Apple Pencil USB-C. I don’t get it….

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Yeah, I don't fully get this move either. It's both an improvement and a regression from the Apple 1st gen Pencil.

A Macworld article nicely sums up the confusing Pencil and iPad lineups:



It's time that Apple reduce their cluttered iPad line and reduce it to about 4 items:
- iPad Pro (2 sizes)
- iPad mini
- regular iPad (or call it iPad Air, whatever)

You're thinking pro-consumer, not like pro-bottom line Apple.

Apple sells more of the higher-end iPads by offering several many iPads that are incredibly low value comparatively.

The lower end options both generate high profit margins whenever Apple sells them because of how cheap they are to make. But they also serve to illustrate and underline the much higher value you get from spending just a little more to get an Air or a Pro.

The same goes for the Pencil line-up.

-$79 is $50 less than $129. But most consumer will feel they lose those $50 dollars instead of saving them once they study the Apple Pencil comparison chart and see how little $79 gets them.

Suddenly, $129 seems like a great deal and not like an exorbitantly expensive price for a tablet stylus.

Apple are masters of the "decoy" product strategy. It's not going to change when it serves them as well as it does.

 

[boss.king]

I totally agree. It feels like nickle and dime-ing here when that shouldn't be.

Reminds me of current passenger flying experience. Do you remember when US domestic flights allowed for at least 1 checked bag for free? In the past 2 decades, they started monetizing various bits of services without actually addding improvement to passenger experience or progress. So for example, they:
1. started charging for checked bags for domestic flights
2. created a Basic Economy tier in which you CANNOT select your seat without paying additional money
3. started charging for food on domestic flights
4. started charging for food on some international flights (e.g., to Canada and Mexico)
5. started charging for checked bags for some international flights (e.g., going to Europe they will charge, but going to Asia they won't).

It's really nutty. The latest that I know of, although it does not involve a US airline, is that cabin bags are weighed and anything over x kg will have to be a checked baggage FOR A FEE: that's, TAP Portgual with 8kg as the max weight for a cabin bag. Wow.

I’m not American, but that sounds similar to every other place I’ve lived. Why make it better when you can make a worse option and then charge more for what people used to get as standard. It’s garbage and something I wish Apple wouldn’t stoop to.

 

[toobravetosave]

$$$

 

[goonie4life9]

Plastic Banana?

Get off the goon train.

Yes, a common prop in comedy skits. Get off the rage reply train and have a little laugh.

 

[jagolden]

It’s a budget version, but I think it’s pointless. No pressure sensitivity makes it worse than the 1st-gen Pencil for the iPad 10th-gen, only advantage is the convenience of not having a dongle. Every other USB-C iPad user is better off buying the 2nd-gen.

The only users this is geared towards, I think, is iPad 10th-gen users, and even then, like I said, its worth is... debatable, at least.

Without the pressure sensitivity it IS worthless.
You can get a better non-pressure sensitive stylus on AMAZON for $30. It charges fast and the charge works or stores for so long I can’t understand how it does it.

 

[Kingcoherent]

My Apple Pencil died has discharged fully. There’s no way to charge it without taking it to an Apple Store. Wireless only charging is stupid and anti consumer. All it takes is for the pencil to fall off the ipad while travelling and end up in the bottom of a bag.

That said, adding cabled charge should be entirely separate from pressure sensitivity and the option wirelessly charge.

 

[erikkfi]

It is unfortunate 10th gen iPad users will no longer be able to buy a Pencil with pressure sensitivity (although they now get Hover and magnetic storage).

Wrong and wrong. The 10th gen continues to have no magnet on the side and won’t support hover with any Pencil.

 

[klasma]

Wrong and wrong. The 10th gen continues to have no magnet on the side and won’t support hover with any Pencil.

From https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUWA3AM/A/apple-pencil-usb-c: "Apple Pencil (USB-C) pairs and charges via a USB-C Charge Cable. It magnetically attaches to the side of iPad for storage." I'm pretty sure that includes the 10, otherwise it would be false advertising.

They also show a picture with the 10 here:

 

[erikkfi]

From https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUWA3AM/A/apple-pencil-usb-c: "Apple Pencil (USB-C) pairs and charges via a USB-C Charge Cable. It magnetically attaches to the side of iPad for storage." I'm pretty sure that includes the 10, otherwise it would be false advertising.

They also show a picture with the 10 here:

View attachment 2297534

But there's no magnet there! ...is there?! They put a magnet there in anticipation of a future Pencil and no one noticed? My money is on no, it can't magnetically attach to the 10 because there's no magnet there, but it can magnetically attach to the iPads that have a magnet, so they say it can attach magnetically, but this picture is just of the Pencil resting against the side of a 10.

 

[boss.king]

But there's no magnet there! ...is there?! They put a magnet there in anticipation of a future Pencil and no one noticed? My money is on no, it can't magnetically attach to the 10 because there's no magnet there, but it can magnetically attach to the iPads that have a magnet, so they say it can attach magnetically, but this picture is just of the Pencil resting against the side of a 10.

Straight from the 10th gen iPad page on Apple's website:
https://www.apple.com/ipad-10.9/

 

[klasma]

But there's no magnet there! ...is there?! They put a magnet there in anticipation of a future Pencil and no one noticed? My money is on no, it can't magnetically attach to the 10 because there's no magnet there, but it can magnetically attach to the iPads that have a magnet, so they say it can attach magnetically, but this picture is just of the Pencil resting against the side of a 10.

So, Apple actually documents this, and yes the 10 has magnets on the camera side, see https://developer.apple.com/accessories/Accessory-Design-Guidelines.pdf page 331.

 

[subjonas]

Wrong and wrong. The 10th gen continues to have no magnet on the side and won’t support hover with any Pencil.

I made the correction on my post regarding hover, thanks. But 10th gen does seem to have magnetic storage. In the Pencils feature comparison list, it specifies hover is for iPad Pro models only but it makes no distinction for magnetic storage.

 

[erikkfi]

So, Apple actually documents this, and yes the 10 has magnets on the camera side, see https://developer.apple.com/accessories/Accessory-Design-Guidelines.pdf page 331.

 

[sack_peak]

It’s a budget version, but I think it’s pointless. No pressure sensitivity makes it worse than the 1st-gen Pencil for the iPad 10th-gen, only advantage is the convenience of not having a dongle. Every other USB-C iPad user is better off buying the 2nd-gen.

The only users this is geared towards, I think, is iPad 10th-gen users, and even then, like I said, its worth is... debatable, at least.

I'm not familiar with the Pencil but I take it that his positioned to replace the one with a male Lightning connector.

So this female USB-C version is in compliance with EU law & to improve the economies of scale of USB-C ports.

The higher-end version with all the features will likely be released with the 2024 iPad Pro M3.

 

[mectojic]

I think Apple wants the 10th Gen iPad to be a more popular choice. Sadly they've compromised it terribly from the start, first with the ridiculous USB-C lightning dongle for the pencil, not to mention the inability to use magnetic charging for the pencil in the first place. Add USB 2 speeds to that and an old processor, plus the fact they still sell the 9th Gen iPad for a much lower, better price, and it has a headphone jack and built-in Lightning... yeah.

The 10th Gen iPad is a mess. Doesn't feel like it has the appropriate thought and effort put into it we expect from Apple.

 

[Shirasaki]

It just seems weird. Like it’s not even required. Why not release a new 3rd gen pencil with the same wireless charging as gen 2 and discount the 2nd gen and retire the 1st gen lightning one. Makes sense.

Then what’s the feature difference between gen 2 and gen 3 other than the port? The hover is tied to the iPad model, not pencil itself. and Apple won’t retire 1st gen until there is no current product in the lineup able to use 1st gen pencil.

whereas Cheaper pencil means more budget option at the cost of losing pressure sensitivity and no wireless charging. I believe more people will favour convenience of storage over pressure sensitivity.

 

[Shirasaki]

The 10th Gen iPad is a mess. Doesn't feel like it has the appropriate thought and effort put into it we expect from Apple.

Thats what it is when Apple transitioned themselves from a customer-oriented company to a stakeholder-oriented company, maximising return and minimising effort.
Obligation for business I know, but it’s a whole new level when they go to the extreme.

 

[3Gmatt]

It’s a budget version, but I think it’s pointless. No pressure sensitivity makes it worse than the 1st-gen Pencil for the iPad 10th-gen, only advantage is the convenience of not having a dongle. Every other USB-C iPad user is better off buying the 2nd-gen.

The only users this is geared towards, I think, is iPad 10th-gen users, and even then, like I said, its worth is... debatable, at least.

Actually it does come with a point.

 

[mectojic]

Thats what it is when Apple transitioned themselves from a customer-oriented company to a stakeholder-oriented company, maximising return and minimising effort.
Obligation for business I know, but it’s a whole new level when they go to the extreme.

It might not be so black and white.
It must just be that Apple was truly creating meaningful innovations in the 2000s and 2010s, but now that the tech industry has inevitably matured, there isn't much left to innovate.

 

[subjonas]

Then what’s the feature difference between gen 2 and gen 3 other than the port? The hover is tied to the iPad model, not pencil itself. and Apple won’t retire 1st gen until there is no current product in the lineup able to use 1st gen pencil.

whereas Cheaper pencil means more budget option at the cost of losing pressure sensitivity and no wireless charging. I believe more people will favour convenience of storage over pressure sensitivity.

For some reason your post reminded me, I heard somewhere that the 10th gen iPad can’t have wireless Pencil charging because of the position of the front camera—conflict of space. I guess that’s the trade off, even if Apple was theoretically willing to add in the wireless charging hardware. Still unfortunate the gen 2 Pencil can’t charge/pair via USBC in addition to wireless, so 10th gen users could have a pressure sensitive Pencil option.

 

[klasma]

Still unfortunate the gen 2 Pencil can’t charge/pair via USBC in addition to wireless, so 10th gen users could have a pressure sensitive Pencil option.

10th-gen users do have a pressure-sensitive Pencil option: the Pencil 1. Thus they have to choose between two handicapped options, and it makes it blatant that Apple is artificially restricting features.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

It just seems weird. Like it’s not even required. Why not release a new 3rd gen pencil with the same wireless charging as gen 2 and discount the 2nd gen and retire the 1st gen lightning one. Makes sense.

Can’t retire the 1st gen yet. They still sell the iPad 9th gen and many lightning enabled iPads are still in use and will be for the next few years. New pencil only works with 10th gen (as well as air 4 and 5 and usb-c pros)

 

[Shirasaki]

It might not be so black and white.
It must just be that Apple was truly creating meaningful innovations in the 2000s and 2010s, but now that the tech industry has inevitably matured, there isn't much left to innovate.

It doesn’t have to be. Apple and their shareholders collectively make it a black and white matter. Yes, groundbreaking innovation can’t just pop Up like it once was, but there gonna always be customers to serve. They don’t have to treat customers like cancer that they want to get rid of asap either.

 

[subjonas]

10th-gen users do have a pressure-sensitive Pencil option: the Pencil 1. Thus they have to choose between two handicapped options, and it makes it blatant that Apple is artificially restricting features.

Right, for now they do have that option. I’m thinking more regarding the future of the entry level iPad—once the Pencil 1 is discontinued, they won’t have a pressure sensitive option, unless something else changes.

Speaking of possible artificial restriction, is it correct that Pencil 1 works with the USBC 10th gen iPad with an adapter, but it doesn’t work with the other USBC iPads with the adapter? Just realizing this. Seems pretty odd.

 

[klasma]

Speaking of possible artificial restriction, is it correct that Pencil 1 works with the USBC 10th gen iPad with an adapter, but it doesn’t work with the other USBC iPads with the adapter? Just realizing this. Seems pretty odd.

Yes, that’s correct. Probably originally because the adapter didn’t exist, and of course Apple didn’t mind that those upgrading from a Lighting iPad Pro to a USB-C iPad Pro would also have to upgrade the Pencil, like they also had to buy new cases/covers (and a headphones adapter).