Adonit Note+ 2 review: affordable stylus delivers pressure sensitivity… kind of

If you’re a fan of Adonit’s first-generation Note+ stylus, get excited; the second generation is here; the Adonit Note+ 2 comes equipped with improvements galore, offering 2,048 pressure levels, two shortcut buttons, and interchangeable nibs of varying hardness.

Adonit makes some of the best Apple Pencil alternatives on the market. While third-party iPad styluses face more pushback than ever from the Silicon Valley giant, that’s not stopping brands like Adonit from standing their ground.

It’s relatively well-covered in terms of iPad compatibility, working with newer devices including the iPad (6th gen and newer), iPad mini (5th gen and newer) iPad Air (3rd gen and newer), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st gen and newer) and the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen and newer).

For artists and note-takers alike, it will make for a fine iPad accessory – just don’t expect it to outperform the Apple Pencil either in performance or app compatibility.

Adonit Note+ 2 review: Key specifications

Adonit Note+ 2 review: Design

Stylish in slate grey aluminium with black plastic accents, the Adonit Note+ 2 is a satisfyingly chic stylus for those who prefer a darker tone to their iPad accessories.

It feels great in hand, and is just slightly lighter than the 19.8g Apple Pencil 2 at 14g. It’s 165.7mm long and has a diameter of 9.2mm, making it almost identical in size to the Apple Pencil 2, and also features a flattened edge that prevents it from rolling across your desk and can be magnetically attached to the side of compatible iPads - though it won’t charge this way.

Instead, it charges via USB-C, with its socket being at the top end of the pen on the flattened edge. Just below this is a small LED which indicates the charge status and connectivity. Further down towards the nib is my favourite design element on the Adonit Note+ 2 - the black rocker with two customisable shortcut keys. These buttons are wonderfully tactile, and unlike the Apple Pencil 2’s easily triggered gesture controls are tactile and prevent accidental clicks.

The tip of the stylus is black, and you can easily switch out the nib by gently pulling it out. It comes with three spare nibs of varying hardness; soft, medium and hard, in addition to the hard nib already in situ. I generally prefer a softer nib for drawing, though these tend to wear down quicker; I certainly noticed this with the Adonit Note+ 2 nib. As a more affordable stylus, prepare for all of the nibs to show wear quicker than the Apple Pencil 2.

Adonit Note+ 2 review: Performance

Of the Adonit styluses I’ve tried, the Note+ 2 is by far the most accomplished. That’s why it’s such a shame I had so many difficulties using the stylus, as it’s only got limited compatibility with some note-taking apps and art apps for the iPad. Adonit has listed all of the apps compatible with the Note+ 2, so it’s well worth giving these a good read before you buy as not all compatible apps are made equal. For instance, in Procreate, which is my favorite drawing app, you’re only afforded palm rejection and natural tilt support, whereas other apps like Concept afford the full array of Adonit Note+ 2’s drawing features.

At times, the pressure sensitivity is spotty at best, which was pretty frustrating - but you can learn how to work around it. There are 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is much less than I’m used to working with on my drawing tablet - but it’s not as accurate or responsive as the Apple Pencil 2. It goes very readily from 0-100, making some rather inelegant lines at times, but once you get the knack for it you can work around its hyperactivity.

I also had a fair few issues pairing the stylus with different apps. As the Adonit Note+ 2 doesn’t pair via Bluetooth to the iPad itself, you need to use the in-app pairing offered with compatible apps - however, sometimes it just doesn’t register. I found if you click the rocker keys a few times or restart the stylus, it connects - but then there’s a 50/50 chance it’ll still be connected the next time you open your app of choice.

However, it’s not all bad. Once I got it working, I generally had a great time with the Adonit Note+ 2. It’s got pretty good battery life, offering 8hrs of continuous use. Thanks to its USB-C quick charging, it’ll power up in just one hour. The tilt sensitivity works well, it’s very responsive and overall matches its price in terms of performance.

Adonit Note+ 2 review: Price and availability

Especially when compared to the Apple Pencil 2, the Adonit Note+ 2 is wonderfully affordable, coming in at just $69.99 / £80. It’s also still more affordable in the US than Apple’s newly announced Apple Pencil (USB-C), which is just $10 more expensive - however it’s the same price in the UK.

Should I buy the Adonit Note+ 2?

The Adonit Note+ 2 is a great Apple Pencil 2 alternative – but I’d say only for very specific people. If your go-to app is one of the compatible options listed by Adonit and offers a full suite of features, then that’s a great start. If you’re not expecting a truly seamless experience and performance, that’ll also work to the Note+ 2’s favour. It’s considerably cheaper than Apple’s 2nd-generation alternative, but I do wonder if the new USB-C stylus would be a better investment, even if it doesn’t offer pressure sensitivity.