Apple is yet again partnering with Best Buy in a bid to increase the availability of its products. This time around, the partnership is all about giving the Apple Pencil a boost, an accessory that is key to the iPad Pro.
This is a good move by Apple since Black Friday and the holiday shopping season are just around the corner. It means many customers should be able to get their hands on an Apple Pencil a lot easier.
The reason for this is Apple is facing supply constraints at its own stores. This isn't the first time this happened; earlier this year, Best Buy was the first retail store to carry the Apple Watch.
Now, consumers should bear in mind that the Apple Pencil costs a whopping $99.99, and for the time being, it is only available in-store and not online, according to a report from Apple Insider.
The Pencil is the most attractive accessory available for the iPad Pro, and possibly the most innovative as well. The device is designed to work much better when compared to the traditional stylus. According to Apple, the latency is lower, so it should feel like using a real pencil. It also means users should see little to no delays when drawing.
Also, the Apple Pencil is pressure sensitive. Pressing down hard with the Apple Pencil while drawing should make for a stronger line.
For those planning to purchase an iPad Pro along with the Apple Pencil, it should be noted that the Pencil is not easily repaired should it break.
The folks at iFixit tore down the Apple Pencil, only to find out that it is difficult to do so, and as such, in no way easy to repair. From what iFixit had to say and the 1/10 rating, we would recommend users to purchase a new Apple Pencil if it breaks instead of attempting to repair it.
"The pencil is clearly not meant to be opened or repaired; you can't get inside without destroying the device," the report concludes. "The layers of plastic and metal holding interior components are impossible to remove without shredding."
To make things worse, the battery cannot be replaced, so in the years to come when the 12-hour battery begins to deliver only four hours' worth of usage time, users will have to replace a perfectly fine Apple Pencil.
