Guest PaulOBrien Posted June 8, 2018 Report Posted June 8, 2018 It might feel like Android tablets are dead (on the whole, it's hard to argue, let's be honest), but there are still some pretty compelling devices out there. One of my personal favourite tablets is the Samsung Tab S2 8.0, which I have in Qualcomm / LTE flavour. It's great, but unlike the Tab S3 (which unfortunately is only available in the larger size) it doesn't have any specific stylus support. So, as a big fan of previous Adonit stylii, I jumped at the chance to try the new 'Droid' model. The Droid is Adonit's first 'micro precision disc stylus' specifically designed with Android users in mind. Currently priced at £16.99 on Amazon in black, blue or silver, it features a newly engineered 4.75mm non-removable micro-size disc. So what's is this 'micro disc'? The majority of capacitive stylus models on sale today feature either a foam / rubber tip or a metallic fabric tip. This is because the screens on tablets are not designed for precision stylii, and need a larger capacitive surface area than a fine tip will provide. Of course, the risk of scratching or marking the screen has to be mitigated too. Adonit pioneered the alternative approach (which admittedly has now been replicated by others) of having a very fine tip, but providing the larger surface area required with a transparent disc. While this might sound a little odd in theory, it's always worked exceptionally well in practice with the original large disc - now that it's been reduced in size, is it still as good? The Droid's micro disc is 32% smaller than on previous models and is ideal both for tablets of all sizes and for phones too. The disc itself is made from PET material, designed to never scratch your screen. It's hinged so you can write or draw at any angle and the dampening tip also helps to provide a more natural writing experience. The stylus body itself has an ultra slim, stylish design with a 7mm diameter and weighs just 13g. The threaded lid, which protects the disc when it's not being used, has a handy clip which I find ideal for keeping it handy in my bag. So this all sounds great in theory... but how well does it work? I'm pleased to report - just as well as its predecessors. The smaller disc really does improve the experience while not compromising on the overall feel or accuracy. While the body of the stylus itself is slimmed down, it's not reduced to such a level that it's uncomfortable to hold for extended periods of time. I could imagine wanting a slightly chunkier version with the same small disc to keep in the pen pot at home, but it's definitely a win for me. My usage scenario is mostly around diagrams or taking notes, but my daughter, who also uses a Tab S2 8.0 is a far more demanding customer - she uses Adobe Draw extensively on her tablet to create 'signs' she posts on Instagram (kids today eh?). I gave her the stylus to try and... I fear I'm never getting it back! The Droid is her first experience of a micro disc stylus, having previously used a narrow foam tipped model. As will be the case for most people, she found the switch a little bit odd at first, as the feel is very different. After a short period of acclimatisation however, she's really happy. I recently gave her an iPad 2018 to try and an Apple Pencil and she preferred the feel of the Adonit! Should you buy one? If you're looking for a stylus for your phone or tablet, I would recommend giving the Droid a try. But really giving it a try, don't discount it because it feels a bit different at first. It's well made, very accurate, fantastically portable and very reasonably priced. I like the blue one best! View full item
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