When And Why Should You Use A Stylus?

When styluses first appeared in computing, they seemed an essential element of interacting with electronic devices. They made this interaction easier and more precise and were cozily tucked into our phone cases following us through the day.

These days, we seem to have fewer and fewer reasons to use the pen-like accessories, as our fingers do most of the swiping.

However, with the appearance of wearables and the changes in screen technology, we may be seeing a comeback of the elegant accessory. Is this comeback justified and should you be in the market for a new stylus? Let’s explore the idea.

To begin, let’s remind ourselves what a stylus actually is. A stylus is a pen-like device that works by touching or applying pressure to a screen and causing a response. Not all styluses are the same – they have changed together with screens used in our electronic devices and also come in different sizes, colors and designs.

How does a stylus work?

Different types of screen technology call for a different stylus. Earlier touchscreens were made with two layers of glass and a gap between them – and a stylus was used to squeeze the two layers together and cause a reaction. At that blissful time, any pen-like device could be used as a stylus.

These days, most of our devices come with capacitive touchscreens and that means they use electrical conductivity to make things happen. That’s why modern tablets and phones react so well to our skin, but can’t be used with gloves on. Capacitive touchscreens call for capacitive styluses that are designed to come with electrical conductivity.

Different styluses are a better fit for different tasks and not all of them are actually pen-like. Some are designed for children and help them draw, others are made specifically for smaller devices, some are not made to look like pens at all and some combine several functions and act like laser pointers, pens and styluses all in one.

So when is the use of a stylus justified and even preferable?

Here are 5 instances where a use of a stylus is of great help.

• Aiming and precision

As dexterous as your fingers may be, sometimes hitting a small icon on the screen is simply a nuisance. If you are using an app filled with ads, you may also often hit the pop-ups accidentally and get carried away to download pages that you have no intention of visiting. So if you are looking for a higher level of precision, a stylus will give you that.

• It’s getting cold in here

As the cold winds are getting stronger, so is your desire to keep yourself warm. However, as soon as your put on warm fluffy gloves, the screen will get unresponsive. Sure, there are special gloves that can help you preserve the ability to interact with capacitive touchscreens – but that’s not for everyone. If you are guided by your stylistic and fashion freedom, rather than practicality, a stylus can help you “talk” to the screen no matter how bad the outside weather gets.

• A great fit for a Wolverine

Ladies, ladies, ladies. There may be nothing more relaxing than a quiet afternoon having your nails done and nothing as pleasing as admiring the result: your beautiful manicure. However, from the point of view of your electronics, your glamorous nails are a potential danger in the form of scratches and other damage. Using a stylus will let you have any manicure you want and keep the screens of your devices smooth, safe and scratch-free.

• More interaction options

There are lots of things we can do with our mobile phones and gadgets: writing, taking notes, doodling – and some of these actions are just more natural to do with a pen. Using your finger to draw in your notebook app is simply inconvenient and a stylus will get the task done much quicker and with a better result.

• Clean and tidy

A commonly overlooked problem is that our hands are not always clean. If you like those Pringles, oil, crumbs and dirt can easily make their way onto your screen and result in smudges and a general look of your device that is less than desirable. In this case, using a stylus can be a more esthetic option and the one that will help preserve a the mint condition of your gadgets in the long run.