You can now draw on your school iPad with this 'crayon'

The $49 Apple Pencil alternative comes from Logitech.

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Jessica Dolcourt

March 27, 2018 12:59 p.m. PT

2 min read

You could already draw all over the iPad with the Apple Pencil, but how about crayon?

Logitech just announced a $49 alternative to Apple's $99 Pencil called the Crayon, which lets you write and draw as you would with a pencil and paper. The digital pencil promises not to roll off the desk, and claims 8 hours of battery life -- basically a school day -- before it needs to power up again.

Watch this: See how the Apple Pencil works with the new iPad

01:14

logitech-crayon-2 — Logitech's Crayon costs $50 less than the Pencil.
Logitech

The accessory is part of Apple's push to regain ground in school classrooms while also giving its iPad business some much-needed momentum. Apple hopes that its new iPad will help push Google's lower-priced Chromebooks out of schools, which have become popular with teachers and students.

The Logitech Crayon digital pencil works with apps such as Apple Pages, Numbers and Keynote, as well as Microsoft Office. You can take handwritten notes and doodle on illustrations and PDFs to your heart's content.

We got a quick minute to play with the Logitech Crayon -- it isn't pressure sensitive, but you can use it on iPads that support Apple Pencil, not just the new 9.7-inch iPad with Pencil support that Apple launched with youngsters in mind. Think of it more like a responsive stylus with basic functions for kids rather than a nuanced tool for artists.

The Crayon charges through Apple's proprietary Lightning cable, not through USB-C.

There's also a $99 rugged case for kids

Logitech's second accessory for the new, school-centered iPad is the Rugged Combo 2, a $99 rugged case.

logitech-rugged-combo-2-ipad-case — That keyboard comes with quiet, pry-resistant keys.
Logitech

It has a detachable keyboard that connects to the case with a proprietary connector, and a spill-resistant design.

The key caps are hard for little fingers to pry off, and Logitech promises that silent keys will help students focus. The case pairs with a click, and a pencil-holder will strap in the Pencil or the Crayon.

You'll also find an adjustable kickstand and four configurations for using the device: typing mode, viewing mode, notebook mode and travel mode.

Both the Logitech Crayon and Rugged Combo 2 case go on sale in the US this summer. Schools can buy them from Apple here. Sorry, they won't be publicly on sale.