Astropad is launching a new version of the Rock Paper Pencil kit that it came out with last summer, bringing some notable improvements that will allow for a better paper-like writing experience on the iPad.
Rock Paper Pencil combines a screen protector and a unique Apple Pencil tip so that writing on the iPad feels like writing on a piece of paper. The new version of Rock Paper Pencil has a NanoCling Screen Protector that attaches to an iPad using static cling rather than a magnetic edge like the prior version.
Astropad says that NanoCling is stronger than magnets, and it provides a thinner bezel and a flatter surface on the iPad. The NanoCling Screen Protector is 40 percent thinner than the magnetic version, so there are no gaps or ridges to contend with. The screen protector continues to be easily removable and reusable so you can take it off when you're not writing, and it is not adhesive so it leaves no residue.
The Pencil tip has also been redesigned to withstand heavy daily use. It has a wear-resistant copper alloy core and palladium coating, and it is able to hold up to more pressure. The Pencil tip has been slimmed down too, so it's equivalent to a standard 0.7mm ballpoint pen. The Rock Paper Pencil ships with two of the pencil tips and a protective storage sleeve for the screen protector.
Rock Paper Pencil can be purchased from the Astropad website for $40. It is compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air, the third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and later, the seventh-generation 10.2-inch iPad and later, the 10.9-inch iPad, and the sixth-generation iPad mini.
Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by Joe Rossignol
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more.
Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically.
The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Thursday February 12, 2026 11:17 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Maybe it's just me, but I have found the best experience is the Apple Pencil and no screen cover at all. Every cover I have used that claims better writing experience doesn't seem to be as good as just going naked.
Man uses pencil and paper. Man gets rid of pencil and paper in favor of digital screen and digital pencil, then spends eternity trying to make them feel like original pencil and paper.
Sigh.
If you don't use the pencil heavily, you don't understand. The apple pencil tip slipping around on glass takes away some of the line control and after awhile, you feel the strain in your hand, in your wrists. You need that friction that a paper like surface provides. Just as I think that something the Apple Pencil and iPad needs that I see in other tablets is the ability to adjust the pressure curve. You only see it locally in apps like Procreate, but I think it's needed, because that's another thing that creates strain. I'm an artist who uses tablets to draw for hours at a time and things like tennis elbow and wrist and hand pain are a real issue
Astropad is trying to emulate writing on a piece of paper with a pen(cil)? Why not just use the real thing? Or learn to type. Doesn't everyone type with their thumbs at least?
A lot of artists want the pencil on paper feel as it allows for more control of the line and ultimately less strain on the wrists. It's why I love the etched glass surface of Wacon tablets, especially coupled with their felt nibs. THAT's what I'd love to see on the next iPads. I don't care about OLED displays, I want displays that have a bit of texture to them, and pencil tips that creates some friction to the tip
Man uses pencil and paper. Man gets rid of pencil and paper in favor of digital screen and digital pencil, then spends eternity trying to make them feel like original pencil and paper.
