My iPad has almost reached necessity status in my life, I’m pretty sure all of us tablet owners are super reliant on them (I mean, I am for sure)! I personally find tablets extremely handy, they’re the comfortable middle ground between a smartphone and a laptop, and they pretty much perform the same functions as these two. They’re super easy to carry around, and honestly, I could survive wholly and solely on my iPad if I really wanted to. I’m always on the lookout for innovative and fun accessories to amp up my tablet (besides the basic ones Apple offers). Luckily there’s a whole bunch of crafty designs out there that can function as the perfect sidekick to your precious tablet. Here’s a collection of super cool and functional product designs that promise to upgrade your iPad game to a whole other level!
1. HyperDrive
Dubbed HyperDrive, this is the world’s first-ever form-fitting USB-C hub with six different media ports and a media shortcut key. The HyperDrive is quite compact and fits perfectly into the palm of your hand. It features a 4K60Hz HDMI port, USB-C 5Gbps 60W Power Delivery port, MicroSD UHS-I port, SD UHS-I port, USB-A 5Gbps port, and a 3.5mm Audio Jack. It is also equipped with a built-in shortcut key which lets you “play, pause, fast-forward or rewind your favorite songs, videos, or podcasts without interrupting your workflow.”
2. Macintosh Studio
Designed by Scott Yu-Jan, this interesting DIY project is inspired by the Mac mini. It gives a home for an iPad mini and hides the Mac Studio in plain sight. Called the Macintosh Studio, the enclosure is placed on top of and hugs the Mac Studio, only the buttons are left unrestricted. The front of the device features a slot for the iPad mini to slide in and connect to the Mac Mini using a single UBC-C cable. This allows the iPad mini to be charged always, keeping it ready to go whenever you need, it while also allowing it to serve as a second screen for the Mac Studio.
3. Pro Stylus 2
Meet ZAGG’s Pro Stylus 2, which is designed to work with the iPad as well as the iPhone. The Pro Stylus 2 will feel super familiar and comfortable in your hand owing to its slim design. It features a precise fine tip that supports accurate drawing, as well as palm rejection to prevent your hand from accidentally touching or tapping the screen as you sketch or write. It is also equipped with tilt recognition to alter your stroke style when you change angles. Magnetic wireless charging allows you to snap the Pro Stylus 2 onto the side of your iPad Pro.
4. PenPad
The PenPad is designed to make the iPad’s famous sketching/painting app easier to use by removing the trouble of navigating the Procreate interface. The PenPad offers access to 22 different functions that you can use while sketching on Procreate – these range from increasing and decreasing brush size to even accessing the color wheel. It is a compact hardware accessory that allows you to paint with one hand while letting you press buttons to make the workflow faster and more efficient.
5. Apple Pencil Nibs
Yanko Design created nibs for the Apple Pencil! These fascinating interchangeable nibs include a fine-tip nib, a chisel nib, and a flexible brush-pen nib. Other different nibs could also hold the potential for 3D modeling features like the ability to sculpt on the iPad. These nibs would allow the iPad Pro to become the ultimate creator’s setup – for both 2D and 3D creation. It would serve as a ‘power-user’ tool enabling creators and designers to unlock new potentials.
