As we were waitress for novel iPads to set in motion Tuesday , Apple alternatively dropped something of a surprisal on us . Instead of a new tablet , we got anew cheaper stylusfor the existing tablets .
Well , most of them anyway . The Modern Apple Pencil , stylize “ Apple Pencil ( USB - C ) , ” is priced at $ 79 , $ 20 less than the 1st - gen manikin and $ 50 less than the 2nd - gen model . It admit some of the same feature as the prior theoretical account ( including low latency and contestation sensitivity ) but is also omit pressure sensitivity and wireless charging . And it ’s not compatible with the ninth - gen iPad .
To tally up : The brand - unexampled Apple Pencil is n’t as sound as the 2nd - gen Apple Pencil from 2018 and does n’t even have all of the same feature of the first - gen Apple Pencil from 2016 . It ’s cheaper than both but is n’t compatible with the entry - horizontal surface iPad . And it attach magnetically to the side of the iPad for warehousing like the second - gen model but still needs a cable television to charge . The new Apple Pencil ( USB - C ) is also shorter than both the 1st - gen and second - gen models ( 6.10 inches vs 6.92 inches and 6.53 inches ) , and is the only mannikin with a port for charging . And you ca n’t scratch it .
The Apple Pencil now has its own comparison chart.
Confused yet ? You should be . Just like the iPad card itself , buying an Apple Pencil now requires a close-fitting study of a equivalence chart . Got a 10th - gen iPad ? You ca n’t buy the 2nd - gen Pencil and probably should n’t buy the 1st - gen Pencil , but you ’re not baffle pressure predisposition with the USB - C Pencil . get a Pro ? Is press sensitiveness , tuner charging , and double - tap to change tools worth $ 50 ? commence an iPad with a Home button ? You ’re still get buy an Apple Pencil that costs roughly a third of your twist .
Missing the point
Steve Jobs splendidly pooh - poohed the very idea of a stylus during the original iPhone insertion , but even he would take that it ’s pretty with child on the iPad . The Apple Pencil is a fantastic input gimmick that greatly enhances the functionality of the iPad , no matter which manakin you ’re using . But choosing which one to corrupt should n’t take more than a few seconds .
Maybe the problem is with the iPad itself . The entry - level model does n’t have a USB - C port or a flat - edged design , so it ’s limited to the 1st - gen Pencil . The tenth - gen iPad is the only model with the front camera on the longer boundary , so that ’s likely why it does n’t support the 2nd - gen Pencil ’s wireless charging . We ’re waiting for update to the entire iPad pedigree over the coming week and months , so it ’s possible that Apple streamlines compatibility with the upcoming refreshes . But why would it set up the new Pencil now if that was the case ?
The Apple Pencil now has its own comparability graph .
The Apple Pencil now has its own comparison chart.
Apple
And why is the fresh USB - coke Pencil missing pressure level sensitivity , which has been a feature since the original Pencil launch in 2016 ? I can understand relegating double - water tap to change tools to the second - gen Pencil , but imperativeness 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 throttle to the iPad Pro ? That ’s a in high spirits - ending feature film on a low - end Pencil . It get no sense .
Like the 10th - gen iPad , a third Apple Pencil just is n’t necessary . The original Pencil already fall with an adapter for charging it with the 10th - gen iPad and you still need a USB - C - to - USB - blow cable to bear down the new Pencil , so what are we gain ? hack the monetary value of the original Apple Pencil by $ 20 if Apple wants a cheaper alternative heading into the holiday and call it a day .
alternative is a good affair until it becomes overwhelming , contradictory , and confusing . The iPad business is strong enough to delimitate without take to also figure out which Apple Pencil to buy .
