Astropad Launches Updated Rock Paper Pencil Kit for Realistic Writing Experience on iPad

Astropad is launching a new version of the Rock Paper Pencil kit that it came out with last summer, bringing some notable improvements that will allow for a better paper-like writing experience on the iPad.

rock paper pencil
Rock Paper Pencil combines a screen protector and a unique Apple Pencil tip so that writing on the ‌iPad‌ feels like writing on a piece of paper. The new version of Rock Paper Pencil has a NanoCling Screen Protector that attaches to an ‌iPad‌ using static cling rather than a magnetic edge like the prior version.

Astropad says that NanoCling is stronger than magnets, and it provides a thinner bezel and a flatter surface on the ‌iPad‌. The NanoCling Screen Protector is 40 percent thinner than the magnetic version, so there are no gaps or ridges to contend with. The screen protector continues to be easily removable and reusable so you can take it off when you're not writing, and it is not adhesive so it leaves no residue.

The Pencil tip has also been redesigned to withstand heavy daily use. It has a wear-resistant copper alloy core and palladium coating, and it is able to hold up to more pressure. The Pencil tip has been slimmed down too, so it's equivalent to a standard 0.7mm ballpoint pen. The Rock Paper Pencil ships with two of the pencil tips and a protective storage sleeve for the screen protector.

Rock Paper Pencil can be purchased from the Astropad website for $40. It is compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air, the third-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and later, the seventh-generation 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌ and later, the 10.9-inch ‌iPad‌, and the sixth-generation iPad mini.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...

Top Rated Comments

CraigJDuffy Avatar
14 months ago

Maybe it's just me, but I have found the best experience is the Apple Pencil and no screen cover at all. Every cover I have used that claims better writing experience doesn't seem to be as good as just going naked.
Nah, it’s wayyyy too slippery.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveCummings Avatar
14 months ago

Man uses pencil and paper. Man gets rid of pencil and paper in favor of digital screen and digital pencil, then spends eternity trying to make them feel like original pencil and paper.

Sigh.
If you don't use the pencil heavily, you don't understand. The apple pencil tip slipping around on glass takes away some of the line control and after awhile, you feel the strain in your hand, in your wrists. You need that friction that a paper like surface provides. Just as I think that something the Apple Pencil and iPad needs that I see in other tablets is the ability to adjust the pressure curve. You only see it locally in apps like Procreate, but I think it's needed, because that's another thing that creates strain. I'm an artist who uses tablets to draw for hours at a time and things like tennis elbow and wrist and hand pain are a real issue
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveCummings Avatar
14 months ago

Astropad is trying to emulate writing on a piece of paper with a pen(cil)? Why not just use the real thing? Or learn to type. Doesn't everyone type with their thumbs at least?
A lot of artists want the pencil on paper feel as it allows for more control of the line and ultimately less strain on the wrists. It's why I love the etched glass surface of Wacon tablets, especially coupled with their felt nibs. THAT's what I'd love to see on the next iPads. I don't care about OLED displays, I want displays that have a bit of texture to them, and pencil tips that creates some friction to the tip
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sevendaymelee Avatar
14 months ago
Man uses pencil and paper. Man gets rid of pencil and paper in favor of digital screen and digital pencil, then spends eternity trying to make them feel like original pencil and paper.

Sigh.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
14 months ago

Bomb still wins though

??️✂️✏️?
?
?️
✂️
?
?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JanoschR Avatar
14 months ago
Bought v1 in December and now I feel like an idiot ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)