Adonit’s Pro 4 is described as a passive, non-Bluetooth stylus with a precision disc for “note takers, mobile gamers and artists” so they can sketch, write and navigate on any touch screen surface. It’s targeted to, among others, iPhone (XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8, 8 Plus) users.
Don’t expect to have iPad Pro/Apple Pencil capabilities with this stylus. While you can navigate through your iPhone by tapping, scrolling and typing. Using your fingers often leaves fingerprint marks and possibly scratches. The Adonit stylus works well for navigating your iPhone screen without leaving fingerprints — and is also great for use when you’re wearing gloves.
The big selling point of the Adonit Pro 4 Precision Stylus is its exclusive PET Precision Disc, which is scratch resistant. It’s designed to make sketching, writing and navigating any touch screen surface “silky smooth.” It also takes advantage of Pixelpoint, Adonit’s fine point stylus tip technology that supports a 1.9 mm Fine Point tip.
What’s more, the Pro 4 looks and feels great thanks to its sleek aluminum construction in a slim, ergonomic body (10.5 mm in diameter). It has a copper twist cap that can be removed when using the stylus and reattached to protect the stylus when it’s not in use. There’s even a grip sensor that turns on the stylus when you pick it up.
The Pro 4 also has good “palm rejection.” This allows you to rest your hand naturally on the screen while writing without making unwanted marks. And unlike the Apple Pencil, it has a grooved pen clip for attaching the stylus to your pocket or bag.
The Pro 4 — available in black, silver, and gold — doesn’t need a battery, which is nice. That said, if you want to do more than navigating on your iPhone with it, you’ll need specialized apps such as the $7.99 GoodNotes 4 (for taking handwritten notes and converting them to text, diagrams, and mark-up PDFs) or the free Autodesk Sketchbook (a pencil illustration app). Sorry, but you’re not going to be able to write handwritten notes in, for example, the iOS Pages app.
Personally, if I’m using a stylus, it’s with an iPad Pro/Apple Pencil combo. But if you need one for use with your iPhone, the Pro 4 is a solid choice.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
