Xiaomi Focus Pen TILT FAIL: Why Artists Should AVOID This Stylus (S Pen & Apple Pencil Pro Shine)
For digital artists relying on varied brush strokes, tilt sensitivity is crucial. My tests on the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro reveal a major flaw: the Xiaomi Focus Pen’s tilt functionality is frustratingly inconsistent, especially in apps like Infinite Painter. While the Samsung S Pen and Apple Pencil Pro deliver smooth, predictable tilt for broad strokes and shading, the Focus Pen often fails to register tilt correctly or offers poor control. This core deficiency makes it a risky choice for serious artistic work, where rivals clearly outperform it.
Xiaomi Focus Pen vs. S Pen vs. Apple Pencil Pro: The ULTIMATE Stylus Showdown (Who Wins?)
I pitted three leading styluses against each other: the Xiaomi Focus Pen on the Pad 7 Pro, Samsung’s S Pen on the Tab S9 Ultra, and Apple’s Pencil Pro with the M4 iPad Pro. While all boast palm rejection and pressure sensitivity, key differences emerge. Xiaomi stumbles with inconsistent tilt and non-customizable buttons. Samsung offers a reliable, customizable S Pen. Apple excels with near-perfect lines, innovative squeeze/barrel roll features, but no physical buttons. The “winner” depends heavily on your primary use case – art, notes, or a mix.
Diagonal Line Wobble MYSTERY: Is Your Xiaomi Focus Pen Defective? (The Ruler Test!)
I initially observed frustrating diagonal line wobble with the Xiaomi Focus Pen. To eliminate human error, I used a ruler. Curiously, if the pen tip touched the edge of my notebook paper or a plastic ruler while drawing a diagonal line, wobble appeared. Horizontal and vertical lines were fine. This strange behavior, only under specific conditions with a straight edge, suggests an odd quirk rather than a straightforward defect, but it’s a mystery that impacts precision work and needs further investigation by users.
Side Button Frustration: Why Xiaomi Focus Pen’s Non-Customizable Buttons Miss the Mark
The Xiaomi Focus Pen features two side buttons, which sounds promising. However, a major frustration is that these buttons are not customizable within popular third-party note-taking and drawing apps. This severely limits their utility for artists and note-takers who rely on quick access to tools like erasers or undo functions. In contrast, the Samsung S Pen’s single button is customizable, offering a clear advantage in workflow efficiency. Xiaomi’s oversight here is a significant missed opportunity for a more user-friendly experience.
Apple Pencil Pro’s Squeeze & Barrel Roll: Genius Features or Gimmicks? (Compared to S Pen & Xiaomi)
The Apple Pencil Pro introduces new interactions: a squeeze shortcut and barrel roll, a feature absent in the Pencil 2. Are these game-changers or just novelties? The squeeze offers quick tool access without physical buttons, while barrel roll allows for intuitive rotation of brush tips, mimicking traditional tools. Compared to the S Pen’s customizable button and Xiaomi’s non-customizable ones, Apple’s approach is more integrated but perhaps less direct. Their utility depends on how well apps adopt them and if they genuinely enhance an artist’s workflow.
Initial Activation Force TESTED: Xiaomi, Samsung & Apple – Which Pen Feels Most Natural?
A key aspect of a stylus’s natural feel is its initial activation force – how lightly you can press to make a mark. I tested the Xiaomi Focus Pen, Samsung S Pen, and Apple Pencil Pro by drawing with minimal pressure. All three performed admirably, allowing for very thin lines with ease. This low activation force means a more sensitive and responsive drawing experience across the board, closely mimicking the feel of a traditional pen or pencil on paper, which is great news for artists and note-takers alike.
Infinite Painter vs. Sketchbook: How Apps AFFECT Tilt Performance (Xiaomi Focus Pen Case Study)
The Xiaomi Focus Pen’s problematic tilt sensitivity isn’t just a hardware issue; app implementation plays a huge role. In Infinite Painter on the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro, tilt barely worked, failing to produce broad strokes consistently. However, in Sketchbook on the same device, tilt did function, allowing for wider lines when the pen was angled, though control remained difficult. This demonstrates that software optimization is critical, but even with better app support, the Focus Pen’s tilt still lags significantly behind the S Pen and Apple Pencil.
The “Wobbly Line” Phenomenon: Uncovering Why My Xiaomi Pen Struggles with Corners & Rulers
My investigation into the Xiaomi Focus Pen’s diagonal line wobble revealed a peculiar trigger: the issue arises when the pen tip makes contact with the edge of a physical object, like my notebook or a plastic ruler, specifically in a corner. Drawing freely or along horizontal/vertical lines with the ruler posed no such problem. This specific, conditional wobble is baffling and suggests a potential interference or sensor quirk rather than simple hand jitter, making precise ruled diagonal lines unexpectedly challenging.
For WRITING ONLY: Does Xiaomi Focus Pen’s Tilt Issue Even Matter? (A Practical Look)
If your primary use for a tablet and stylus is note-taking or general writing, the Xiaomi Focus Pen’s inconsistent tilt sensitivity becomes largely irrelevant. For writing tasks, features like pressure sensitivity for varied line weight (if desired) and smooth tracking are more important. In my tests, the actual writing performance of the Xiaomi Focus Pen, Samsung S Pen, and Apple Pencil Pro were all fantastic. So, for pure scribing, the tilt defect on the Xiaomi is a non-issue.
Samsung S Pen’s Customizable Button: The Small Feature That Makes a BIG Difference
The Samsung S Pen features a single side button, but its power lies in its customizability within apps. This seemingly small detail makes a huge difference in workflow. Users can assign frequently used actions like switching to an eraser, undoing, or opening a quick menu directly to this button. This contrasts sharply with the Xiaomi Focus Pen’s two non-customizable buttons and the Apple Pencil Pro’s buttonless squeeze/tap gestures, giving the S Pen a practical edge for users who value quick, personalized shortcuts.
Apple Pencil Pro vs. Apple Pencil 2: Is Barrel Roll Worth the Upgrade?
A key differentiator for the new Apple Pencil Pro over the Apple Pencil 2 is the “barrel roll” feature. This allows users to rotate the virtual tool by simply twisting the Pencil, mimicking how one might rotate a calligraphy pen or flat brush for different effects. For artists who utilize such techniques, this could be a significant, intuitive upgrade enhancing creative expression. However, for users primarily focused on writing or simpler drawing styles, the added cost and functionality of barrel roll might not justify upgrading from the already excellent Pencil 2.
Pressure Sensitivity Battle: Xiaomi Focus Pen vs. S Pen vs. Apple Pencil Pro – Who’s Smoothest?
All three contenders – Xiaomi Focus Pen, Samsung S Pen, and Apple Pencil Pro – boast pressure sensitivity, allowing for varied line thickness based on how hard you press. In my testing, all performed well, transitioning smoothly from thin to thick lines. While subtle differences in the pressure curve might exist that appeal to individual artists, on a fundamental level, each pen delivered a responsive and dynamic experience, accurately capturing nuanced pressure changes. This core feature is well-implemented across the board.
The Strange Case of the Ruler: Why My Xiaomi Focus Pen ONLY Wobbles with a Straight Edge
It’s a perplexing issue: my Xiaomi Focus Pen draws perfectly straight diagonal lines freehand, but introduce a ruler, and if the tip touches the ruler’s edge (especially in a corner), a distinct wobble appears. This doesn’t happen with horizontal or vertical ruled lines. This highly specific “ruler-induced wobble” suggests it’s not my hand shaking, but some strange interaction between the pen’s sensors and the physical guide under very particular circumstances. It’s a baffling quirk for precise technical drawing.
Is Xiaomi Focus Pen Good Enough for Professional Artists? (The Harsh Truth About Tilt)
For professional artists who depend on nuanced brushwork and reliable tool performance, the Xiaomi Focus Pen, in its current state, likely falls short. The primary culprit is its inconsistent and often poorly controlled tilt sensitivity, a crucial feature for achieving varied strokes and shading. While its pressure sensitivity and initial activation force are good, the unreliable tilt is a significant handicap compared to the much more dependable S Pen and Apple Pencil Pro, making it difficult to recommend for serious artistic endeavors.
“Almost Perfectly Straight”: Apple Pencil Pro’s Line Fidelity is UNBEATABLE (Here’s Proof)
When it comes to drawing perfectly straight lines with a ruler, the Apple Pencil Pro on the M4 iPad Pro demonstrated near-flawless performance. My tests showed lines that were “almost perfectly straight,” with minimal deviation. While some slight pressure variance occurred due to the difficulty of maintaining perfectly consistent human pressure, the underlying line tracking was exceptionally accurate. This level of precision sets a high bar and is a testament to Apple’s tight hardware and software integration for stylus input.
Why Third-Party App Support is CRITICAL for Stylus Buttons (Xiaomi Take Note!)
Stylus side buttons are only as useful as the software allows them to be. The Xiaomi Focus Pen’s two buttons suffer because they lack customization options within popular third-party drawing and note-taking apps. This means users can’t tailor them to their workflow, unlike the Samsung S Pen’s customizable button. For a stylus to truly enhance productivity, developers need access to customize button functions, turning them from fixed features into powerful, personalized shortcuts. Xiaomi should prioritize this for future iterations.
Diagnosing Stylus Wobble: Human Error vs. Hardware Flaw (My Xiaomi Focus Pen Investigation)
When I first saw wobbly diagonal lines with the Xiaomi Focus Pen, I questioned my own steadiness. However, using a ruler revealed a pattern: wobble appeared only when the pen tip contacted the ruler’s edge, specifically in corners. Freehand diagonals, or ruled horizontal/vertical lines, were fine. This systematic testing helped distinguish potential human error from a specific, conditional hardware or sensor quirk. The investigation points towards an unusual interaction rather than just an unsteady hand being the sole cause of the wobble.
If You ONLY Need a Pen for Notes: Xiaomi Focus Pen vs. S Pen vs. Apple Pencil Pro (The Verdict)
For users whose primary need is digital note-taking, the advanced artistic features (and flaws) of these styluses become less critical. All three – Xiaomi Focus Pen, Samsung S Pen, and Apple Pencil Pro – offer excellent writing performance with good palm rejection and responsiveness. The Xiaomi’s tilt issues are irrelevant here. The choice then boils down to factors like button utility (S Pen wins for customization), ecosystem preference, and budget. For pure writing, all are fundamentally strong contenders.
The Unsung Hero: Palm Rejection Across Xiaomi, Samsung & Apple – Who Does It Best?
While we scrutinize tilt, pressure, and wobble, excellent palm rejection is the unsung hero of a good stylus experience, allowing you to rest your hand naturally on the screen. All three tablets – Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro, Samsung Tab S9 Ultra, and M4 iPad Pro – with their respective pens, demonstrated effective palm rejection in my tests. This crucial feature worked well across the board, preventing stray marks and ensuring a comfortable, uninterrupted writing or drawing session, which is a baseline expectation met by all.
My Xiaomi Focus Pen Tilt Frustration: A Warning for Digital Artists & Illustrators
As a reviewer testing styluses, the inconsistent tilt performance of the Xiaomi Focus Pen on the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro was a significant source of frustration, especially when compared to the reliable S Pen and Apple Pencil Pro. For digital artists and illustrators who rely on tilt for shading, blending, and creating varied brushstrokes, this unreliability is a deal-breaker. This isn’t just a minor quirk; it’s a fundamental flaw that severely limits the pen’s utility for serious creative work. Consider this a clear warning.