I was really curious about the Pogo Sketch iPhone stylus when I first heard about it, so when I was offered the chance to review it by the Max Borges agency, the fact that it was the “hot pink” version of the product didn’t really register. That’s okay, though, because as long as I punch a live bear in the stomach every few days and stay unshaven, I can still feel like a man despite the fact that my dainty fingers are wrapped around a $15 aluminum stylus in a (surprisingly gorgeous) hot pink.
A Stylus for a capacitive screen
The iPhone has a capacitive touchscreen, which means it registers taps when your body’s electrical field distorts the charge on the touchscreen. What this really means is — and what you likely know by now if you’ve tried to use an iPhone in winter — your iPhone won’t respond to anything but your bare hands… or a specially made product like the Pogo Sketch.
What I’ve noticed during my two weeks with the Sketch is that makes the iPhone’s screen feel resistive, like the ones on almost all Windows Mobile devices. You can’t just touch the screen with the end of the Sketch and slide to unlock — you’ve got to add a little pressure, too.
Alright for normal usage
The Ten One Design manufacturer website claims that the Sketch is great for typing and regular iPhone usage, but I’d tend to disagree. Typing is alright, but I’m still much faster with my two thumbs, and web surfing is actually a lot easier if I just stick to tapping and scrolling with a finger (I find it difficult to tap small buttons because the tip is actually a brush). However, if you are one of those people who hates smudges on your screen, then the Sketch can offer your pristine, oil-less operation.
Great for painting and drawing
This is where the Pogo Sketch steps into the light and shines a very, very hot pink. I conducted my drawing tests inside of SketchBook Mobile and was very pleased with the results. The Pogo Sketch made it much easier for me to see where I was drawing and the stylus really does glide right along the glass screen. If my fingers are clumsy crayons, then the Sketch is a beautiful felt-tipped marker.
I only have two complaints when it comes down to painting: 1) it’s still a little difficult to tap on small buttons in an app’s UI becaues the Sketch is really more of a brush than a stylus and 2) I sometimes had difficulty getting some of my taps to register at all. However, I know that some professional artists (Goro Fujita and Corliss Blakely, for example) already use Pogo stylii with their iPhones, so it could just be a matter of getting used to the intricacies of the Sketch.
Conclusion
I think there are two types of iPhone users who will really make use of the Pogo Sketch: artists and folks who hate dirty screens. For the latter I would probably recommend a screen protector that hides most fingerprints, because I still think you’re better off using your fingers for normal phone operation. However, for artists who want to take full advantage of apps like Brushes, Layers, and SketchBook, then I definitely recommend picking up your own Pogo Sketch — and yes, you can choose a colour other than hot pink. 😉
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The Pogo Sketch is available on the TenOneDesign website for $15.00.
The Pogo Sketch was provided by the Max Borges Agency for review on Just Another iPhone Blog. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.
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