Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MvdM

Suspended
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
380
695
I would like to know if the mechanism that charges the pencil in the iPad pro is always on. I don't like the idea of holding a wireless charging mechanism in my hands.
 
I would like to know if the mechanism that charges the pencil in the iPad pro is always on. I don't like the idea of holding a wireless charging mechanism in my hands.

As far as I know yes.
 
Yeah in theory it sounds logical to not be on when the pencil is not connected but who knows. I am not sure we can measure that.
 
Last edited:
I have been interested in this as well while I wait for my new ipad pro. Could wear out the pencil's battery while it being charged 24/7 unless it is not always connected.
 
i know Marques Brownlee has special paper that shows magnets. I just sent him a tweet.
 
i know Marques Brownlee has special paper that shows magnets. I just sent him a tweet.
How would seeing magnets help?

I can almost guarantee you that you won't get hurt if you hold your finger or hand on the charging area for an extended period of time. Apple definitely thought that one through.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Never mind
You don't need special paper to know that the mechanism that charges the Pencil turns off when the Pencil is disconnected.

Exactly, the special paper is worthless for this. It would be nice if you could disable charging while the pencil is still connected.
 
  • Like
Reactions: secretk
Exactly, the special paper is worthless for this. It would be nice if you could disable charging while the pencil is still connected.
Once it's at 100% doesn't it disable itself? And why would you want to disable it while it's connected? I doubt it uses that much battery.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
Interesting question, I'd be curious to know if there's a sensor in the iPad that can tell when there's a pencil attached, in order to power the charging magnetic field. Or if the magnetic field is always on and the pencil has circuitry within to manage its own charging. Or both, ha. Makes me wonder about my wife's Belkin iPhone inductive charger; I'm pretty sure it doesn't create its variable magnetic field until it senses her phone in contact with it.
 
Once it's at 100% doesn't it disable itself? And why would you want to disable it while it's connected? I doubt it uses that much battery.

Not talking about using the iPad's battery, the pencil's battery. To only charge the pencil it when it is needed, not all the time.
 
Not talking about using the iPad's battery, the pencil's battery. To only charge the pencil it when it is needed, not all the time.
Like I said earlier, it seems like it would stop charging once the pencil hit 100% battery. Unless you're wanting to just dock the pencil and not allow it to charge?
 
Not talking about using the iPad's battery, the pencil's battery. To only charge the pencil it when it is needed, not all the time.

Yeah, I would like this. I don't want the pencil to be charged if its battery is above 50 %. Because of this I put the pencil on the iPad only when I want to charge it. Otherwise I store it in a front pocket of the sleeve I use for protecting the iPad.
 
Lithium Ion batteries would burn out, burst into flames if the charger didn't stop requesting power when they got full. It's logical to assume that the iPad reduces charge and turns it off when the pencil reaches 100%.

I've stored the pencil for some time away from the iPad and it will report 100% (quick connect to find out) but drop like a brick with usage (2-3 hours) vs - staying at a high charged % when I leave it connected to the iPad.

I do a lot of reading so I don't like the pencil to be connected to the iPad at all times - I find I'm always moving it with my fingers as I try to read - plus the iPad is a tad bit lighter without the pencil. But when stored at night, during work travel? The pencil is always connected.

I'm seeing no noticeable battery difference vs leaving the pencil connected vs not (on the iPad).


As far as the "wireless charging mechanism" - it's so frigging tiny... so minuscule... so small... I wouldn't be worried about that... if you're worried about that, you should be worried about the wifi transmission, bluetooth, cellular, rays from space and the sun...

Just like an Apple Watch charger - it's not drawing power until you place the watch on the cable and then it starts drawing power or any other wireless charger for the last few years. I've tested this with a Kill-A-Watt.
[automerge]1586747090[/automerge]
Yeah, I would like this. I don't want the pencil to be charged if its battery is above 50 %. Because of this I put the pencil on the iPad only when I want to charge it. Otherwise I store it in a front pocket of the sleeve I use for protecting the iPad.

I would love this feature... keep the battery at 50, or even 80% charge. I rarely use my pencil for more than an hour or two... it would probably help the longevity of the battery for all my electronic devices if I could keep them at a 50-80% charge.

That said... my wife and I have HEAVILY used an Apple Pencil generation 1 for 2+ years ... it was still a champ when we got rid of it. I am not worried at all about prolonging the life of my Apple Pencil battery, especially for the cost of the device.
 
I would love this feature... keep the battery at 50, or even 80% charge. I rarely use my pencil for more than an hour or two... it would probably help the longevity of the battery for all my electronic devices if I could keep them at a 50-80% charge.

That said... my wife and I have HEAVILY used an Apple Pencil generation 1 for 2+ years ... it was still a champ when we got rid of it. I am not worried at all about prolonging the life of my Apple Pencil battery, especially for the cost of the device.

I have actually used both generations of Apple Pencil. I do notice a bit of degradation when it comes to the battery of the first generation pencil. I use it a lot as well. In fact the whole reason I have an iPad is because of the pencil. I do not use the iPad as consumption device. I either do notes in Goodnotes/Notability, read and highlight books in Apple Books or do coloring stuff in Procreate. Anyway back to the point - my first generation pencil does not seem to keep up for long with 100 % battery. It usually drops to 80 % rather quickly after charging without being used. And it tends to lose enough battery while in the background not being used.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
I have actually used both generations of Apple Pencil. I do notice a bit of degradation when it comes to the battery of the first generation pencil. I use it a lot as well. In fact the whole reason I have an iPad is because of the pencil. I do not use the iPad as consumption device. I either do notes in Goodnotes/Notability, read and highlight books in Apple Books or do coloring stuff in Procreate. Anyway back to the point - my first generation pencil does not seem to keep up for long with 100 % battery. It usually drops to 80 % rather quickly after charging without being used. And it tends to lose enough battery while in the background not being used.

Yeah, I noticed that too - my Apple 1 Pencil would drop to 80% fairly quickly (near the end of its life) but after 2 hours of lecture would still be 50%+ (rarely saw under 50%). And yeah, if I left it alone, it would drop a lot - especially if I didn't use it for a week in the summer, it would be low low. I noticed keeping it in my backpack (motion) made it lose battery faster when not in use, vs on a desk.

That's one reason why I love this magnet attach for the Apple Pencil 2 -- never have to disconnect a cap and connect a lightning cable or pop it in the bottom of an iPad.

Notability here for 90% of my notes. Rest in OneNote (work). I like GoodNotes but started with Notability.

Big fan of the Apple Pencil 2's form factor. That with an iCarez (matte) screen protector - it's better than pen and paper for me. :)
 
Yeah, I noticed that too - my Apple 1 Pencil would drop to 80% fairly quickly (near the end of its life) but after 2 hours of lecture would still be 50%+ (rarely saw under 50%). And yeah, if I left it alone, it would drop a lot - especially if I didn't use it for a week in the summer, it would be low low. I noticed keeping it in my backpack (motion) made it lose battery faster when not in use, vs on a desk.

Same. I think that it is related to the movement. The pencils get activated on movements and this is why I think that if you keep it on desk it does not drop that much.

That's one reason why I love this magnet attach for the Apple Pencil 2 -- never have to disconnect a cap and connect a lightning cable or pop it in the bottom of an iPad.

The charging approach for the second one is definitely improvement.

Notability here for 90% of my notes. Rest in OneNote (work). I like GoodNotes but started with Notability.

I use all three. Indeed when it comes to typing I do use OneNote and my work related typed notes are there. I started with GoodNotes then moved to Notability. I like both and I use them for different purposes. Sometimes I need to the Goodnotes physical layout (mimicking more the feel of the real notebooks).

I sometimes use Apple Notes though. Sometimes my notes are too random to store them in Notability or GoodNotes.

Big fan of the Apple Pencil 2's form factor. That with an iCarez (matte) screen protector - it's better than pen and paper for me. :)

I stopped using pen and paper too. I rely on the iPad/pencil combo for such stuff now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.