CTL's latest product is a new USI stylus made for its NL72T and NL72W Chromebooks, but like all other USI styluses, it will work with any Chromebook that has USI support. CTL is one of the leading brands when it comes to Chromebooks made for the education market, but it also makes Chrome OS devices for professional and personal use. With the launch of its first stylus, it will be going up against styli from other brands such as the recently-announced Logitech Pen.
Chromebooks are incredibly popular among students, especially those in the K-12 category, and brands that make Chromebooks for this demographic usually focus on rugged devices that can take a beating. A large percentage of them also have stylus support, even though some don't come with a stylus in the box. Educators or students have to get their own stylus, and thanks to the USI standard, they can pick up any USI stylus regardless of the manufacturer.
The CTL USI Pen comes in a single color, black, and it ditches the common cylindrical design in favor of a square design. The advantage of this is that the stylus doesn't roll off when placed on a flat surface. Another advantage is that the grip is better when compared to holding a cylindrical stylus. A number of styli have a replaceable battery while others needs to be recharged, and CTL's falls under the second category with support for USB-C charging. Considering this is a stylus targeted at the classroom, one of its major competitions will be the Logitech Pen.
CTL USI Pen Vs. Logitech Pen
Both share a number of features such as having a rechargeable battery and charging via a USB-C port. However, the two pens are very different. The Logitech Pen is the more attractive of the two. Its triangular design and half-silver-half yellow color will be more appealing to some compared to the boring black of the CTL USI Pen. Logitech's stylus is also spill and bend-resistant and has a MIL-STD-810G certification. CTL hasn't released a lot of technical information about its pen, but the stylus is understood to be 5.43 inches long and 0.39 inches thick which makes it shorter and slimmer than the Logitech Pen at 5.94 inches in length and 0.41 inches thick.
Logitech has also confirmed that its stylus will have a replaceable tip that can be purchased when needed. In contrast, CTL's stylus doesn't seem to have a replaceable tip. What it does have, however, is a nifty little plastic accessory (included in the box along with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable) that plugs into a USB-A port and serves as a holder for the stylus when not in use. Logitech will sell an optional pen loop that can be attached to a Chromebook for easy access. In terms of battery life, the Logitech Pen will last up to 15 days on a single charge, if used for 2.5 hours per day. CTL, on the other hand, promises 20 hours of use on a single charge. That's 8 days per charge if used for 2.5 hours per day, meaning it will need to be charged more frequently than the Logitech Pen.
While the Logitech Pen seems to be the better-built stylus with better battery life, the CTL USI Pen's benefits in price and availability. Logitech's stylus has a $65 price tag which is more than double the $30 CTL is asking. With both targeted at the classroom, schools may go with the CTL USI Pen as it is significantly cheaper. In addition, while the Logitech Pen won't be available to general consumers, at least for now, the CTL stylus is open to everyone and can be pre-ordered now.