In search of a stylus in your Apple tablet? Nicely, excellent news. Apple makes the right accent to go together with it. Much less excellent news. There are actually 4 completely different fashions, every with completely different options, completely different compatibility, and a unique worth.
However numerous issues crossover. Oh, and one wants a dongle. Complicated, proper? Don’t fear – we’re right here to check the Apple Pencil fashions.
What are the Apple Pencil fashions?
There are actually 4 completely different Apple Pencil fashions: Apple Pencil (1st technology), Apple Pencil (2nd technology), Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Professional. Whilst you can nonetheless purchase the first and 2nd technology fashions for older iPads, Apple is admittedly now concentrating on Apple Pencil Professional and Apple Pencil (USB-C).
The Professional is Apple’s newest, having been revealed in Might 2024. At present, it is going to work on the iPad Pro M4, the already-discontinued iPad Air M2 and the newer iPad Air M3. It’s the only option in case you’re a graphic designer, video editor otherwise you do any sort of detailed work together with your iPad.
The USB-C mannequin works with iPad 10th gen, iPad eleventh gen (referred to by Apple as iPad A16), iPad mini sixth and seventh gen (referred to by Apple as iPad mini A17 Professional), iPad Air 4th gen and up, iPad Professional 12.9-inch Third-gen and later and all iPad Professional 11-inch fashions. That is now the default ‘on a regular basis’ Pencil.
You should use iPad mini 6th gen, iPad Air 4th and fifth gen, iPad Pro 12.9-inch Third-gen and later, and all iPad Professional fashions as much as the sixth gen with the 2nd-gen stylus. Right here’s the pricing:
Don’t see your iPad listed above? You’ll have to go for the first gen Pencil as a substitute. Right here’s the most recent pricing:
What’s comparable between the Apple Pencils?
Arguably the largest similarity between the Apple Pencil fashions is design. Every stylus is a white stick – you’d be shocked by how comparable in proportions it’s to an actual pencil. The first-gen opts for a shiny white end, with a shiny metallic end across the magnetic cap. Gen 2 ditched the cap, went matte, and flattened one facet for magnetic attachment and charging in your iPad. The Apple Pencil Professional appears all however an identical. The USB-C mannequin grew a slidable USB-C port, for simpler charging.
Every of the 4 fashions provides pixel-perfect precision once you write, sketch, or draw. All of them supply low latency whilst you use the Apple Pencil, and tilt sensitivity for shading and different results. The entire fashions play good with iPadOS, together with the most recent features in iPadOS 17 and iPadOS 18. The styluses work completely in Notes, Freeform, and different apps in your iPad. After all, there are many third-party notes and drawing apps designed to help the sensible stylus, too.
And what’s completely different between Apple Pencils?
On the subject of the variations between the Apple Pencil fashions, issues get a bit of extra complicated. Gen 1 and Gen 2 each help strain sensitivity that adjusts thickness based mostly on how laborious you push down with the stylus. The USB-C mannequin ditched the characteristic, rendering itself kind of ineffective for drawing. The Apple Pencil Professional then introduced it again, together with a gyroscope to recognise once you roll the Pencil for various ink results.
The 2nd-gen, USB-C and Apple Pencil Professional magnetically connect to the iPad, however solely the Gen 2 Pencil and Pencil Professional cost and pair wirelessly. The first gen possibility is neglected of the magnet sport fully. To pair and cost the 1st-gen Pencil, you employ the Lightning port to plug it into your machine. After all, in case you’re utilizing a more recent iPad with USB-C, this isn’t an possibility. And the USB-C Pencil slides as much as reveal a USB-C port you need to plug a cable into. Not so simple as you’d anticipate, eh?
There are just a few different smaller variations as properly. The 2nd-gen, USB-C and Pencil Professional fashions help the Hover mode on iPad Professional, which helps you to preview your ink earlier than putting it. Solely the Gen 2 Pencil and Pencil Professional allow you to double-tap on the facet to vary instruments, with the latter getting a haptic engine for tactile suggestions once you do. It additionally has a brand new squeeze gesture, for triggering sure actions inside drawing apps.
Discover more from Regan Thapa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.