Apple Pencil Buyer's Guide: Which Model Should You Choose?

[citysnaps]

Not so much now, but before I recently retired, I’d use my iPad and Apple Pencil daily in my job as a CSI.

That's an interesting use case. I can see where an iPad and stylus would be a huge time-saver (and produce professional results) in that field.

 

[steve09090]

That's an interesting use case. I can see where an iPad and stylus would be a huge time-saver (and produce professional results) in that field.

I loved it. All of my notes, instead of handwriting on paper, although we moved to tough books later. Marking up photos, map screenshots, drawing sketches etc. It’s hard to show where a body is found in the middle of the night, in the bush. Map Screenshot and marking it up is perfect for coroners reports.

 

[bluespark]

the best stylus is no stylus.

nobody wants a stylus.
- Steve Jobs

if you see a stylus, they blew it
- Steve Jobs

why did Apple regress in this manner, and why are we even being pushed to consider which stylus is best?

Jobs' comment was made before the iPad became a powerful drawing and note-taking tool. I suspect he would have been strongly pro-stylus for these applications. (I also suspect he would have pushed Apple to sell one insanely great stylus rather than three that each have compromises relative to the others, but that is not directly relevant to your point.)

 

[steve09090]

Exactly. At least with the Pencil, Apple is failing at what used to be one of its best competencies: tightly editing their product lineup. The bean counters will never understand the benefit of simplicity or the difficult behind-the-scenes decisions needed to achieve it.

Also, this new pencil looks like it could be a Chinese off-brand design from Amazon.

How is giving more choices at different price points failing?

…And very very consistent with their lineups, offering iPhone SE, Apple Watch SE, Base model macs. They should probably, rightly just call it Pencil SE. But who cares. I never needed pressure sensitivity or that double tap, undo etc. perfect for my use.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Totally agree. Boring and totally predictable. They're here because they don’t have a life.

Gosh. Imagine other people having the temerity to share their opinion if it differs from your own. Won’t someone please think of steve09090?

 

[bluespark]

How is giving more choices at different price points failing?

…And very very consistent with their lineups, offering iPhone SE, Apple Watch SE, Base model macs. They should probably, rightly just call it Pencil SE. But who cares. I never needed pressure sensitivity or that double tap, undo etc. perfect for my use.

These aren't positioned as good-better-best. Rather, each is compromised relative to the others. Neither of the prior two Pencils worked across all iPads, yet Apple kept the original around by making only it compatible with an iPad that post-dated the later-released Pencil. This was especially odd in light of original's bad charging solution. And although the most recent Pencil seems to be positioned as the low-end model, it has a charging port that reflects Apple's newest standard, and which some users of the "high-end" Pencil might also benefit from. The lineup is simply a mess.

Also, "more choices at different price points" really only works where there are clearly different target buyers between the products (e.g., MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro) or where the differences are sufficiently clear to generate an upsell effect (e.g., people looking at the "starts at" advertised price add features and end up with a higher typical price). Given the relatively minimal core functionality of the various Pencils, the far better decision here would have been to make one great one and price it at a point that makes it an extremely common add-on when purchasing an iPad. Apple hasn't achieved that.

 

[citysnaps]

I also suspect he would have pushed Apple to sell one insanely great stylus rather than three that each have compromises relative to the others, but that is not directly relevant to your point.

I'm glad that Honda, Toyota, GM, etc each offer a wide range of different automobiles, at different price points. Rather than producing just one insanely great car. With features many customers don't need or want to pay for.

And I'm glad Apple has moved on rather than insisting on being stuck in the past just because Steve Jobs had an epiphany 15 years ago.

No doubt many faithful still wear black turtleneck sweaters and jeans everyday of the week, because SJ did so he could save time in the morning not having to decide what to wear.

Choice is good thing. Despite so many here believing that Steve Jobs proclamations are the equivalent of Moses delivering the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets.

Somehow Apple has managed to limp along becoming one of the most successful companies in the world without SJ. Hopefully... Apple offering a lower cost stylus will not adversely impact the company's success despite so many people getting frothed up about it. Apple will survive this mice-nuts event.

The immense Earth-tilting pushback and pearl-clutching regarding Apple offering a lower cost stylus is pretty astonishing.

 

[goodcow]

This is embarrassing. There should be one option, and it should be great. This is like when Steve came back and there were dozens of models, but he killed them all to focus on a consumer and professional version of a desktop and a laptop.

 

[exterminator]

I've been thinking to get an Apple pencil for quite a long time. I want to use it the most work work purposes. I like drawing diagrams a lot and taking notes.

I don't really care about the pairing and wireless charging. Actually I don't. at all.

Pencil hover seems impossible for me either way because i have a gen 6 mini. I'm not even going to comment on the free engraving.

Which only leaves the pressure sensitivity. Do I need this or should I just wait for the next (real) apple pencil? I don't want to get the second gen. I want to phase out lightning.

 

[bluespark]

I'm glad that Honda, Toyota, GM, etc each offer a wide range of different automobiles, at different price points. Rather than producing just one insanely great car. With features many customers don't need or want to pay for.

And I'm glad Apple has moved on rather than insisting on being stuck in the past just because Steve Jobs had an epiphany 15 years ago.

No doubt many faithful still wear black turtleneck sweaters and jeans everyday of the week, because SJ did so he could save time in the morning not having to decide what to wear.

Choice is good thing. Despite so many here believing that Steve Jobs proclamations are the equivalent of Moses delivering the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets.

Somehow Apple has managed to limp along becoming one of the most successful companies in the world without SJ. Hopefully... Apple offering a lower cost stylus will not adversely impact the company's success despite so many people getting frothed up about it. Apple will survive this mice-nuts event.

The immense Earth-tilting pushback and pearl-clutching regarding Apple offering a lower cost stylus is pretty astonishing.

At the risk of understatement, the car market is considerably different from the stylus market. You probably actually understand this, so I won't bother explaining the relevant differences.

Apple has made plenty of good decisions and Tim Cook is among the most competent CEOs in the country. I'm not sure why you seem to assume that makes all of Apple's moves immune to criticism.

Choice can be a good thing when it is meaningful and tightly differentiated. Apple used to do this extremely well across the board, and they still do this with most of their product lines. That doesn't mean the Pencil lineup isn't a mess.

As to stone tablets, I'll stick with Moses.

 

[lartola]

Apple’s product page for the 10th gen iPad clearly shows the pencil and says “attaches magnetically”:

https://www.apple.com/ipad-10.9/

👉 It’s obvious that this pencil is the pencil that should have been available with the 10th gen iPad from the get-go. Seems they messed up by development and/or production of the new pencil running behind schedule - and covered it up by quickly churning out a couple of USB-C to Lightning adapters.

Apple would have spared themselves from much media ridicule, had they just announed the new USB-C pencil along with the iPad 10th gen - instead of that awkward old Pencil only made compatible on the new iPad by way of a new charging adapter:

“Here’s our brand-new, most affordable iPad with USB-C. And a new affordable USB-C Pencil to go along with it (without wireless charging or pressure sensitivity)”

It can attach, but it doesn’t charge magnetically. To charge it, the usb-c port must be used.

 

[lartola]

Are there too many yes-men at Apple? Is anyone able to say, “Hang on guys, this confuses the line-up and I don’t think we should release this product to market. Let’s re-think our product strategy.” Or does everyone feel compelled to say how great every product is?

Actually, I believe they should have killed the 1st gen apple pencil upon releasing the new usb-c apple pencil. Why is that one still in the line up? The only reason they had kept it on sale was for ipad 10 users, who can’t use apple pencil 2, but now the new one is a better option for those users so no need for the 1st gen in the lineup anymore.

 

[lartola]

I would buy Pencil 2. But for those who do not require pressure sensitivity, the new Pencil with USB C is a good buy.

Actually, the new usb-c pencil is only a good buy for ipad 10 users. They’re the only ones who can’t buy the 2nd gen because the ipad 10 lacks support for magnetic charging. Question is why did apple keep the 1st gen pencil in the lineup? they should have killed that one.

 

[Walkir]

Happy that I got a cheap Apple Pencil look-a-like from Amazon that works with both iPad Mini 5 and my iPad Pro M1

 

[lartola]

I guess the old Pencil 1 is hanging around until they finish with the base model with Lightning. And yes I fully expect tilt to be only available on the higher end iPads in the future.

You’re right. I didn’t realize apple is still selling the 9th gen ipad. Now it makes sense that they’re still selling the 1st gen apple pencil until they discontinue that ipad.

 

[lartola]

Some people don’t need or want pressure sensitivity. Why should they be forced to pay more for something they didn’t want. It’s still the best writing device for precision and latency available. Geesh

And why should they be forced to pay $80 just for the apple logo when they can get for $20 or less a 3rd party pencil without an apple logo that does exactly the same as apple’s new usb-c pencil?

 

[maxfromdenmark]

It's complicated, like no-Apple style.

 

[lartola]

Exactly. At least with the Pencil, Apple is failing at what used to be one of its best competencies: tightly editing their product lineup. The bean counters will never understand the benefit of simplicity or the difficult behind-the-scenes decisions needed to achieve it.

Also, this new pencil looks like it could be a Chinese off-brand design from Amazon.

It seems they had no choice. A better option than the 1st gen with an adapter was necessary for ipad 10 users, and apple is still selling the ipad 9th gen too so the 1st gen pencil had to remain available for sale for those customers.

 

[lartola]

I've been thinking to get an Apple pencil for quite a long time. I want to use it the most work work purposes. I like drawing diagrams a lot and taking notes.

I don't really care about the pairing and wireless charging. Actually I don't. at all.

Pencil hover seems impossible for me either way because i have a gen 6 mini. I'm not even going to comment on the free engraving.

Which only leaves the pressure sensitivity. Do I need this or should I just wait for the next (real) apple pencil? I don't want to get the second gen. I want to phase out lightning.

the 2nd gen pencil doesn’t use lightning, it charges magnetically while attached to the side of the ipad. Just because you own the ipad mini 6, you’ve already phased out lightning regardless of which apple pencil you buy (2nd gen or new usb-c).

 

[lartola]

These aren't positioned as good-better-best. Rather, each is compromised relative to the others. Neither of the prior two Pencils worked across all iPads, yet Apple kept the original around by making only it compatible with an iPad that post-dated the later-released Pencil. This was especially odd in light of original's bad charging solution. And although the most recent Pencil seems to be positioned as the low-end model, it has a charging port that reflects Apple's newest standard, and which some users of the "high-end" Pencil might also benefit from. The lineup is simply a mess.

Also, "more choices at different price points" really only works where there are clearly different target buyers between the products (e.g., MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro) or where the differences are sufficiently clear to generate an upsell effect (e.g., people looking at the "starts at" advertised price add features and end up with a higher typical price). Given the relatively minimal core functionality of the various Pencils, the far better decision here would have been to make one great one and price it at a point that makes it an extremely common add-on when purchasing an iPad. Apple hasn't achieved that.

Actually each apple pencil is indeed aimed at a specific set of users: The 1st gen is aimed at ipad 9th gen users (yes, unbelievably apple still sells the 9th gen ipad), the new usb-c pencil is aimed at ipad 10 users (for whom the option of using the 1st gen pencil + adapter was awkward), and the 2nd gen pencil is for all other ipad users since all other ipads do support magnetic charging.

 

[lartola]

This is embarrassing. There should be one option, and it should be great. This is like when Steve came back and there were dozens of models, but he killed them all to focus on a consumer and professional version of a desktop and a laptop.

Can’t happen when they still have 3 different kinds of ipad in the lineup: the 9th gen that still has a lightning port (yes, apple still sells that), the 10th gen with usb-c but no support for wirelessly charging the pencil and the pros and air with usb-c AND wireless charging for the pencil. They need to at least discontinue the 9th gen ipad before they can simplify thw pencil lineup.

 

[bluespark]

Actually each apple pencil is indeed aimed at a specific set of users: The 1st gen is aimed at ipad 9th gen users (yes, unbelievably apple still sells the 9th gen ipad), the new usb-c pencil is aimed at ipad 10 users (for whom the option of using the 1st gen pencil + adapter was awkward), and the 2nd gen pencil is for all other ipad users since all other ipads do support magnetic charging.

For those who don't see the problem with this, I don't know what else to say.

 

[citysnaps]

I'm not sure why you seem to assume that makes all of Apple's moves immune to criticism.

All of Apple's moves? Certainly not.

Criticism when offered by people who regularly use styli in their jobs and art making endeavors (artists, professionals, etc) is certainly valid from a performance, usability, and price standpoint.

Criticism when based on nothing but online armchair CEOs believing they know how to run one of the most successful companies in the world and clinging to something SJ said many years ago is laughable; especially when they have no personal interest in a stylus. Yet proclaim SJ's views on styli as gospel.

 

[ZipZap]

Why release a new one with less capability. its basically V1 Wirth USB-C,....stupid

 

[citysnaps]

Why release a new one with less capability. its basically V1 Wirth USB-C,....stupid

Because some people want USB-C. And don't need pressure sensitivity.

And it costs 20% less than the 1st gen model. Not stupid.

Choices are good.