What is Stilo?
Stilo is a 1.9MM fine-tip stylus for tablets and smartphones that is available in black or white. It comes with its own “Precision Film” that is much like a screen protector and helps to create a true pen-on-paper experience. It offers improved surface traction and anti-fingerprint protection but is a huge pain to apply to your device. Stilo stylus runs on a single AAA battery and provides over 10 hours of continuous usage. It’s turned on and off via a power button on the side and only works when powered on; a green LED indicator lets you know when the stylus is on. The tip is adjustable and can be moved up and down to control the signal strength and sensitivity of the stylus.
What’s Inside the Box
The Stilo stylus comes with the stylus itself (including a tightly-fitted cap), a quick start guide, and one AAA battery. The bottom of the stylus unscrews so that you can insert the battery. The Precision Film comes with one film, one microfiber cleaning cloth, and one squeegee card. There are instructions on the back of the packaging along with detailed illustrations. The film is sandwiched between two layers of plastic, making it easy to apply without making too much of a mess. Remember when I said above that it’s a pain to apply? Well, the air bubbles are the main issue. The squeegee card is meant to help get the air bubbles out, but I had about three that just wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. After fifteen minutes, I finally gave up and moved on.
My Experience with Stilo
To use the stylus, you simply push the power button. It has a convenient power-saving feature, so if it’s idle for a few minutes, it turns off automatically. While initially I did not have the best experience with Stilo, I feel that practice does make perfect. The more I use it, the smoother my lines are becoming and the easier it is to draw with. I’m no artist, but I do like to doodle – especially when handwriting notes. I first tried Stilo on my Samsung Galaxy Note tablet; however, Stilo doesn’t work on it at all. This comes as no surprise to me since I’ve found that Samsung makes it difficult to use third-party items with their devices (I have issues with charging cables too). Plus, my tablet already comes with its own stylus (the S Pen), so I’d imagine that the screen is meant to work with that alone. I had more success on my husband’s Moto G and my Kyocera smartphone, but my writing was not very smooth (as you can see from my failed attempt above). Yes, I know it looks like a child’s writing. My letters came out choppy and broken up, and it’s really hard to create curved lines; straight lines, however, are much easier. Adjusting the tip of the stylus does help, though (once you are finally able to loosen it up – it’s very tight). The Precision Film doesn’t seem to make a huge difference – I tested all devices with the film both on and off. Since I was sent a film to match my tablet, which the stylus doesn’t work with, I cut it to fit my smartphone. In my research, I found that some users feel the film only makes a difference with certain apps, and that makes sense. Below is an example of what could be with Stilo. This is really what I was going for, I promise!
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying the unique look and style of Stilo. Although it’s not the most lightweight due to the battery, I don’t find that to be an issue. Since Stilo is on the thick side, it’s not going to fit into your average pen slot (e.g. on a portfolio or some laptop bags), but it would be just fine in a pocket or put into a side slot on your backpack, laptop bag, or purse. I have to admit that compared to the S Pen on my Samsung Galaxy Note tablet, Stilo can’t compete. However, I feel like the performance has to do with the app being used (I’m currently using Squid) along with the actual device. Also, I did not have a Precision Film made specifically for my smartphone, so that could also be a factor. Overall, I’m not completely blown away by Stilo (yet), but I do love the fine tip and prefer it to your average soft tip stylus. It’s definitely growing on me.
