Apple
Belkin's Apple Pencil stand costs $30.
Imagine for a moment that you're doodling away with your Apple Pencil on your new iPad Pro.But now you need to step away for a moment, and this presents a conundrum: There's nowhere to put your Apple Pencil.
Its round, smooth exterior means it could roll right off the table, and you didn't opt for the $129 leather case that has a slot for your pencil.
But don't worry, because Apple sells something to solve this particular problem: A Belkin stand for Apple Pencil that costs $29.95 (We first learned about it from Wired's Ashley Feinberg, who tweeted about this product).
Belkin's Apple Pencil stand comes in silver, gold, and space gray, and Feinberg likened it to an overpriced thimble, which is the perfect way to describe it. It's about 1.5 inches tall and is intended to "prolong the life and productivity of Apple Pencil" and minimize "desktop clutter," per Apple's website.
Besides the obvious fact that this product isn't really solving a dire problem, there's only one other small catch: It doesn't even charge your Apple Pencil. You still have to charge it through Apple's awkward solution: through the bottom of the iPad Pro.
The stand joins a lineup of other equally absurd Apple products (or third-party products Apple sells) that may solve part of a consumer's problem, but cost a lot of money:
- Take for instance this leather pencil case: For $29, it's literally just a stylish outfit for you Apple Pencil (though Apple says is meant to protect your pencil).
- Or how about this metal Apple Watch band that costs $549 (Apple Watch not included)?
- And don't forget the array of $30-$50 dongles Apple requires you to buy if you want to perform simple tasks like listen to music and charge your phone at the same time.
So, a $30 stand that does next-to-nothing isn't exactly surprising coming from the Apple store, but it's serves as a reminder that many accessories made for Apple products are often pricey and/or unnecessary.