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Apple Pencil 2 Battery Life
- Thread starter Nanotyrns
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Probably because the previous model could go to sleep/turn off then wake/boot by plugging into the lightning port. I’m guessing that this model is always on, polling for connection. Not a big deal if it spends its life stuck onto the side of the iPad.
Disabling from Control Center won't change anything, since Apple modified after iOS 11 this setting. When we disable from Control Center the connection with the Pencil is still active. When we put the device in Airplane mode or disable from iOS internal settings then bluetooth is 100% disabled and the iPAD isn't trying to communicate with the Pencil.
For this test you need to visit internal iOS settings and disable from there. Since you said you did that (I recommend for at least 24, 48 hours - charge the new Pencil to 100% before doing that) here's my theory:
- I am very interested to know with an EMF meter if this new Pencil is trying to communicate/broadcast all the time.
I used a Cornet ED88T+ and Acoustimeter.
Take a look what happens once we pair the 1st gen Pencil:
It's only after then that RF radiation is emitted. Otherwise the Pencil alone isn't changing the readings.
Besides that fact, while the 1st gen Pencil is there in my drawer there's a battery drain while idling.
Now, why do I think the 2nd gen Pencil broadcasting a signal matter and we should try to find out?
Because this new Pencil is similar to the Airpods. And if this is the case that explains this battery drain.
The Airpods don't waste battery while INSIDE the charger case (well, maybe they do, but it's a fraction of what happens once they are outside).
Once they are outside even if you have unpaired them and disabled bluetooth in ALL YOUR DEVICES it still wastes battery as if it was paired and in your ears.
Apple has issued an explanation when I filed a bug report.
Here's what I said:
And their answer:
Apple Developer Relations
June 12 2017
Engineering has provided the following feedback regarding this issue:
This is an engineering tradeoff. If we were to stop all paging and advertising while the buds are sitting idle on your desk, any time you picked them up and placed them in your ear, we’d take a few seconds to connect. We prioritize the more often seen user situation in which the user leaves the buds out only when they intend to use them relatively soon after.
Is this the case with the new Pencil? Sure it looks like.
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No, it is a huge deal if the pencil last only 1 hour and runs out of battery when you are using it. If your pencil is always attached to the iPad then why even buy one? I need to be able to take notes for hours at a time or draw for hours at a time. This is not how the pencil should behave.
Actually, it lasts longer than one hour. I’ve been using mine for a number of hour’s now , unknown how many, and it works just fine for my workflow.
OK, I decided to conduct a test of my own:
1st gen Pencil;
iOS 12.1
IPP 10.5 (256 GB, wifi+cell)
This video shows the Pencil is 100% charged. And that I unpaired it, and after that disabled bluetooth for good.
I'll keep BT disabled this way for the next 48 hours. After that I'll plug the Pencil again and see how much battery is left.
Then you'll all be able to compare this with your new Pencil. 48 hrs from now I'll post the results.
1st gen Pencil;
iOS 12.1
IPP 10.5 (256 GB, wifi+cell)
This video shows the Pencil is 100% charged. And that I unpaired it, and after that disabled bluetooth for good.
I'll keep BT disabled this way for the next 48 hours. After that I'll plug the Pencil again and see how much battery is left.
Then you'll all be able to compare this with your new Pencil. 48 hrs from now I'll post the results.
Mine went from 96% to 94% just sitting idle on the desk in 4 hours. I also have the same FW .0052
you know my tip needed to be tightened too. Wonder if they ship that way.
Mine is now at 45% since charging 100% at 9:45 AM (9 hours ago), doing Internet/Playing two simple games and very little writing. Of course not continuous, but off and on during the day. Mostly on
I observed the same thing. The battery life of the Apple Pencil 2 seems to be lesser than the first one even when not in use.
I suspect the the original one went in some sort of standby when unused but the new one doesn't. I think that's because the Pencil 2 is intended to stay attached to the iPad when unused whereas the original Pencil made that inconvenient.
I suspect the the original one went in some sort of standby when unused but the new one doesn't. I think that's because the Pencil 2 is intended to stay attached to the iPad when unused whereas the original Pencil made that inconvenient.
I tend to agree with what you said. Because Apple's new method of magnetic pairing/charging/storing, keeps the pencil attached, and therefore technically charging constantly, they regard the rapid battery drain as an “unfortunate consequence” of not following their preferred method of use. In other words, if you choose to not keep the pencil and iPad constantly connected, too bad for you.
Or perhaps Apple is too stupid to add a switch to turn these Bluetooth devices off? Why off doesn’t mean off in Apple’s world?
Is there any real practical downside to this behavior? I mean even if your battery is dead it will charge up enough to use in a few seconds, or enough for hours of use in a minute or two. It’s interesting to understand the differences in operation behavior but I’m not sure it really means anything.
That is exactly what I am experiencing. With the Pencil constantly attached, there is no doubt that the iPad battery drains faster than if it was seperated and not paired. It's not as if I am constantly using the pencil, so why keep it magnetically connected at all times?