if you solely use the stylus in a passive manner (and you don't have a magical snapping nib scenario like I did). Although I haven't used the Adonit Note+ 2 long enough to determine how long a single nib would last me, I do light touch drawing and have never had to change the pens' nibs on my graphics tablets, so I'm expecting these little beauties will last me for a while. However, these refills might wind up being a really costly expense sink over time if you're a little more careless with the stylus, plan to use it often, or if you're wearing one of those "paper feel" screen protectors that are notorious for consuming stylus tips.

Availability

As previously stated, the Adonit Note+ 2 has two programmable buttons that you may customize to your preference in various applications. In addition, it has palm rejection, tilt support, and pressure and tilt support, so you can stop using the awful "hand thong" that most graphics tablet artists are so used to.

Though you may use the stylus with almost anything on your iPad, only a small selection of applications fully support these attractive capabilities. The list of "Jot-ready" supported applications by Adonit is somewhat tiny, and many of them are either expensive or need a membership to fully use. These apps utilize Adonit's shortcuts, pressure sensitivity, palm rejection, and/or palm rejection.

Since I've been using it for a few years, Clip Studio Paint is without a doubt my favorite art program on the PC. Anybody who works with digital art knows that switching between programs is like picking up a whole new language. The list is further reduced by the fact that a few of the apps—namely Illustrator Draw and Photoshop Sketch—are unavailable in my area of the United Kingdom. I experimented with a number of the supported apps and even bought an Artstudio Pro subscription to save my sketches and use more than two layers. Although it took me some time to get used to the various tools, there are some really great apps there; however, this all depends on your personal preferences and style of painting.

However, if you've spent any time at all in the online art community, you already know that Procreate is by far the most well-liked and well regarded program. Regretfully, Procreate is only compatible with the Apple Pencil and does not allow pressure sensitivity with other styli. Again, I was first somewhat surprised by this since, to be honest, pressure sensitivity is a function I felt I could not live without as someone who uses a pen tablet most of the time.

But after reading up on it, I discovered that many users don't bother with Procreate's pressure sensitivity, claiming that it's not actually necessary. I had to pay to test the app that so many of my favorite musicians were using because I was so eager to do so, pressure sensitivity be damned, and I'm so happy I did.

Sincerely, pressure sensitivity isn't quite there yet, with the exception of specialized graphics tablets. I'm not sure I've seen much of a change, even in the programs that do enable pressure sensitivity. Conversely, Procreate is meant to be used with a fingertip, not a fancy, seventy-dollar pen. While some artists would undoubtedly be unable to function without pressure sensitivity, I have come to the realization that it is absolutely not necessary for me to be able to create any kind of art I want. This is because of the extensive settings for each brush, as well as the opacity and size bars on the side of the screen.

Additionally, there is the natural tilt support to enhance this even further. I had never used this feature before, so I wasn't aware of how useful it is. If you're as ignorant as I was, you may shade similarly to how you would with a pencil by leaning your pen at an angle and using the tilt support of the Adonit Note+ 2. This produces a subtle, grainy shadowing effect that appears quite realistic in compatible programs like Procreate. Again, this makes the lack of pressure sensitivity less painful and has totally won me over.

Connectivity and performance

The performance and connection of the Adonit Note+ 2 are very remarkable. Make sure your Bluetooth is turned on, hit the stylus' button, and you're good to go without having to fiddle with any additional applications, calibration, or settings. It's excellent for typing and web surfing, and it responds quickly in and out of art programs. The baseline level of connection has worked well for me, and my 11-inch iPad Pro constantly scans all inputs without any difficulties.

However, there is one area where connection is an issue: the many creative applications. Every art app has a method for pairing with a stylus, whether it's an approved third-party alternative or the official Apple Pencil. Furthermore, while the Adonit Note+ 2 functions fundamentally in every app right out of the box, you have to connect it to each one separately to use its additional capabilities, such tilt support and pressure sensitivity.

To do this in the majority of compatible applications, go to the settings, choose the third-party stylus option, make sure the stylus is turned on, and then press and hold the tip of the stylus on a designated area of the screen. It is quite easy to put the pen in pairing mode; all you have to do is click the button that is closest to the tip. Apps may, however, sometimes keep searching, in which case you will need to close the program, switch off the pen, open it again, and try again. Additionally, if you're hopping between creative applications, it can lead to even more issues. For instance, I linked my Adonit Note+ 2 to Artstudio Pro before using Medibang Paint. I had to restart Artstudio Pro in order for it to acknowledge the stylus at all when I returned to it.

To be honest, I don't believe this is a problem with the Adonit Note+ 2 in particular; rather, it seems like a problem with the way the iPad and its applications work with third-party styli. Furthermore, the scenario of switching between apps is undoubtedly situational, and since I switched to working exclusively in Procreate, I have had no connectivity problems at all. Each time I launch the app and switch on my Adonit Note+ 2, it recognizes it right away, saving me the trouble of having to reconnect. Because of this, I think it's a very little problem, but it could be something to consider when you first start using the Adonit Note+ 2.

Life of battery

The Adonit Note+ 2 is advertised as having an eight-hour continuous usage battery life and a one-hour charge time on the Adonit website. For my own usage, I haven't had any problems with battery life, however I can't vouch for precise numbers. I find that the pen lasts a long time at full charge and just has to be refilled every few days. I've been using it nearly completely for drawing throughout my lunch breaks and nights. The pen can still be used when it is attached to a charging cable, although the one that Adonit provides is a little too short for that purpose, and even with a longer wire, using the stylus while tethered feels rather awkward.

Additionally, it charges really rapidly, and the LED light indication is a very useful feature. The standard blue light on the pen changes to red when the battery is getting low. When it is ready to use, it turns blue once again after being red throughout the charging process until it has enough energy left. Even though it's a basic function, I like having it since I can't seem to discover a method to monitor the iPad stylus' battery life.

Conclusion

I'm rather pleased with my Adonit Note+ 2 overall. Not only is it far more reasonably priced than the Apple Pencil, but it's also a pretty excellent small pen that gives you the flexibility to draw wherever and whenever inspiration strikes.

Its multitude of practical functions, dependable operation, and consistent connection allow it to be easily carried about in most circumstances. Additionally, its lightweight, thin design and long battery life make it ideal for extended usage.

Even though there aren't many applications that it supports, it's difficult to find a better third-party stylus for the money. All I can hope for is that more applications work on supporting styli other than the Apple Pencil and that the Adonit Note+ 2 tips become more widely accessible in the future. However, as of right now, I'm very happy with this piece of equipment and can see myself using it often for the foreseeable future—possibly even more than my graphics tablet.

Replacements

Do you not believe that the Adonit Note+ 2 is the right pen for you? That's OK, there are plenty of options available.

First-Generation Apple Pencil

Nothing will really be able to match the Apple Pencil in terms of styli for the iPad or other Apple devices. You can be confident that the majority of applications will work with the Apple Pencil's capabilities, such as pressure and tilt sensitivity, pixel-perfect accuracy, the ability to double-tap to switch between tools, and more, in contrast to third-party solutions. In addition, it has seamless communication, the lowest latency in the market, and support for wireless pairing and charging. It's definitely worthwhile to spend the additional money if you can justify it.

Samsung Galaxy S Pen Pro

Not a big fan of Apple? Not an issue. With features like pressure sensitivity and natural tilt support, among many other desirable characteristics, the Galaxy S-Pen is an excellent option for Android users. The S-Pen Pro, which goes by the slogan "the pen nature intended," strives to feel as much like a genuine pen as possible while still offering the advantages of magnification, navigation, and the ability to generate a wide variety of brush and pen kinds. Although there have been some reports indicating that the S-Pen's longevity may be a little on the short side, all things considered, in the Android world, it is the major contender for the Apple Pencil.

Okay, it's time to wrap up our Adonit Note+ 2 review and for me to return to my nighttime sketching. Check out our lists of the best gaming phones and the best gaming iPhones if you're looking for even more tech. If you need a break from doodling, we also have a list of the best iPad games.