You could argue this is an actual improvement since it is now less obvious that you should even *try* to charge it from the iPad's port.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Pencil Adapter for New iPad Facing Up to One-Month Shipping Delay
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Is that so? Did a cable adapter exist for the 1st generation pencil when that existed? I don’t recall there being one. When the 1st generation pencil first came out and I bought it with my iPad Pro, the only way I could charge it was stick it to the iPad Pro (or an iPhone) because it required being plugged into the female side of the lightning connector.
The 1st gen should have included an adapter for a lightning cable; you probably don't even need this new adapter to charge it form your iPad if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable. Plugging it into the iPad was a convenient alternative which meant you didn't need to bring that stuff with you.
Last edited:
F.o.r.c.e.d. U.p.g.r.a.d.e.s. - Stage manager only on M1. Face ID Horizontal only on iPhone 13. iPad Calculator only on M3.
The first gen came with just the adapter and an extra nib. I’ve got a picture right here.
The second gen doesn’t even include the nib.
There’s probably a difference in how the iPad scans for/receives the pencil signal, and they would have had to compromise in some way to support both at the same time.
It’s a surprise though that the hovering feature of the new iPad Pros works with the existing second-gen feature. If they wanted to milk users, they could have required a third-gen pencil for that.
I really don’t think that the camera is the true reason why they don’t have induction charging for the Apple Pencil 2.
They could have moved the charger to the top of the iPad, in the same spot the camera was originally at.
I think this is a way for them to differentiate and not cannibalize their other products.
I don't think putting the pencil where you are most likely to hold the iPad is a very good idea, probably get in the way of your hand triggering TouchID. Would also block the side speakers.
Ways in which this could have been avoided:
1. Don't add USB-C to this iPad. But the whiners refused to let this happen, so...
2. Create a new Apple Pencil for this iPad that charges via USB-C. But this would have obviously been a substantial engineering effort just for a low end device, and would have made it appear to be compatible with iPads Air and Pro, confusing things further.
3. Allow this iPad to use Apple Pencil 2. But this would have required an entirely different display, and a larger design overhaul to find a way to charge Apple Pencil 2 on an iPad with a landscape camera...something they weren't even willing to do for the most expensive product. And would further erode the artificial segmentation of the product lines.
Or...create a small, cheap adapter that requires negligible engineering effort for a low end product, and ship it.
Pretty clear why they did what they did.
1. Don't add USB-C to this iPad. But the whiners refused to let this happen, so...
2. Create a new Apple Pencil for this iPad that charges via USB-C. But this would have obviously been a substantial engineering effort just for a low end device, and would have made it appear to be compatible with iPads Air and Pro, confusing things further.
3. Allow this iPad to use Apple Pencil 2. But this would have required an entirely different display, and a larger design overhaul to find a way to charge Apple Pencil 2 on an iPad with a landscape camera...something they weren't even willing to do for the most expensive product. And would further erode the artificial segmentation of the product lines.
Or...create a small, cheap adapter that requires negligible engineering effort for a low end product, and ship it.
Pretty clear why they did what they did.
Last edited:
And you don't even need the new adapter if you use your phone's USB-C to Lightning cable. The new adapter exists so you can use the iPad's USB-C to USB-C cable.
But yeah, I agree with what you said.
Last edited:
Feeling something like this is what Apple will do for the EU regulations, ie keeping the same .house while making users plug a ISB-C adaptor to the bottom of the mouse.
Up to one month? I'm getting quoted an arrival date of October 31st at the earliest and November 8th at the latest. I'm not seeing a month.
The hilarious part is the site telling me it's $9, or "$0.75/mo.per month for 12 mo." Awfully tempting to buy one on a 12 month payment plan, just because. You know, spread out the financial hit.
The hilarious part is the site telling me it's $9, or "$0.75/mo.per month for 12 mo." Awfully tempting to buy one on a 12 month payment plan, just because. You know, spread out the financial hit.
No, it's not just software - the data points you're connecting in your argument don't go together like that.
The adapter is just for connecting to charge or pair. The magic that makes the pencil work is half in the pencil and half in the screen. The two pencils (and their associated screens) work in slightly different ways, so that the newer pencil can implement additional features. That is why you need a particular pencil for a particular iPad. It's also why you can't use a pencil with, say, an older base model iPad - the pencil requires very specific support in the screen.
Really bad. Atleast adequate stock of the adapter should have been made available.
That's what happens when you have your own opinion. Apple is a trillion dollar company. It's not like they can't make a couple of pens with USB-C ports. This is just about profit, taking a cheap stylus that's still in stock and eliminating the elaborate charger in the iPad.
This is how Apple makes money. The customer doesn't play a role here - that's why customers should give Apple the finger.
The adapter is shipping in new boxes of the 1st gen Apple Pencil, and is not needed for people who have Lightning-based iPads. Its only real use is for people buying the new 10th gen iPad who have an existing 1st gen Apple Pencil they want to use with it.
Also, despite this article's headline, the current wait for delivery is between 10 and 18 days, not a month.
People routinely overestimate the amount of product Apple keeps in stock. Tim Cook's first claim to fame was being a master of the production and supply pipeline, to make sure Apple always had enough stock of parts to build things, without too many manufactured units sitting around.
By not supporting it, they force you to buy a new apple pencil when you upgrade your iPad. Companies and 'Brands' are not your friend. Apple are not your friend. They make easy to use devices, but they're a company whose sole objective is to take money from your pocket and put it into the pockets of their shareholders.
Whenever you see a post on MacRumors that starts with the phrases 'I don't understand why...', or 'Why don't they just...', The answer is always 'to get more of your money'.
No matter what reason. It is a cheaper version of the Pencil 2 and Apple didn‘t caee if the users can charge it or not.