I know, I know, why would anyone need a stylus for their iPhone or iPod Touch? It’s designed to be finger friendly, right? Well there are a few reasons I can think of and I’ll bet, if you think about it, you’ll think of them too. Still not sure? Read on to find out and learn if the Pogo fits the bill!
Although a stylus for a finger-friendly touch device seems like an odd thing, there are a few good reasons to have one.:
First, in cold climates, gloves simply do not work well on touch screens. A stylus eliminates the need to remove your gloves (or cut holes in the finger pads, as I’ve seen some people do).
Second, the stylus can be significantly more accurate when using the on-screen keyboard, especially if you are new to the device and your aim is frequently a little off.
Lastly, people with larger hands or long finger nails often have a very difficult time with accuracy on touch screens. A stylus would help them increase that accuracy greatly.
All that said, does the Pogo do the trick? The answer is yes it does.
A brief review: A resistive touch screen, like those for on many PDAs before the iPhone, require that you press down, pushing two (or more) layers of the screen together to form a contact, thus telling the device where you are pressing. Capacitive screens rely on the small amounts of electricity in the body plus overlaying grids in the screen to cause a small electrical current to tell the screen and the device where the touch occurred. So without the electrical contact (like when you’re wearing gloves) the screen won’t work. The Pogo provides that current, but Ten One designs considers the method to be a “trade secret” so they don’t really say.
The Pogo generally works well, but I found that it seems to work better if you remember to push down a little as you are using it, much as you would with a regular stylus on a resistive screen. I’m not sure why this would be the case – maybe it makes a better contact when you do that.
The included clip works well with the iPhone 3G (there is also a separate version available for the iPod Touch 2G). There is no clip version for the original iPhone, but the Pogo stylus itself works just as well on any capacitive screen device.
I like the small design and the fact that I can get the Pogo in a variety of colors. I also like the clip, but only if I’m willing to use my device without a case. Unfortunately, there is no good solution for clipping the stylus if you have your device in a case.
I would definitely recommend the Pogo Stylus (or Pogo Sketch if you prefer a full-size stylus). It is a little pricely for what it is, but if you are in one of those “need” categories, it would be worth it. It’s available at a number of places for around $15. I have actually found myself using the Pogo more and more because I like the way it works when using the soft keyboard on the iPhone.
You can learn more about the Pogo here.