As we were waiting for new iPads to launch Tuesday, Apple instead dropped something of a surprise on us. Instead of a new tablet, we got a new cheaper stylus for the existing tablets.
Well, most of them anyway. The new Apple Pencil, stylized “Apple Pencil (USB-C),” is priced at $79, $20 less than the 1st-gen model and $50 less than the 2nd-gen model. It includes some of the same features as the prior models (including low latency and tilt sensitivity) but is also missing pressure sensitivity and wireless charging. And it’s not compatible with the 9th-gen iPad.
To sum up: The brand-new Apple Pencil isn’t as good as the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil from 2018 and doesn’t even have all of the same features of the 1st-gen Apple Pencil from 2016. It’s cheaper than both but isn’t compatible with the entry-level iPad. And it attaches magnetically to the side of the iPad for storage like the 2nd-gen model but still needs a cable to charge. The new Apple Pencil (USB-C) is also shorter than both the 1st-gen and 2nd-gen models (6.10 inches vs 6.92 inches and 6.53 inches), and is the only model with a port for charging. And you can’t engrave it.
Confused yet? You should be. Just like the iPad lineup itself, buying an Apple Pencil now requires a close study of a comparison chart. Got a 10th-gen iPad? You can’t buy the 2nd-gen Pencil and probably shouldn’t buy the 1st-gen Pencil, but you’re not getting pressure sensitivity with the USB-C Pencil. Got a Pro? Is pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, and double-tap to change tools worth $50? Got an iPad with a Home button? You’re still stuck buying an Apple Pencil that costs roughly a third of your device.
Missing the point
Steve Jobs famously pooh-poohed the very idea of a stylus during the original iPhone introduction, but even he would admit that it’s pretty great on the iPad. The Apple Pencil is a fantastic input device that greatly enhances the functionality of the iPad, no matter which model you’re using. But choosing which one to buy shouldn’t take more than a few seconds.
Maybe the problem is with the iPad itself. The entry-level model doesn’t have a USB-C port or a flat-edged design, so it’s limited to the 1st-gen Pencil. The 10th-gen iPad is the only model with the front camera on the longer edge, so that’s likely why it doesn’t support the 2nd-gen Pencil’s wireless charging. We’re waiting for updates to the entire iPad line over the coming weeks and months, so it’s possible that Apple streamlines compatibility with the upcoming refreshes. But why would it launch the new Pencil now if that was the case?
The Apple Pencil now has its own comparison chart.
Apple
And why is the new USB-C Pencil missing pressure sensitivity, which has been a feature since the original Pencil launched in 2016? I can understand relegating double-tap to change tools to the 2nd-gen Pencil, but pressure sensitivity should be a standard feature. And while we’re on the subject, does the new USB-C Pencil really need hover support, which is limited to the iPad Pro? That’s a high-end feature on a low-end Pencil. It makes no sense.
Like the 10th-gen iPad, a third Apple Pencil simply isn’t necessary. The original Pencil already comes with an adapter for charging it with the 10th-gen iPad and you still need a USB-C-to-USB-C cable to charge the new Pencil, so what are we gaining? Cut the price of the original Apple Pencil by $20 if Apple wants a cheaper option heading into the holidays and call it a day.
Choice is a good thing until it becomes overwhelming, contradictory, and confusing. The iPad line is hard enough to delineate without needing to also figure out which Apple Pencil to buy.