With the Apple Pencil getting so useful in the upcoming iOS 11, you might consider purchasing one for use with your iPad Pro. There are already a slew of accessories for the Pencil, most of which are utterly ridiculous, like this leather case — from Apple itself, no less.
As a longtime Apple Pencil user, though, one accessory has caught my eye. It’s the FRTMA magnetic sleeve, and it solves a whole bunch of Apple Pencil “problems” all at once.
Never lose your Apple Pencil with this sleeve
Photo: FRTMA
The little silicone sleeve has one flat edge, and contains a magnet. This means that it both stops the Pencil from rolling off the table and cracking itself on a hard floor, and it also lets you stick the Pencil to your iPad. Or, rather, to your iPad’s magnetic Smart Cover. In his own testing, Six Colors’ Dan Moren found that while the sleeve will stick to the iPad’s own magnets, “Attaching it to the Smart Cover (specifically to the edges where the magnets are) is far more robust.”
If you already own an Apple Pencil, you’ll know that on-iPad stowage and roll-away-ability are the its biggest “downsides” (to be honest, it’s just a fancy pencil. These aren’t really problems at all). This little $15 gizmo fixes both of those, while not looking too dorky, thanks to a minimal design by the manufacturer, FRTMA. It comes in a bunch of colors, but the white seems best because it is the least noticeable. And according to Dan, the flat edge doesn’t get in the way when writing or drawing. “It doesn’t particularly affect my use of the Pencil,” he says. “In fact, [it] probably makes it more comfortable to hold over time.”
Improving the Apple Pencil
Photo: FRTMA
I love my Apple Pencil, and I can only see it being more useful under iOS 11. If this little widget can save my expensive pen from getting dashed to death on the floor tiles, or — maybe worse — slipping down the back of the sofa into dusty oblivion, then I’m in. Now, all we need is a way to stop me losing the Pencil’s little cap.
Charlie Sorrel writes reviews and how-tos. Follow Charlie on Twitter at @mistercharlie, and at micro.blog on @mistercharlie
One response to “This magnetic sleeve is the first non-ridiculous Apple Pencil accessory”
FWIW, the new iPad Pro smart covers (Apple brand) have magnets that keep the Apple Pencil stuck to the opening edge of the cover. Not a lot of magnetism, but enough to hold the pencil to the cover while you lift or move it around. I have the 9.7 and the 10.5 smart covers and they both hold the pencil https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fb91e25fade575333fb228d7fa49f5fe0ec689db8f75ea7d6cb3b1fc498ab551.jpg