Apple Pencil to Ship With Adapter for Charging With Lightning Cable

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Why didn't Apple just make the Pencil's charging port be a female Lightning port? The idea of having the Pencil stick out the bottom of the iPad Pro, was ridiculous thinking on their part. It's not like it's so hard to use the charging cable from the iPad to charge the Pencil.

Wat? The reason you want the Pencil to have a male charger is so you can plug it into the iPad Pro and get a charge anywhere without the need to haul this adaptor along. It was a far smarter move than you're proposing.

 

[iMember]

Why didn't Apple just make the Pencil's charging port be a female Lightning port? The idea of having the Pencil stick out the bottom of the iPad Pro, was ridiculous thinking on their part. It's not like it's so hard to use the charging cable from the iPad to charge the Pencil.

Exactly, both Apple Pencil and Magic Mouse was poor decisions, with Magic Mouse they should it just added the lightning port in front..not on the bottom

 

[koruki]

Waits for a male to male adapter so you can charge your iphone from your ipad

 

[LordVic]

They're actually AAAA batteries in the Surface Pen.... they last for ages. I've only changed my battery twice in a year, with extensive usage.

Thats twice too many

I"m thinking about from a waste perspective and overall cost. twice in a year isn't really a lot. it's not going to bankrupt anyone, and really not going to change the functionality and how well it works.

It just... thats 2 batteries more a year into a landfill. two more batteries a year that have to be produced.

 

[aide199]

Just give us a pre-order date Apple!!!!!

 

[mohrt]

May as well buy a laptop. At least you get a keyboard, trackpad and a full blown OS.

 

[Gudi]

If Samsung or Microsoft included an "adapter" as a solution, MR members would be howling at their inept planning (or lack thereof).

Because all MacRumors members have one uniform opinion about the use of adapters and are also known to be hypocrites. Also what's a lack of inept planning? Maybe skillful planning. I promise I'll never accuse Microsoft and Samsung of doing that.

 

[iMember]

Wat? The reason you want the Pencil to have a male charger is so you can plug it into the iPad Pro and get a charge anywhere without the need to haul this adaptor along. It was a far smarter move than you're proposing.

It's a pencil..not a stylus, just like the mouse..you leave it home

 

[naeS1Sean]

Seriously. The process for charging the Apple Pencil this way is:

1. Remove cap from Pencil. Make sure not to lose your cap.
2. Attach adapter to Cable.
3. Connect adapter to Pencil.

Most other products, both from Apple and other companies, generally have a single step:

1. Plug charging cable into product.

A few products (not Apple's) have an additional step:

1. Remove charging cover. Don't worry about keeping track though - it's attached.
2. Plug charging cable into product.

So yes, this is a seriously poorly thought out solution, involving 3-4x as much effort as most other charging solutions, and at least 2x as much effort as even poorly thought out solutions.

First world problems...

 

[JonneyGee]

Why didn't Apple just make the Pencil's charging port be a female Lightning port? The idea of having the Pencil stick out the bottom of the iPad Pro, was ridiculous thinking on their part. It's not like it's so hard to use the charging cable from the iPad to charge the Pencil.

I agree. I think including a female Lightning port on the pencil and providing a male-to-male adapter for the unlikely times you might want to charge it by directly plugging it into the iPad would have made more sense.

 

[imaChaser2001]

You do understand that they just wanted to create a market for that easy to lose adapter. It is and always was about how to get more money from us.

 

[swarmster]

...you cannot charge the pen while charging the tablet. Unless you buy a 2nd set of power for the pen. This means you're only charging one thing at a time. Which will inevitably lead to situations where you get stuck with such an inelegant solution as a pencil sticking out of the bottom ofr your tablet for an indefined length of time...

But they specifically did define a time: 15 seconds. It actually makes you wonder, who says the pencil will ever necessarily be fully charged in a traditional adapter? 15 seconds per half hour doesn't seem like a lot to ask, then just leave it in your bag when you're done.

 

[sputnikv]

They should have made a dock that charges the pencil via inductive charging allowing the end of the pencil to be used as an "eraser"

 

[profets]

I agree. I think including a female Lightning port on the pencil and providing a male-to-male adapter for the unlikely times you might want to charge it by directly plugging it into the iPad would have made more sense.

But it defeats the purpose of a quick charge when all you have is the iPad and the Pencil with you. Unless maybe it ships with the male to male adapter installed in the pencil, but removable for charging with a lightning cable when needed. They're a smart company, I'm sure they played with all sorts of options.

 

[GQB]

No big deal... I'll just keep a cable and adaptor always plugged into one of the pile of small iPhone chargers I have laying around and never use. (Always use the iPad adaptors or 3rd party multi chargers.)
Then use the direct plug-in for emergency top-offs.
No biggie.

 

[DudeDad]

Plugging into the end of the iPad Pro was always a stupid way of doing it. Good way to break it. This way is so much better.



Seriously?

Plus....it meant that you couldn't charge both.

 

[swarmster]

I agree. I think including a female Lightning port on the pencil and providing a male-to-male adapter for the unlikely times you might want to charge it by directly plugging it into the iPad would have made more sense.

The issue with that is then you have to carry the adaptor around in case you need it. Whereas this adapter just sits at home full time, which is where it might be used. The only useful adapter is the one you have with you, and I think Apple likes to minimize the things you have to carry around.

 

[sunapple]

This is the best solution if you think about it, but why bother thinking first if you can just as well hate everything new. It's probably the best way to get people to agree with you...

I would rather be able to always charge my Pencil in my iPad or iPhone than having to bring a Lightning cable with me, or even the tiny adapter. Those things can just be left at home this way.

 

[LordVic]

But they specifically did define a time: 15 seconds. It actually makes you wonder, who says the pencil will ever necessarily be fully charged in a traditional adapter? 15 seconds per half hour doesn't seem like a lot to ask, then just leave it in your bag when you're done.

5 minute charge for 30 minute battery use was the numbers they used.

However, I'm sure most people aren't going to be plugging in their pen every 30 minutes for 5 minutes just to get another 30 minutes. They are going to want to charge it to 100% between uses, so that when they do sit to use their devices, they will not have to worry about it dieing on them.

with the current implementation, this is not an easy thing to do, unless of course, you buy an additional charger just to charge the pencil or you charge it independently, meaning that you have potential of having your device in use, while being charging your pencil, giving an opportunity for the pencil to not be avialable when you want it

 

[Thunderhawks]

Seriously. The process for charging the Apple Pencil this way is:

1. Remove cap from Pencil. Make sure not to lose your cap.
2. Attach adapter to Cable.
3. Connect adapter to Pencil.

Most other products, both from Apple and other companies, generally have a single step:

1. Plug charging cable into product.

A few products (not Apple's) have an additional step:

1. Remove charging cover. Don't worry about keeping track though - it's attached.
2. Plug charging cable into product.

So yes, this is a seriously poorly thought out solution, involving 3-4x as much effort as most other charging solutions, and at least 2x as much effort as even poorly thought out solutions.

 

[a.gomez]

meh... attached to a overpriced POS ipad.

 

[Thunderhawks]

First world problems...

To imagine all these steps and 15 second only give you 30 minutes of use.

Ouch. I am already worn out imagining this.

Half the people complaining here will never buy one.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Hopefully rev2 we'll see a swing-out eraser end, revealing a female lightning slot under it, so no pieces to lose.

Or, just make use of the new three dot magnetic data/charge interface for accessories. ...the one strangely unveiled a moment before unveiling a $100 stylus that doesnt use it. lol

 

[mw360]

But they specifically did define a time: 15 seconds. It actually makes you wonder, who says the pencil will ever necessarily be fully charged in a traditional adapter? 15 seconds per half hour doesn't seem like a lot to ask, then just leave it in your bag when you're done.

I think 16 charges in the course of a working day would have a UX impact. Many of my colleagues would throw a device in the trash for that.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the obvious: Wacom styluses don't need charging ever. Despite having more functionality. Yeah, patents blah blah, but the point is, no charging solution from Apple is going to beat Wacom's solution, and even the most avid fans of this cluster*** have to respect the fact it's a second class solution. I've been using battery-free styluses for 20 years, and the concept of charging them at all seems like a step back In time to the 80s.

On top of that, the flyswatter charging solution is the most idiotic thing I've seen from Apple by a long way, and possibly the most idiotic thing I've seen on any mobile device since Apple vs Samsung et al became a thing. And I cannot believe the same people who designed MagSafe designed this with a straight face. It's almost like the brief was to achieve the exact opposite of MagSafe, dragging devices from desks and breaking everything which could be broken in one satisfying impact.

I don't believe anyone's mentioned this yet, but why the sweet **** didn't Apple design the pencil to adhere magnetically to the side of the iPad and charge from those connectors there which power the keyboard? Pencil 2 perhaps?

 

[ron7624]

To be able to charge a dead pen on the go with no cable available is genius. Why is everybody down on this? At home you can stick it in any fairly current iOS device or use the adapter which was NOT a last minute decision.