The TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case juices up the iPad’s official stylus when it’s not attached to the tablet. It’s a secure place to carry the Apple Pencil around, and keep it topped off when you’re on the go.
I tested this charging accessory to be sure it lives up to its promises.
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TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case review
The only way to charge an Apple Pencil 2 is to catch it to the edge of a compatible iPad. Years ago, I was concerned that the stylus would come loose and I’d lose it. But I’m a believer now. I regularly leave the stylus connected to my tablet, and can only remember one time that it fell off.
That said, I won’t dream of carrying the Apple Pencil attached to the iPad through an airport, or in a taxi. And I can see people being nervous just carrying the accessory around in a busy office. Tucking it into a bag is safer.
Problem is, if the stylus is in a bag, it isn’t charging. But the TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case replenishes the stylus without needing to connect it to the iPad.
Hardware and design
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The design of TechMatte’s charging case is dictated by Apple’s accessory. TechMatte ‘s product is 7.1 inches by 2.25 inches by 1.6 inches, giving room to store the stylus inside. There also needs to be space for a built-in battery.
The exterior is shiny white plastic, just like Apple’s stylus. They match well.
Open the top, drop in the Apple Pencil with the flat edge facing downward, and the stylus will start charging. Magnets hold the stylus aligned correctly. And the box closes magnetically too, so the Pencil won‘t fall out.
There’s also space inside for extra Apple Pencil points.
Recharge TechMatte’s case through its USB-C port on the back. An LED on the front glows red when it’s receiving power. And a front LED glows green when the case is sending power to the Pencil. You can do both simultaneously, by the way.
Just so there’s no confusion, this product is only for the second-generation Apple Pencil. The original version of Apple’s stylus charges through a built-in Lightning connector.
TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case performance
Apple designed its drawing and writing accessory to charge swiftly. Put it on the side of your iPad and it’s ready to be used in a few minutes. The TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case benefits from this — it’s also able to replenish the stylus very quickly.
In multiple tests, the case moved my Apple Pencil’s battery level from 0% to 76% in 10 minutes. Essentially, you can put a drained stylus in the case when you walk out of your office, and in the time it takes to get to the meeting room it’ll have a useful charge.
But charging slows as the battery level nears full. It takes over half an hour to get the battery level close to 100%.
And the TechMatte case can recharge an Apple Pencil 2 multiple times. Over three successive test runs, it was able to give the stylus a total of 219% battery charge.
TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case final thoughts
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
If you depend on an Apple Pencil, and you frequently use it on the go, having a charging case for it makes sense. Not only does it get some extra protection, you can be assured it’ll arrive wherever you go with a full charge.
Pricing
The TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case is $29.99.
More info: TechMatte
Buy from: Amazon
TechMatte provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
