Logitech Crayon is now available in the UK as well as the US. We first saw the device at the iPad launch back in March. It's, essentially, a budget version of the Apple Pencil designed for those that don't need total precision.

But how do the two devices compare and which one should you buy? We've played with both to find out.

Design

The Apple Pencil is a thin slender device made cased in white plastic. It's well balanced with a lightning plug at the end for charging that's hidden by a small magnetic cap. It measures 175.7mm in length and 8.9mm in diameter. It weighs 20.7g. The tips are replaceable if you damage them. It's design is, like a Brio, understated.

The Logitech Crayon is made from aluminium and rubber, features bright orange ascents and also comes with a replaceable tip. Charging is via a Lighting socket which is hidden by a rubberised end cap. It measures 165mm x 12.7mm x 7.62mm and weighs 20g. The design is flatter and wider, more akin to an artist's drawing pencil, and less likely to roll off a desk. The Crayon also features an on/off button (something the Apple Pencil doesn't have) and a battery meter so you can see how much charge is left. It can also withstand being dropped up to 1.2m (4ft). Both are comfortable in the hand.

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Apple

Single vs multiple iPad connections

The Apple Pencil connects and pairs to an individual iPad or iPad Pro, while the Logitech Crayon doesn't feature Bluetooth and can therefore be used on any iPad (6th generation) instantly without the need for pairing. That's a real plus for classrooms that could have 30 iPads in them and will save you having to remember which Crayon goes with which iPad. Apple and Logitech have told us that they expect there to be a pot of Crayons at the front of the class that teachers will be able to quickly hand out to students when needed.

Pressure sensitivity vs no pressure sensitivity

The Apple Pencil is sensitive to pressure and tilt so you can easily vary line weight, create subtle shading, and produce a wide range of artistic effects, the Logitech Crayon isn't sensitive to pressure.

According to Logitech the "Smart tip dynamically adjusts line weight and shadowing according to the angle you place it down" on the screen, but won't be able to cope with pressure sensivity. If you're an artist the Crayon isn't for you, however if you are using it to make annotations in mark up, sign things, or do general note taking it will be fine.

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Logitech

Battery life and charging times

Apple Pencil has 12 hours on a single charge compared to 8 hours for the Logitech Crayon. Both offer speedy charging to get you going quickly if you've run out of juice. The Apple Pencil will give you 30 minutes of power from just 15 seconds of charging. The Logitech Crayon delivers the same 30 minutes of usage from 90 seconds of charging.

Which iPad can you use the Pencil or Crayon with?

The Apple Pencil will work with the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation), iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and the new iPad (6th Generation).

The Logitech Crayon will only work with the new iPad (6th generation) at the moment.