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We were hoping for new iPads this week; all of the signs and rumour waffling appeared to suggest we’d be treated to such news.
A refreshed iPad Air. An 11th-generation iPad. An update, finally, to the now rather long-in-the-tooth iPad mini.
Instead, we got the new Apple Pencil 3. With a hidden USB-C port. And no magnetic charging.
Brilliant.
Well, actually – it might be.
It’s not often Apple uses phrases like “bringing more value and choice to the lineup”, which is exactly what they’ve done with the £79 Apple Pencil 3 (to which everyone bar Apple itself is referring to the Apple Pencil 2’s successor).
I’m hoping this is the start of a new trend – but there are a few things to bear in mind if you fancy one of these new Apple Pencils yourself.
No magnetic tips… and two corners cut
In typical Apple fashion when it comes to introducing a lower-priced option into an existing line of products, the Apple Pencil 3 is indeed more affordable – but slightly crippled.
For some, the crippling might be a bit too much. For others, it’ll be spot on.
We’ll start with the good news. The Apple Pencil 3 has the same design as the second-generation Apple Pencil. This means it remains shorter and more pencil-like than the stupidly long first-generation version, but it is also nicer to hold and complete with a flat edge which ensures it doesn’t roll off every single surface no matter how flat said surface is. It’s also compatible with every iPad that has a USB-C port. Which is a lot of iPads.
The Apple Pencil 3 retains the same low latency and “pixel-perfect accuracy” as the Apple Pencil 2 and also has tilt sensitivity. Even hover mode – which is currently only compatible with the latest iPad Pros – made the cut.
There’s some new stuff, too. Well, one new thing, to be more precise – and it’s where the concessions start to become apparent. This Apple Pencil is charged exclusively via USB-C, the port for which is hidden until you lift up a magnetic sliding cap on the non-tip-end of the Pencil.
Now for the bad stuff. There’s no pressure sensitivity, which immediately makes the Apple Pencil 3 a swerve for artists. It also doesn’t charge wirelessly; it’ll attach itself to iPads with a magnetic edge, just like the second-generation Apple Pencil, but that’s purely for ease of transportation – no juice is provided. It does at least enter sleep mode when magnetically attached to a compatible iPad – that should be noted.
The cutting of these two corners makes the Apple Pencil 3 a slightly odd accessory. It’s nearly there, and while the exclusion of pressure sensitivity is an understandable blank panel on the dashboard, the absence of wireless charging is a touch frustrating.
There is some good news, though.
Apple Pencil 3 compatibility: hello, iPad 10!
I still maintain that the 10th generation iPad is one of Apple’s strangest products and I still cannot fathom for whom it was designed. However, things are looking a little more rosy for that particular iPad now that we have the Apple Pencil 3.
Before yesterday’s announcement, 10th-generation iPad owners who wanted to indulge in writing, drawing, or sketching, had no choice but to buy the Apple Pencil 1 and suffer the eternal shame of charging it via the iPad with the combination of a USB-C to Lightning adapter. It was an utterly stupid compromise and one which, I’d guess, has driven the development and release of the USB-C-equipped Apple Pencil 3.
I suspect this is the end of the first-generation Apple Pencil. Although it has pressure sensitivity over the third-generation version, the presence of Lightning, the outdated design, and the daft charging method will probably ensure that it quietly exits stage left relatively soon.
There is still one issue, though. The 10th generation iPad doesn’t have the magnetic docking section on its outer casing for an Apple Pencil, which means – just like the first generation Apple Pencil – you can’t attach this new one. This is good news for case manufacturers, but bad news for Apple Pencil owners who have a habit of losing their Apple stylus unless it remains attached to the device. Which is most of us.
Why the Apple Pencil USB-C is so refreshing
The Apple Pencil 3 is annoyingly crippled. If Apple had included magnetic charging it would have eradicated any instances of poor press during this launch week. But this is Apple – it’s what they do. When all is said and done, they just don’t care about bad PR at such a small scale.
What is good about the Apple Pencil 3 is what it might signal for future ’budget’ Apple accessories. Imagine a cheaper keyboard case for your iPad Pro. Or a lower-priced pair of AirPods Max. Imagine a bunch of accessories and products with features removed for the sake of an audience that doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Sounds exciting, right?
That’s what the Apple Pencil 3 is all about. What we give up in convenience, we gain in affordability – from Apple. And that means we still get the incredible build quality and compatibility that comes with everything they make.
Long may this trend reign.
Availability
The Apple Pencil 3 arrives in early November, but Apple hasn’t given us an exact date. I’ll be checking it out once it’s here, though – naturally.
If that’s too long to wait, and you think the Apple Pencil 3 is still too expensive, there’s another option in the form of the quite brilliant Benks Pen. This still lacks pressure sensitivity, but it can charge wirelessly and, at the time of writing, it costs less than £40.
Apple can always be beaten on this stuff, guys – don’t forget that!
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2 Comments
As you say, this looks more a replacement to the original Apple Pencil rather than the 2nd Gen, with Apple referring to it as Apple Pencil (USBC) rather than a generation number. It doesn’t look like its for Air/Pro owners who can use the 2nd gen and it’s benefits but a refresh for 10th Gen users.
As a 10th Gen user (I came from the 6th Gen and the camera is in the right place) it’s going to be ideal. iFixit’s teardown (magnets next to the camera) and Apples product photos suggest it will connect magnetically, which will make carrying the pencil round with the iPad much more convenient.
The lack of charging is no issue for me personally, I’ve never found having to plug in for an hour every now and again to be a big deal, even with adapters and whilst the Benks pen looks like a good alternative, it’s not compatible with the 10th Gen.
I could see this being the end of the Apple Pencil Gen 1 and iPad with a home button, which would make the confused iPad line up a bit cleaner, it would be odd if they kept everything!
well, I’m not that impressed by the Benks pencil. I bought it last november and it stopped working altogether within 11 months!! And so dit the Benks pencil of a colleague. Benks send me a new one with a discount, but ultimately it appears to be a cheaper pencil that is not going to work for years. Bad value therefore and not so brilliant imo.