✔ 1. Pressure Sensitivity — The Illusion of Real Ink

Pressure sensitivity determines how your strokes change based on how hard you press, allowing thin hairlines or thick bold shading.

How it works technically:

• A pressure sensor inside the stylus measures force applied on the nib.

• That force is converted into digital signals (often measured in levels: 2048, 4096, 8192, etc.)

• The device translates these signals into stroke width, opacity, or brush density.

Why some pens fail:

• Cheap sensors produce unstable pressure curves, resulting in:

  • Sudden jumps

  • Inconsistent thickness

  • “Flat” pressure response

• Some budget pens are not true pressure-sensitive—they simply simulate a few preset thickness levels.

What good pressure sensitivity feels like:

• Smooth transitions

• Predictable response

• Natural control for writing & drawing
  
  

✔ 2. Tilt Detection — Simulating a Real Pencil Angle

Tilt detection replicates the way real pencils shade when held at different angles.

How tilt is detected:

• Inside the stylus, multiple sensors calculate the angle between the pen and screen.

• The angle data is sent to the device, which changes the brush shape accordingly.

• Advanced pens track both angle and rotation (like Apple Pencil).

Why cheap pens struggle:

• Low-quality accelerometers

• Slow signal processing

• No true tilt sensors—just fake “wider line” effects at certain angles

• Inconsistent detection when the pen is near the edge of the screen

Real tilt detection enables:

• Natural shading

• More expressive strokes

• Artistic precision
  
  

✔ 3. Latency — The Invisible Delay You Can Feel

Latency is the time between your hand movement and the stroke appearing on screen.

What determines latency:

• Sampling rate of the stylus

• Communication protocol (Bluetooth, proprietary low-latency signals, or passive input)

• Processor speed of the tablet

• Screen refresh rate

Why budget stylus pens have higher latency:

• Slow polling rates (e.g., 60Hz vs. 240Hz)

• Simple capacitive signals instead of active processing

• No prediction algorithms

• Low-efficiency chips inside the pen

Low latency feels like:

• Ink that follows your pen instantly

• Zero “rubber band” lag

• Better handwriting accuracy

• More natural drawing experience
  
  

✔ 4. Palm Rejection — The Technology Everyone Takes for Granted

Palm rejection allows users to rest their hand on the screen while writing.

How it works:

• The stylus sends a “writing signal”

• The tablet’s touch system temporarily ignores broader touch areas

• The system separates stylus input from finger or palm input in real time

Why some pens fail:

• No communication with the tablet

• Poor signal strength

• Overlapping touch zones

• Outdated touch controllers on the tablet model

Symptoms of poor palm rejection:

• Random dots

• Accidental zooming

• Unwanted strokes

• Uneven lines
  
  

✔ 5. Battery & Chip Efficiency — The Quiet Heroes Behind Performance

A stylus is essentially a tiny computer.

Internal components include:

• Microcontroller unit (MCU)

• Pressure sensor

• Accelerometer (for tilt)

• Bluetooth chip (in some models)

• Rechargeable lithium battery

Why some stylus pens have short lifespans:

• Inefficient chips drain power quickly

• Poor quality batteries degrade after months

• No low-power sleep mode

• Overheating during charging damages internal components

High-quality stylus pens offer:

• Fast charging

• Long working time

• Stable chip performance

• Longer product lifespan
  
  

✔ 6. Passive vs. Active Stylus Technology — What’s Really Different

Passive (capacitive) stylus:

• No battery

• No pressure sensitivity

• No tilt detection

• No internal chips

• Works on any screen

• Often laggy and inaccurate

Active stylus:

• Built-in MCU, sensors, and battery

• Ultra-low latency

• Real pressure & tilt support

• Palm rejection

• Designed for specific devices (like iPad)

Most frustrations with stylus performance come from expecting active-pen behavior from a passive pen.

📝 Conclusion: The Soul of a Stylus Is Its Technology

A stylus may look simple, but internally it’s a sophisticated piece of engineering.

The key factors that determine performance are:

• Pressure sensor accuracy

• Tilt detection precision

• Latency optimization

• Signal communication

• Battery and chip quality

• Device compatibility

Cheap stylus pens cut corners in all of these areas, which is why users experience:

• Skipping

• Delay

• Weak pressure control

• Poor tilt

• Short battery life

• Sudden breakdowns

Understanding the technology helps you choose a stylus that meets your real needs—whether for writing, drawing, studying, or professional work.

Shop Now:https://mekotech.com/collections/stylus-pen