In Could 2024, Apple unveiled the most recent era of its Pencil stylus for iPad—Apple Pencil Professional. It’s primarily a substitute for the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil, made to help solely the latest iPad Air (M2) and iPad Professional (M4) fashions, and with related design however a number of new options.
Meaning Apple now has 4 merchandise all named “Apple Pencil,” however two of them are primarily just for merchandise now not bought as new, however somewhat just for legacy fashions.
If you wish to lower your expenses, take into account various styluses to your iPad. Learn our round-up of one of the best stylus for iPad, iPad Air, Professional, and mini.
Which Apple Pencil: Specs
Earlier than we take a look at the variations between the three Apple Pencil fashions, right here’s a short breakdown of their technical specs:
Apple Pencil (1st Gen)Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)Apple Pencil (USB-C)Apple Pencil ProPrice$99/£99$129/£129$79/£79$129/£129Low LatencyYesYesYesYesTilt SensitivityYesYesYesYesPressure SensitivityYesYesNoYesAttaches Magnetically to iPadNoYesYesYesCharging and PairingLightningWirelessUSB-CWirelessHover on iPad Professional or iPad AirNoYesYesYesDouble-tap featureNoYesYesYesRoll to vary orientationNoNoNoYesSqueeze gestureNoNoNoYesHaptic FeedbackNoNoNoYesFind My supportNoNoNoYesDimensions (Size x Diameter)176mm x 8.9mm166mm x 8.9mm155mm x 7.4mm166mm x 8.9mm
Which Apple Pencil: Value
The costs for every Apple Pencil range by options and compatibility. The costliest choices are the Apple Pencil Professional and the second-gen Apple Pencil, that are each $129/$129. The most affordable is the Apple Pencil with USB-C at $79/£79.
The primary Apple Pencil was launched in September 2015. Apple sells it for $99/£99/€119. It really works with the present Tenth-generation iPad in addition to quite a lot of older iPad fashions. To cost you plug it into your iPad’s Lightning port, so you possibly can’t use it when charging. It’s pressure-sensitive, which is sweet in case you are an artist. We suspect that Apple will quickly take away this Pencil from the lineup.
That is one of the best Apple Pencil for those who would not have the very newest iPad Air or Professional. It launched in 2018 and Apple sells it for $129/£129. It really works with current iPad Air, mini, and Professional, however not the Tenth gen iPad or the M2 iPad Air or M4 iPad Professional. This Apple Pencil expenses wirelessly. We suspect that Apple will quickly take away this Pencil from the lineup.
This Apple Pencil was launched in 2023 to help iPads with USB-C charging ports as a substitute of the older Lightning port. It lacks lots of the options of the 2nd era mannequin, so don’t fall into the lure of considering newer means higher. However it’s cheaper at $79/£79. That is primarily a Pencil with a USB-C port. It lacks stress sensitivity, which even the first gen mannequin has. It doesn’t work with the ninth gen iPad or the earliest iPad Execs.
That is one of the best Apple Pencil, so long as you may have a suitable iPad. Apple sells it for $129/£129. It really works with the latest iPad Air (M2) and iPad Professional (M4). This Apple Pencil expenses wirelessly, and has the entire options of 2nd-gen Apple Pencil and a number of other extra, like haptic suggestions, Discover My help, and help for rolling and squeeze gestures.
Which Apple Pencil: Design
There’s not precisely a variety of room for flamboyant designs or new aesthetics with regards to one thing as form-dependent as a stylus. However, the engineers at Apple have been busy, incorporating just a few parts that make the Pencils recognizable from one another.
In all instances, you’re taking a look at a white plastic, cylindrical casing with no buttons or markings apart from the Apple Pencil title. The first-Gen Pencil is the one one that’s utterly spherical (and has a shiny end), because the Professional, 2nd-Gen, and USB-C variations have a flattened aspect in order that they are often connected magnetically to the sting of a suitable iPad.
Foundry
Apple has continually been refining the stability and dealing with of its Pencil vary, as you possibly can see from the truth that with every era the size of the stylus has slowly been shortened. Right here’s how they measure up:
Apple Pencil (1st Gen): 6.92in/176mm (Size); 0.35in/8.9mm (Diameter)
Apple Pencil (2nd Gen): 6.53in/166mm (Size); 0.35in/8.9mm (Diameter)
Apple Pencil (USB-C): 6.10in/155mm (Size); 0.29in/7.4mm (Diameter)
Apple Pencil Professional: 6.53in/166mm (Size); 0.35in/8.9mm (Diameter)
Each the 1st-Gen and USB-C Pencils have a lid on the prime finish that may be taken off to cost the machine. On the 1st-Gen, eradicating the cap reveals a Lightning connector, whereas the USB-C slides as much as reveal a USB-C port. The 2nd-Gen and Professional fashions cost wirelessly and don’t have a port or connector.
On the enterprise finish of the Pencil, you’ll discover the replaceable rubber suggestions that make the Apple Pencil such a cushty expertise. A few of the fashions have extra performance constructed into their slender frames, which we’ll cowl within the subsequent part.
Which Apple Pencil: Options
Whereas the entire Pencil fashions will will let you write notes and sketch in your iPad, they do supply totally different capabilities relying on the mannequin you select. The first-Gen Pencil delivers a exact writing expertise, with low latency and stress sensitivity to permit thinner and wider pen/brush strokes, plus the power to sense when you find yourself tilting the stylus for shading and related strategies.
Pairing and charging are completed through the Lightning port, as there isn’t a wi-fi charging on this mannequin, plus you possibly can’t magnetically connect it to an iPad. You additionally don’t get the hover characteristic on iPad Professional fashions, which allows you to preview the place your mark might be made with out having to the touch the display screen. Additionally, you will must make do with out the double-tap motion to modify between the assorted pens, brushes, and different instruments.
Apple
The Gen 2 Pencil presents the entire options included in its predecessor, apart from the Lightning port charging and pairing, which is as a substitute achieved wirelessly. It introduces the double-tap characteristic by means of a touch-sensitive space close to the tip, plus there’s the choice to have it engraved with a private message.
The Apple Pencil USB-C attaches through a USB-C-to-USB-C cable out of your iPad’s charging port to the Pencil. You may magnetically connect it to an iPad for safe-keeping, but it surely doesn’t cost. It has almost all the identical options because the 1st-Gen Pencil, albeit unusually with out stress sensitivity, which does appear to be a step backward. As a minor compensation, you do get the 2nd-Gen’s hover characteristic if you happen to personal an iPad Professional.
The most recent is the Apple Pencil Professional, which solely helps the iPad Air (M2) and iPad Professional (M4), and presumably future iPad Air and Professional fashions. It has all of the options of the 2nd-Gen mannequin with the addition of roll and squeeze sensitivity, haptic suggestions, and Discover My help.
Which Apple Pencil: Compatibility
Each Pencil helps totally different iPads, so that you’ll must verify which mannequin you may have before you purchase one of many three stylus fashions Apple presents:
Apple Pencil (Gen 1)
iPad Professional 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd Gen)
iPad Professional 10.5-inch
iPad Professional 9.7-inch
iPad Air (third Gen)
iPad mini (fifth Gen)
iPad (sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and Tenth Gen)
Apple Pencil (Gen 2)
iPad Professional 12.9-inch (third, 4th, fifth and sixth Gen)
iPad Professional 11-inch (1st, 2nd, third and 4th Gen)
iPad Air (4th and fifth Gen)
iPad mini (sixth Gen)
Apple Pencil (USB-C)
iPad Professional (M4)
iPad Air (M2)
iPad Professional 12.9-inch (third, 4th, fifth and sixth Gen)
iPad Professional 11-inch (1st, 2nd, third and 4th Gen)
iPad Air (4th and fifth Gen)
iPad mini (sixth Gen)
iPad (Tenth Gen)
Apple Pencil Professional
iPad Professional (M4)
iPad Air (M2)
Which Apple Pencil: Verdict
A few of the essential issues when contemplating an Apple Pencil are the way you need to use it and which iPad you may have. When you’re concerned with creating artwork or extra ornamental writing, then you definitely’ll little doubt discover the stress sensitivity of the Gen 1, Gen 2, and Professional fashions a necessary characteristic. Then you definitely’ll simply want to pick out the one that’s suitable together with your machine. The Gen 2 Pencil does have the extra advantages of wi-fi charging, plus the double-tap and hover capabilities, though the latter solely works on iPad Professional.
If in case you have a more recent iPad with a USB-C connector and simply need to take down notes, then the USB-C mannequin may serve these functions admirably, with the added benefit of being probably the most inexpensive mannequin out there from Apple.
When you purchase a brand-new iPad Air with M2 or iPad Professional with M4, you possibly can select between the USB-C mannequin with its very primary performance or Apple Pencil Professional, which has by far probably the most options of any Apple Pencil.
The sting case is when you have an iPad mini or Tenth-gen iPad however actually need stress sensitivity. When you would usually select the USB-C Pencil for these fashions, the one suitable Pencil with stress sensitivity is the first-gen Apple Pencil, which comes with a little bit USB-C to Lightning charging adapter you’ll have to make use of to cost it.
