Wacom Bamboo Sketch iOS stylus offers pressure sensitivity to non-iPad Pro users

By Malcolm Owen

Wacom has introduced the Bamboo Sketch, a smart stylus for iOS devices that offers pressure sensitivity, allowing users to draw and write on their iPhones and iPads as they would on paper, without requiring an upgrade to an Apple Pencil and the iPad Pro family of devices.

The Bamboo Sketch offers users 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, with the choice of soft and firm exchangeable pen nibs allowing users to change the way the stylus feels when pressed against the display. Weighing in at 18 grams (0.6 ounces), the Bamboo Sketch measures 142 millimeters (5.6 inches) long, and has a diameter of 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) at its widest point.

Wacom claims the stylus has a premium soft-touch surface coating the barrel, and an ergonomic triangular design to make it more comfortable to grip, a design concept the company has used before with other stylus releases.

The battery is said to last for up to 15 hours of usage, with a connector on the side allowing the Bamboo Sketch to attach to a supplied magnetic USB adapter for charging. Connectivity with the iOS device is conducted over Bluetooth, with a status indicator on the side notifying when the stylus is paired correctly.

On either side of the status indicator are two shortcut buttons, which users can customize within apps. The Bamboo Sketch is also already integrated with a number of creative apps, including Bamboo Paper, Autodesk SketchBook, ArtRage, and Astropad.

Shipping globally in June and supplied with a carry case, the Wacom Bamboo Sketch will cost $79.95. Specific device and iOS compatibility is unknown, at this time, but Wacom advises it will work with "older iPad generations" and iPhone 6 and above.