Apple Pencil alternative: The Logitech Pencil is back on sale for $ 50

The Apple Pencil is one of Apple's best iPad innovations, has "smart" stylus that's great for things like taking notes, sketching ideas and creating art.

But $ 100? Come on. That's kind of outrageous even by Apple standards. Thankfully, there's an alternative: The Logitech Pencil, which was originally made to last year.

Price tag: $ 70. Still a little steep, if you ask me. However, for a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the Logitech Pencil for $ 50 shipped. (Should you prefer, it's also available for the same price.) Note that CNET can get a share of the product.

The Crayon works with all current-gen iPads that support the Apple Pencil, including the newest iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPad Pro.

Despite being priced less than the Pencil, the Pencil actually has some advantages over it, as Scott Stein detailed in his Logitech Pencil preview: "It's fast and easy-to-use, too much"

It also loads via a standard lightning cable and has bright orange tips, which hopefully make it less likely to go missing. Similarly, the cap stays tethered to the pencil, so you can not lose it as easily as the Pencil's end-cap.

There's just one missing feature: pressure sensitivity. Although it can produce different types of weights depending on the angle of the tip, it can not make your strokes fatter or thinner depending on how hard you push.

Assuming that's not a deal breaker, this is a solid deal on an alternative great Apple Pencil alternative.

Note: This post was published previously and has since been updated on pricing and availability.

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