Momax OneLink Active Stylus is like the Apple Pencil but more affordable!
I bought the 1st generation Apple Pencil when I got the 1st iPad Pro 2 years ago. I did not get the chance to use it that much because unlike artists, I don’t actually have the skill set to draw Liza Soberano on Procreate. I bought it for the heck of owning one because I thought it was cool.
Fast forward to 2020, I got myself the new generation 11-inch iPad Pro. Friends have been recommending me to get the new Apple Pencil but I just could not yet justify the PhP8K purchase.
Back in July, Digital Walker posted something about Momax Onelink Active Stylus Pen. It startled my attention because of two reasons: (1) It was on sale; and (2) it’s the closest thing to the Apple Pencil. OneLink also has a few other tricks up its sleeve, which definitely makes it a viable alternative to Apple’s ridiculously priced stylus. Don’t get me wrong. Apple Pencil is definitely better in terms of performance than OneLink, but I just cannot afford it right now.
Energy Efficient
OneLink has this really cool feature that allows it to auto-shutoff after 5 minutes of inactivity. This is on top of the touch sensor located at the other end of the stylus, which you can use to manual turn on and off the stylus! While the stylus has 20-hour battery life, it took me 2 weeks to deplete its battery juice until I needed to charge it again.
Mistouches, however, may happen while using the devices. Just keep in mind of the length of its stem so you wouldn’t accidentally touch the sensor.
Like the Apple Pencil, but more affordable
OneLink borrowed a few features from the Apple Pencil. It magnetically attaches to my 11inch iPad Pro albeit a little too weak. Thankfully, Momax included a small stylus pouch so you can easily stow it away when you’re not using it. It’s good that I didn’t have to buy an extra iPad case with a stylus pouch.
This stylus also has a battery that you can charge via its type C port. You can charge it with your iPad Pro’s charger. An hour of charging (or even less) can put it to 100%, and it should be good enough for the next 2 weeks.
If we focus on its stylus features, it definitely works as an Apple Pencil. Since it’s compatible with the iPad Pro, you can still enjoy its 20ms response time. I used several apps to see if it’ll hold up to my expectations. OneLink works really well on apps like Bamboo Paper, Sketchbook, Sketches, Adobe Draw and Procreate. There are stylus-specific features that don’t work but it’s good enough to be an Apple Pencil alternative. It’s cheaper too than the 1st generation Apple Pencil.
Hit and Miss Features
The stylus isn’t perfect. It has a few quirks, hits and misses like palm rejection and tilt support features, to name a few. Palm rejection works most of the time, but it isn’t perfect as I wanted it to be. While sketching using Autodesk Sketchbook, I found myself accidentally scribbling with my palm or pinky finger. Undo button is your friend for quite a number of times.
Verdict
Get it! If you’ve got a slim budget and you’re in the market for a new stylus for your shiny new iPad Pro, you wouldn’t go wrong with this one. I encountered a few issues while using the device, but not enough for me to not recommend it.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
