Tim Cook goes on ‘it’s not a stylus’ tour ahead of iPad Pro release

Apple CEO Tim Cook has defended the merits of the iPad Pro’s new Pencil against those who’ve dismissed the £79 accessory as an overhyped stylus.

The most powerful man in tech was in London on Monday to visit app developer Touchpress and chose to chat with the Independent about the iPad Pro ahead of its release this week.

Cook extolled the virtues of Apple’s innovation compared with the traditional stylus accessories already on the market.

Cook didn’t mention any names (*cough* Surface Pen *cough*), but called alternative sketching tools “fat.”

“Well, we didn’t really do a stylus, we did a Pencil,” Cook said.

“The traditional stylus is fat, it has really bad latency so you’re sketching here and it’s filling the line in somewhere behind. You can’t sketch with something like that, you need something that mimics the look and feel of the pencil itself or you’re not going to replace it. We’re not trying to replace finger touch, we’re complementing it with the Pencil.”

See also: How does the Apple Pencil compare to the competition?

Elsewhere Cook said this new iPad now appealed to everyone, thanks to the addition of split screen multi-tasking and the addition of a smart keyboard that – in theory – enables folks to replace their laptop computer.

He added: “The thing that’s interesting about this is that the hardware, combined with the software, especially with features such as split view multitasking, means that this iPad now appeals to virtually everybody. You can marry it with a keyboard cover that turns it into a laptop replacement, say. But it’s also an incredible entertainment device with a first-class audio experience along with the immersive Retina display.”

Apple fans will finally be able to pre-order the large-screened 12.9-inch slate from Wednesday with the device hitting retail stores before the week is out.

Will you be snapping one up, even at a starting price of £679? Share your impressions below.