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Apple Pencil Buyer's Guide: Which Model Should You Choose?
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Send Apple a powerfully strong message and purchase a competitor tablet; an Android tablet perhaps. Will you do it?
I can’t seem to find info on the battery life for the new Apple Pencil Pro. Anyone else have a pointer?
Another way that Apple is ripping you off. Instead of having one pencil for all devices, they have to have four? FOUR?
I agree
Hopefully someone at Apple looks back at this and realizes that oops, the Pencil lineup is just way too confusing now, let's fix that by just having one pencil to rule them all
Because again, there's absolutely no reason the Pencil lineup should be this confusing/messy
I think the whole sentiment is that the 2nd gen Pencil inexplicably does not work with the new Airs or Pros, so that's probably where most people's frustrations/confusions are coming from
Inexplicably???
As expected they changed the magnetic pairing/charging to accommodate the landscape camera which is why the old pencil doesn't work with the new iPads.
It's by design. They make the lineup confusing to squeeze more money out of people, and have them upgrade to the next and the next one, to give the illusion things are cheaper than they are. They pray at night to the dollar on their alter. They know how we feel. They do not care.
It’s getting ridiculous and good luck figuring out which one goes with which iPad. Even windows has a dang standard and Samsung makes them all compatible bc they’re based on the same tech. This is all just about forcing people that can afford a more expensive tablet pay more for the better stylus. I mean I understand two at most. But really we just need apples vision for the iPad and keep the old iPad as cheaper not 5 iPads and four stylus options and just this nonsense. What’s the difference between Apple and Samsung now?
It used to be that Apple looked at everything and came up with the final version of the ultimate phone ultimate tablet. I get keeping old models for low in between than “making crap”. I get two size options with the same basic vision. What we have now is convoluted previously bc it’s hard to see what each can do. And if I’m not just getting “the next tablet from Apple” and I have to pull out a spreadsheet I might as well go look at the also arm based surface pro.which doesn’t have arbitrary mobile OS restrictions for example.
Also and this maybe me being cheap: I think the new iPad and Magic Keyboard and pencils pro are great. I would like One of each please. But to get it. I’m paying MacBook Pro prices. Is that really the same value as the MacBook Pro esp with options like the Tab S9u which have bigger oled screens? And the surface pro which has a full OS and any pro app? If after all it’s not a singular vision but just a bunch of options.
You make compromises when you are more focused on a bunch of tablets than the singular best one.
Ok I’m gonna write the be-all and end-all comment to this Apple Pencil fiasco, you ready?
Apple HAS to continue selling the Apple Pencil 2nd gen and SHOULD continue selling the Apple Pencil 1st gen, this isn't some random weird choice. This is just the transition period.
Apple Pencil 2 is still the best choice for the iPad mini 6th gen, which is an iPad that Apple still sells, and since they still sell it, they need to sell the best pencil that goes with it.
Apple Pencil 1st gen is still compatible with the iPad 10th gen and could technically be considered the best option for that iPad because it offers pressure sensitivity, although you do lose other features compared to the USB C Pencil but whatever. Still should be an option for people who want that feature and the fact that it’s possible.
SO this means we simply need to wait for the basic iPad and the iPad mini to get refreshed for the Apple Pencil lineup to get cleaned up. The iPad mini 7th gen will be the same as the new Pro and Air. As in it will drop compatibility with the Apple Pencil 2 and only be compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and USB C models. The iPad 11th gen will only be compatible with the Apple Pencil USB C and drop support for the 1st gen.
At that point Apple will stop selling the 1st and 2nd gen Apple Pencils because they will no longer be compatible with any current iPads and the line up will just be “Apple Pencil Pro” and “Apple Pencil” (dropping the “USB C” from the name) and the new compatibility chart will look like this:
Apple Pencil Pro: compatible with every current iPad that Apple sells except for the basic iPad 11th gen
Apple Pencil: compatible with every current iPad that Apple sells
And that’s it, clean and simple and makes sense. Everyone is freaking out over something that could not be avoided in the current state and will most likely be fixed before the end of this year. In the overall picture it’s really not that big of a deal.
And remember, this whole problem happened because they moved the camera to the landscape side, which is a huge win that I’ve been waiting for, so if this minor Apple Pencil fiasco is the only negative side effect, I’ll 100% take it!
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Apple HAS to continue selling the Apple Pencil 2nd gen and SHOULD continue selling the Apple Pencil 1st gen, this isn't some random weird choice. This is just the transition period.
Apple Pencil 2 is still the best choice for the iPad mini 6th gen, which is an iPad that Apple still sells, and since they still sell it, they need to sell the best pencil that goes with it.
Apple Pencil 1st gen is still compatible with the iPad 10th gen and could technically be considered the best option for that iPad because it offers pressure sensitivity, although you do lose other features compared to the USB C Pencil but whatever. Still should be an option for people who want that feature and the fact that it’s possible.
SO this means we simply need to wait for the basic iPad and the iPad mini to get refreshed for the Apple Pencil lineup to get cleaned up. The iPad mini 7th gen will be the same as the new Pro and Air. As in it will drop compatibility with the Apple Pencil 2 and only be compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and USB C models. The iPad 11th gen will only be compatible with the Apple Pencil USB C and drop support for the 1st gen.
At that point Apple will stop selling the 1st and 2nd gen Apple Pencils because they will no longer be compatible with any current iPads and the line up will just be “Apple Pencil Pro” and “Apple Pencil” (dropping the “USB C” from the name) and the new compatibility chart will look like this:
Apple Pencil Pro: compatible with every current iPad that Apple sells except for the basic iPad 11th gen
Apple Pencil: compatible with every current iPad that Apple sells
And that’s it, clean and simple and makes sense. Everyone is freaking out over something that could not be avoided in the current state and will most likely be fixed before the end of this year. In the overall picture it’s really not that big of a deal.
And remember, this whole problem happened because they moved the camera to the landscape side, which is a huge win that I’ve been waiting for, so if this minor Apple Pencil fiasco is the only negative side effect, I’ll 100% take it!
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Good writing. But I hope they still selling the first and second generation for people who lost theirs. So people have to filter for there iPad in the shop. Easy
Except you can use the cheapest Pencil with the most expensive iPad.
It’s easy to pick an ipad once you decide on what you want to use it for.
And once you have picked an iPad, its easy to decide on a Pencil.
But that doesn't work with the base iPad, which requires USB-C charging.
All that should exist is the Pencil (USB-C) and the Pencil Pro. And that is exactly the case going forward.
The only reason the old ones are hanging around is because they work with older iPads. They will be eventually be discontinued as stock runs out.
The internet: Apple has too many Pencils…I’m confused…Apple sucks.
*Apple discontinues pencils for non-current ipads*
Also the internet: Apple sucks because people cant buy Pencils for non-current iPads.
*Apple discontinues pencils for non-current ipads*
Also the internet: Apple sucks because people cant buy Pencils for non-current iPads.
Maybe they could have put the pairing/charger thing on the other side, for the 13” version at least? Or on the top, since there now a space where the camera used to be?
The Pencil on the short side blocks the speakers on the 13”, placing it on the opposite side from the camera doesnt work with the Magic Keyboard or people who rest that side against their stomachs/lap.
The Pencil could simply be unattached when using the keyboard, or belly resting though. Mine usually lives on my desk (the Pencil, not my belly).
All academic now anyway as they’ve made the things. Made me think twice though about an otherwise straight forward purchase.
So, if you are getting a new iPad, it's simple
- if you are getting the low end iPad, get the Apple Pencil (USB-C, 2023)
- If you are getting the Air or the iPad Pro, get the Pencil Pro.
- If you are getting a mini, cry in your beer.
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The usb c pencil shouldn't even exist, and the pencil 1 should be discontinued already. The pencil 2 should also work on newer ipads.
God this is a mess.
God this is a mess.
I would buy a competitor tablet if there was anything other than android. As long as Android is practically the only competitor to Apple, we’re screwed. We need more options.
then what would ipad 10 users buy? the ipad 10 isn’t compatible with the 2nd gen pencil nor the new pro due to the lack of magnetic charging.
You forgot the low budget usb-c pencil, which is for the ipad 10 and also works with all but the latest usb-c ipad pros. The ipad 10 has magnets to attach the pencil, but won’t charge it magnetically so the only options for that one are the cheap usb-c pencil or the 1st gen pencil with an adapter.
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