Apple Pencil Buyer's Guide: Which Model Should You Choose?

[Klae17]

Apologies to the writers and editors here, they’re just doing their job.

But the fact we’re having a debate about what the best stylus is instead of what the best new iPad is is to me a huge indictment on Tim Apple and his leadership of this company.

They’ve missed product deadlines, half-baked some products, poor software quality. But, if you don’t care about Apple’s customers and only care about shareholder $$$$, then I guess he’s a great CEO, right?

End rant.

1. You can still debate what the best iPad is. There are forums for that. This is an informational article about the stylus.
2. It is a huge indictment of Tim Cook (not Tim Apple), to you. you are correct on that.
3. What product deadlines?
4. I don't recall the half baked products, which products would that be? Or are they just not good enough in your eyes?
5. Software could be better and has never been perfect.
6. Are you trolling when you say Apple only cares about the shareholder? Customer Service is the first step towards their market cap. The second step was under Tim Cook's guidance and leadership.
7. You are welcome to go to any other site, brand, or phone company. You will not be able to avoid any of your complaints and I have a feeling your rant frequency will increase.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Jobs' comment was made before the iPad became a powerful drawing and note-taking tool. I suspect he would have been strongly pro-stylus for these applications. (I also suspect he would have pushed Apple to sell one insanely great stylus rather than three that each have compromises relative to the others, but that is not directly relevant to your point.)

Correct. For God's sake that erroneous take on Jobs' comments has been going around for far too long.

Jobs was referring to the NECESSITY of a stylus for navigation and interaction with the device. Nothing more.

iOS and iPadOS are built for touch from the ground up and that will NEVER change, macOS-on-iPad-hardware, Stage-Manager-using, keyboard-and-mouse-on-the-iPad hopeful users be damned.

 

[bluespark]

All of Apple's moves? Certainly not.

Criticism when offered by people who regularly use styli in their jobs and art making endeavors (artists, professionals, etc) is certainly valid from a performance, usability, and price standpoint.

Criticism when based on nothing but online armchair CEOs believing they know how to run one of the most successful companies in the world and clinging to something SJ said many years ago is laughable; especially when they have no personal interest in a stylus. Yet proclaim SJ's views on styli as gospel.

You are making multiple assumptions that do not apply to me and have little to do with the point I was making so I'm done with this discussion.

 

[lartola]

Why release a new one with less capability. its basically V1 Wirth USB-C,....stupid

Basically for ipad 10 users. The ipad 10 is incompatible with the 2nd gen pencil (no magnetic charging), and hardly compatible with the 1st gen (requires the use of an adapter).

 

[Arran]

...Maybe if you spoke to someone they could help you out. Try a 13 year old.

Appreciate the offer, but I've already taken too much of your time.

 

[steve09090]

These aren't positioned as good-better-best. Rather, each is compromised relative to the others. Neither of the prior two Pencils worked across all iPads, yet Apple kept the original around by making only it compatible with an iPad that post-dated the later-released Pencil. This was especially odd in light of original's bad charging solution. And although the most recent Pencil seems to be positioned as the low-end model, it has a charging port that reflects Apple's newest standard, and which some users of the "high-end" Pencil might also benefit from. The lineup is simply a mess.

Also, "more choices at different price points" really only works where there are clearly different target buyers between the products (e.g., MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro) or where the differences are sufficiently clear to generate an upsell effect (e.g., people looking at the "starts at" advertised price add features and end up with a higher typical price). Given the relatively minimal core functionality of the various Pencils, the far better decision here would have been to make one great one and price it at a point that makes it an extremely common add-on when purchasing an iPad. Apple hasn't achieved that.

Firstly, you need to distinguish between models. Pencil 1 simply doesn’t work on the iPads relative to Pencil 2 & 3, so you can’t consider that one. You can only consider the ipads that have USBC C, which there are a few. I have the 2020 iPad Pro, so I have a clear choice. Pencil 2 (Pro) or Pencil 3 (SE). It works absolutely.

Your last comment doesn’t make sense. There is a cheaper version available for the iPad. Is it as cheap as you want? Of course not, it’s the way Apple works. But if I were buying an Apple Pencil now, I would have a very clear choice based on what I need & how much I was willing to spend.

Appreciate the offer, but I've already taken too much of your time.

I guess if your rant had No substance, I would bail out too.

 

[tomtad]

Correct. For God's sake that erroneous take on Jobs' comments has been going around for far too long.

Jobs was referring to the NECESSITY of a stylus for navigation and interaction with the device. Nothing more.

iOS and iPadOS are built for touch from the ground up and that will NEVER change, macOS-on-iPad-hardware, Stage-Manager-using, keyboard-and-mouse-on-the-iPad hopeful users be damned.

Exactly this. If you had to use a stylus to interact with a touch screen you failed, and the iPhone and iPad proved this right.

A tool for drawing or writing, like Apple Pencil, is a completely separate thing.

That doesn’t however exonerate Apple from the current mess of Apple Pencils and iPads which I think most agree wouldn’t have happened under Jobs.

 

[steve09090]

Gosh. Imagine other people having the temerity to share their opinion if it differs from your own. Won’t someone please think of steve09090?

Excuse me? What are you talking about?

 

[zkap]

It is absolutely ridiculous that we have and need a buyer's guide for an Apple pencil, complete with a table of specifications. The more worrying part is that Apple created this mess not by releasing an even better product, but by downgrading what is already there and has been for years. Wow.

 

[citysnaps]

It is absolutely ridiculous that we have and need a buyer's guide for an Apple pencil, complete with a table of specifications. The more worrying part is that Apple created this mess not by releasing an even better product, but by downgrading what is already there and has been for years. Wow.

And at a much lower price - a 20% savings. Seems many people forget (most likely intentionally) to mention that.

 

[lartola]

It is absolutely ridiculous that we have and need a buyer's guide for an Apple pencil, complete with a table of specifications. The more worrying part is that Apple created this mess not by releasing an even better product, but by downgrading what is already there and has been for years. Wow.

It’s not necessarily a downgrade. It could look that way compared to the apple pencil 2, but that’s the wrong perspective to look at it from. The new usb-c apple pencil is an upgrade to the 1st gen apple pencil intended for ipad 10 users who, until now, had no choice but to use the 1st gen with a lightning to usb-c adapter. And they also had no choice but to keep the 1st gen pencil in the lineup because they’re still selling the ipad 9 (believe it or not!), not compatible with any of the other two pencils.

 

[lartola]

And at a much lower price - a 20% savings. Seems many people forget (most likely intentionally) to mention that.

And NOT INTENDED AS AN UPGRADE TO THE 2ND GEN APPLE PENCIL, BUT RATHER THE 1ST. Way too many people criticize the new pencil because they fail to see this.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Exonerate Apple? Now that's a real knee-slapper. Exonerate them from what? That they released a new lower cost pencil that many will find useful? Holy smokes I think I just felt planet Earth tilt an extra 20 degrees.

Consult the chart at the beginning of the story if you need assistance in understanding what it's about.

Who cares what would have happened under Jobs almost 20 years ago? Seems only people stuck in the past and need someone to worship.

I don't think it's about that.

The thing is, that for the longest time Apple (since the return of Steve Jobs to the company) Apple split their product lineup into Consumer & Pro only.

However, over the years (particularly under Tim Cook) Apple shifted away from the two-tier system into a low-end (SE), mid-tier (Air & "standard" series), and high-end (Pro series) categories. This is a bit jarring for longtime users as well as newcomers.

I for one HIGHLY appreciate this move, but Apple could stand to clear up the "confusion" by keeping naming conventions consistent across all their product categories with a bit of rebranding (like getting rid of the admittedly popular Air convention or the silly-to-me Ultra convention).

Thus, in this case, a Pencil SE, Pencil, and Pencil Pro would clear this up really quick and help steer customers into their preferred category a bit easier.

All that said, I'm just an armchair CEO.

 

[steve09090]

It is absolutely ridiculous that we have and need a buyer's guide for an Apple pencil, complete with a table of specifications. The more worrying part is that Apple created this mess not by releasing an even better product, but by downgrading what is already there and has been for years. Wow.

So you’re against every SE product then? Because that’s what you have described.

 

[steve09090]

I don't think it's about that.

The thing is, that for the longest time Apple (since the return of Steve Jobs to the company) Apple split their product lineup into Consumer & Pro only.

However, over the years (particularly under Tim Cook) Apple shifted away from the two-tier system into a low-end (SE), mid-tier (Air & "standard" series), and high-end (Pro series) categories. This is a bit jarring for longtime users as well as newcomers.

I for one HIGHLY appreciate this move, but Apple could stand to clear up the "confusion" by keeping naming conventions consistent across all their product categories with a bit of rebranding (like getting rid of the admittedly popular Air convention or the silly-to-me Ultra convention).

Thus, in this case, a Pencil SE, Pencil, and Pencil Pro would clear this up really quick and help steer customers into their preferred category a bit easier.

All that said, I'm just an armchair CEO.

Agree 100%. They could call this an SE, excepting (apparently) the technology of the previous iPads aren’t compatible, whereas all other SE products are stand alone. I agree the product branding has mostly been askew.

No idea why it isn’t compatible when the original pencil and this one is compatible with iPad 10

 

[adb1973]

Someone in Cupertino must have seen the $20 AliXpress pencils work just as well for regular Joe's and thought 'hey we can do that with 250% margin!'

 

[adb1973]

What if the marketing department was fired and Apple started making products with real added value again and a slimmed down product line that actually made sense.

 

[AppliedMicro]

I feel there was a decision made somewhere that no USB C accessories should be released before the iPhone transition from Lightning was announced. They had this Pencil ready to go but couldn’t ship it.

Dumb.
Dumb but also plausible.

How is giving more choices at different price points failing?

Choice is good thing.

Choices are good.

Not if you overwhelm and confuse your customers beyond comprehension.

Apple hasn‘t been about a maximum of choice and niche products.
It has been a brand with easily accessible products and an understandable lineup.

Meanwhile, my $20 AliExpress stylus supports magnetical attaching, wireless charging and tilting. And works even on my Lightning iPad mini - without charging/attaching, of course - but would Apple‘s new USB-C stylus, or do they deliberately prevent that? And actually feels good in hand. Did I mention it cost only $20?

 

[krakenrelease]

I would buy Pencil 2. But for those who do not require pressure sensitivity, the new Pencil with USB C is a good buy.

There are pressure sensitive usb c pencils all over Amazon for around $20. Not a bad deal considering all you lose is magnetic charging.

 

[steve09090]

Not if you overwhelm and confuse your customers beyond comprehension.

Apple hasn‘t been about a maximum of choice and niche products.
It has been a brand with easily accessible products and an understandable lineup.

You can’t work out which Apple Pencil you would choose if you were going to buy from Apple?

Apple say exactly which ipad's it works with And what each do. https://www.apple.com/apple-pencil/

Meanwhile, my $20 AliExpress stylus supports magnetical attaching, wireless charging and tilting. And works even on my Lightning iPad mini - without charging/attaching, of course - but would Apple‘s new USB-C stylus, or do they deliberately prevent that? And actually feels good in hand. Did I mention it cost only $20?

No one has suggested you shouldn’t buy a cheap knockoff that does what you want. So what?

 

[EmanuelF]

There are pressure sensitive usb c pencils all over Amazon for around $20. Not a bad deal considering all you lose is magnetic charging.

They have that too now, attaching and charging on the iPad side. Only pressure is missing.

 

[EmanuelF]

The new pencil exists because on amazon, $20 pencil knockoffs are sold in 100 of thousands.
If you are not an artist that needs the pressure sensitive aspect, they are perfect. Many people don't and Apple knows this so they are offering an alternative to that.

Soon the lightning products will be gone so we'll have only USB C iPads and 2 Pencils. A $79 one and a 129$ one for those that want to draw. I feel $50 is a good save because many people don't draw professionally.

 

[b17777]

Dumb.
Dumb but also plausible.



Not if you overwhelm and confuse your customers beyond comprehension.

Apple hasn‘t been about a maximum of choice and niche products.
It has been a brand with easily accessible products and an understandable lineup.

Meanwhile, my $20 AliExpress stylus supports magnetical attaching, wireless charging and tilting. And works even on my Lightning iPad mini - without charging/attaching, of course - but would Apple‘s new USB-C stylus, or do they deliberately prevent that? And actually feels good in hand. Did I mention it cost only $20?

Thoughts and prayers for those who are overwhelmed and confused beyond comprehension by a pencil......

 

[StoneJack]

Simplicity is a key to success
especially for Apple.
Recently, Apple forgets that a lot.
Mouse that's wired in most uncomfortable way
Pens that one has to to use a table to remember which one works with what
20+ SCUs for iPad, but no new model for a whole year
Mac Mini, Mac Mni Pro and Studio
iPad OS for Pro iPads, which is unusable for anything professional
Gaming mode for Macs, which don't have AAA games
etc..

 

[AppliedMicro]

You can’t work out which Apple Pencil you would choose if you were going to buy from Apple?

Apple say exactly which ipad's it works with And what each do

I can. Yet the average customer seeing these products on store shelves will find it needlessly complicated.

No one has suggested you shouldn’t buy a cheap knockoff that does what you want. So what?

Demonstrates how they could have just updated the 2nd gen Pencil with a USB-C port for cross-compatibility across all USB-C iPads. Or made the 10th gen iPad charge the 2nd gen Pencil wirelessly, for, again cross-compatibility.

They could have have a much simpler and more „environmentally friendly sustainable“ (because cross-compatible) lineup if only they weren’t so greedy. If a good Bluetooth-enabled pencil can be sold for 20 (that adds wireless charging to boot!), surely Apple doesn’t need to sell an equivalent for four times that prices.

Point being: Apple is charging a rip-off price on this.
And since this thread is about a buyer‘s guide, why shouldn’t I point out alternatives to prospective buyers?