Okay Geek Farm
Adonit Jot Pro stylus review
Ricardo Trejo
Although you might not be able to tell from the image above, Adonit’s Jot Pro isn’t your traditional tablet stylus. It features a plastic disc where a rubber nub would usually be and claims to be the most accurate stylus out there. But is the “Precision Disc” as awesome as they say? Read on to find out!
What’s in the Box?
Not much. Ever unboxed a case of pens or pencils and expected anything else to be in the packaging? Yeah, me neither. Same is the case with the Jot Pro which simply is what it is: a stylus with a removable cap.
Design and Build Quality
Apparently, capacitive touch screens require a certain amount of contact from a stylus in order to order to be recognized, (approx. a diameter of 4 millimeters). This is the reason why you see such big rubberized tips on the ends of most styli and is also the reason why the Jot Pro requires the clear ‘precision disc’ instead of simply just a ball-point tip - it needs to fill that space. That is also why the difference between using your finger and a stylus hasn’t been that noticeable in the past when using other styli since they’re roughly the same size width-wise.
As for the Jot Pro’s build quality, though, there’s a lot to be said here. When compared to the stylus of the past (look no further than an ancient personal assistant or even the ones included on a Nintendo 3DS), the Jot Pro is made out of aluminum and steel rather than your common plastic ingredients. There is a rubberized grip directly underneath the tip which is useful, considering the metal body is a little slippery to hold. Taken out of the box you’ll notice the tip is safely protected with a cap, one that can be removed and twisted onto the rear of the pen so you don’t accidentally misplace or lose it under a table somewhere. The stylus’ tip is where things get interesting; a ball-point joins the body to a thin, transparent disc. And if that wasn’t enough, the Jot Pro also magnetically can hold itself to the tablet (iPad 2 and newer).
Usage
After drawing countless doodles and sketches, and then writing sentence after sentence in both cursive and print text, there is no doubt in my mind that the Jot Pro is the leader in capacitive touch screen styli. The accuracy was phenomenal and unlike anything I had ever experienced prior. There was no need to fiddle around with a bulky rubberized tip to get thin lines — the Jot Pro’s ball-point precision gets you exactly what you want time and time again… with a few exceptions, unfortunately.
I noticed that the Jot Pro would occasionally lose contact with the screen, meaning that during mid-sentence when writing in cursive there’d be a break in the line. I cleaned the surface of the disc and also the iPad with a microfiber cloth but still ended up with the same result happening at random. What I discovered was that when held at an angle, like you naturally would with a pen or pencil, the Jot Pro loses contact with the screen ever so slightly. That means that you need to hold your hand upright and not slanted, otherwise you won’t get the best results.
Another issue I had was that due to the design of the Jot Pro, whenever it’s lifted and dropped back down onto the screen there’s a noticeable tap, one that can get a little annoying, especially during drawing sessions, and one that makes writing in standard text nearly unenjoyable. The less you take the Pro off your screen the better.
Overall
For all its fancy features and design choices, the Jot Pro is hands-down the most precise and accurate stylus you’ll find on the market today. The combination of the precision disc and ball-point makes for the best experience I’ve ever had, though it does require some getting used to. It’s affordable price point and variety of styles makes it a must see if you’re shopping for a stylus.
Pros
- Great build quality
- Unmatched accuracy and precision
- Affordable
Cons
- Requires specific usage position
- Tapping sound when brought to screen
