Accessory maker ESR this week introduced the Geo Digital Pencil, a low-cost Apple Pencil alternative that has support for Apple's Find My functionality.
Priced at $30, the Geo Digital Pencil connects to an iPad with Bluetooth, and it supports writing, drawing, sketching, and more much like the Apple Pencil. The Geo Digital Pencil connects to an iPad using a magnetic attachment to keep it from being lost, but charging is done using a USB-C charger.
Supported features include tilt sensitivity and shortcuts, but pressure sensitivity, Apple Pencil hover, and other Apple Pencil exclusive features are not available.
Find My integration allows the Geo Digital Pencil to be located using the Items tab in the Find My app on any Apple device, with options for playing a sound, marking an item as lost, and seeing the last known location of the pencil when Bluetooth is unavailable.
ESR says the Geo Digital Pencil is compatible with all 11-inch iPad Pro models, the third-generation iPad Air and later, the third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and later, the iPad mini 5 and later, and the iPad 6 and later. It is available for purchase from Amazon, and it is priced at $30.
ESR has also introduced a case designed for the iPhone 16 models with Camera Control button and the MagMouse, a mouse with a built-in USB-C cable that can attach magnetically to an iPad or Mac for storage purposes.
Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors
This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system.
In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by Juli Clover
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line.
Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad.
Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value.
...
Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead.
Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors.
Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
Friday September 26, 2025 6:57 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In March, Apple delayed the launch of its personalized Siri features, and soon after the company was hit with multiple class action lawsuits over the situation.
The plaintiffs said they never would have purchased an iPhone 16, or would have paid less, had they known Apple's marketing about the Siri features was false.
In the U.S., all of the complaints were consolidated into one class...
Friday September 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The website ChargerLAB has tested the standard iPhone 17 model's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W.
The device reached a peak charging speed of around 27W to 28W with these Apple chargers:29W USB-C Power Adapter
30W USB-C Power Adapter
35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter
35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max...
Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions.
The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Likely Features
N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7
Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Looks like the Goojodoq GD14 that’s been available for a while.
Correction: ESR launches a stylus that looks like an Apple Pencil but does almost nothing the Apple Pencil can do.
It does most of the things the Apple Pencil does. Save for the pressure sensitivity - though that’s overrated to not really useful for mere note-taking.
Digital artists should get the Pencil Pro (if compatible). Most other people will be well-served with a good-enough third-party Pencil at a fraction of Apple‘s price.
Plus, they won‘t be subject to Apple‘s whims on making their accessories with future iPad generations. Prepare to write off your Magic Keyboards and Pencils once Apple yet again changes a few magnets.
God people here are insane and love giving Apple their money.
If you want an Apple Pencil Pro, this is obviously not for you. But it is very comparable to an Apple usb-c pencil (better even) while being significantly less expensive. It’s a good option for a lot of people who are very casual (or occasional) pencil users.
Im using a $12 3rd party pencil right now. The first one I got didn’t write well on my iPad mini 7 without skipping but the second one works like a charm and feels exactly like my old Apple Pencil 1. I don’t think anyone should be buying the usb-c Apple Pencil. Get the Apple Pencil pro if you care about all the fancy features, or get a 3rd party pencil like this one by ESR which is probably going to be slightly nicer than the cheaper one I got.
