Samsung’s S-Pen vs. Apple’s Pencil: What Should You Buy

Jackturner
3 min readSep 21, 2021

we will tell you the difference between S-pen and an Apple pencil. S-pen is slightly thinner and smaller compared to an Apple pencil. There is a lot of differences between these two products, such as design, functionality, and compatibility. Here is the main difference between these two:

Design

The apple pencil looks much better than the S-pen. The design of the Apple pencil is a lot more like a regular pencil, while the S pen looks similar to both pen and pencil. The S-pen looks like a toy, while the Apple pencil has a smoother matte finish, and it looks much better in general.

Functions

The S-pen can perform a lot of things by itself. It can take a quick note by pressing the button on the pen and then double-tap on the screen. The same feature is not available on the iPad, but it is supposed to be launched with iOS 15 updates. S-pen can perform several actions, including navigation. Apple Pencils cannot be used to navigate such as, go to your home screen. Sometimes it feels annoying because you will have to switch between pencil and your fingers back and forth.

You can use and operate the new tab 7 completely with an S-pen. It has some additional features like translation into another language, mark-up tool during screen recording. The iPad Pro with the pencil does not have this feature.

App Ecosystem

The application ecosystem in iOS is more involved for the Apple pencil compared to the S-pen. As a result, it makes the Apple pencil a lot more useful than the S-pen.

Writing

The S-pen is a better tool for making notes and writing in general. The regular note app you get on the iPad is good but not better than Samsung notes. It provides more pen and color options. You will get more color palettes and preset options. As a result, the S-pen is better for taking notes.

You can always download better writing applications on the iPad. After that, you will get more options than the Samsung notes. You will have to pay a couple of extra few dollars.

Drawing

When it comes to creative works, the Apple pencil is the right choice if you are completely into graphics and designing because of the iOS ecosystem. Apple pencil outshines the S-pen in this category. If you are a designer, then you should go for an iPad with an Apple pencil.

Interaction

Apple pencil has a touch-based interaction, while the S-pen has an actual physical button. Both have their pros and cons. Users might accidentally hit the touch sensor while working on an Apple pencil, but it will never happen to the S-pen. The S-pen requires a press of the button. The S-pen has a safer interaction compared to the Apple Pencil.

Compatibility

The Apple Pencil is only compatible with iPads. It is not compatible with iPhones and not even the MacBook Pro. The S-pen is compatible with the Note series, Galaxy tab series, and Galaxy S series.

Extra Money

Apple pencil does not come with the iPad, iPad mini, or iPad Pro. You will have to purchase it for an additional $130. The S-pen comes with the tablet, inside the box. You will not have to pay any extra cost for the S-pen.

Conclusion

These are the main differences between the Apple pencil and Samsung S-pen. S-pen with Galaxy tab is a great value for money. If you are talking about effort, then an Apple pencil will be the best option for you. It mostly depends upon the app which you are using. The selection might change according to the users. You can check the price on the official website. You might get some deals and offers on the product too.

SOURCE: Samsung’s S-Pen vs. Apple’s Pencil: What Should You Buy

--

--