18 pages over Apple releasing a new stylus.
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New Apple Pencil Announced With Hidden USB-C Port and More for $79
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Apple today unveiled an all-new, more affordable Apple Pencil model featuring a USB-C port hidden behind a sliding cap.
The new Apple Pencil is a cheaper model that sits below the first- and second-generation Apple Pencils in the lineup with a price tag of just $79. It features a sliding cap at the top that reveals a USB-C port, allowing users to charge and pair via a USB-C cable, with a matte finish and design reminiscent of the second-generation Apple Pencil. When magnetically attached to the side of an iPad, the new Apple Pencil enters into a sleep state to preserve battery life. Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said:
The new Apple Pencil features low latency and tilt sensitivity like the other Apple Pencil models, but misses out on pressure sensitivity, wireless pairing and charging, double tap to change tools, and free engraving. However, unlike the first-generation Apple Pencil, it does support Apple Pencil hover on the latest iPad Pro models. It is compatible with all iPad models that feature a USB-C port.
The new Apple Pencil is priced at $79 and launches in early November. The first- and second-generation Apple Pencil models continue to be available for $99 and $129, respectively.
Article Link: New Apple Pencil Announced With Hidden USB-C Port and Mo
I’m waiting for Apple’s next release, which is a Gen2 of the toilet-seat iBook.
Do you also complain that Apple sells charging bricks when you can buy cheaper (and arguably better when it comes to modern GaN chargers) ones on Amazon?
No one is putting a gun to your head to buy it, it’s a cheaper first party option, if someone wants an even cheaper third party option absolutely nothing is stopping them 🤷♂️
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To be fair, it’s a compelling story because it’s such a ridiculously terrible release, combining confusion about models, an update of a no-longer existing product that is much worse than their current product, and bizarre release pattern that smells of a larger release that was aborted at the last second.
In short, it’s embarrassing and a bit troubling, even though it’s just a pencil.
I’m not sure I see how it’s inferior to the first gen? It supports magnetic attachment and hover, which the 1st gen doesnt, and is cheaper. Also it doesnt have a plug sticking out waiting to snap off and destroy your device. It doesnt support wireless charging, which sucks, but the first gen pencil doesnt either. The only thing it drops with relation to the first gen is pressure sensitivity, which isnt a priority for its target market.
It's not that confusing.
The Pencil 1 still exists and Apple sells it.
Don't be so dramatic, it's not much worse than the Pencil 1. All it lost was pressure sensitivity which shouldn't be a big deal for people who want a basic Pencil from Apple.
I wish they’d add some kind of Find My capability to the Pencil. That’s the device where I probably need it the most! They’re so easy to lose.
Edited to add I’d like iPhone support too! Although that’s more of an iPhone request.
Edited to add I’d like iPhone support too! Although that’s more of an iPhone request.
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Exactly. Not every product that Apple sells is intended for every customer. There's an odd phenomenon in the Apple customer community where if Apple produces a product that a specific person isn't interested in then they believe that it is reasonable to declare that the product shouldn't exist at all... that somehow it is a personal offense that Apple is producing that product.
This attitude was very present when the 9th gen iPad continued to be sold alongside the 10th gen. Some people were personally offended that Apple still sells an iPad with a physical home button.
😂As for 3rd party pencil options, here is the one that I've been using for 9 months...
Stylus Pen for iPad 9th&10th Generation - 5X Fast Charge Digital Pen - Compatible with 2018-2023, Apple iPad Pro 11/12.9 Inch,iPad 6-10 Gen,iPad Mini 5-6 Gen,iPad Air 3-5 Gen-White
Stylus Pen for iPad 9th&10th Generation - 5X Fast Charge Digital Pen - Compatible with 2018-2023, Apple iPad Pro 11/12.9 Inch,iPad 6-10 Gen,iPad Mini 5-6 Gen,iPad Air 3-5 Gen-White
www.amazon.com
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Yes, to answer your question I do complain about those things as well. I have unlimited quantities disdain to go around. Is there some unwritten rule where Apple cannot be spoken about negatively in a discussion forum about Apple?
I’d actually prefer the pencil not charging wirelessly because at least it used to drain the battery of the iPad. What I will be missing is pressure sensitivity and the tool switching. Guess I’ll be waiting for the next revision 😉
For something called a pencil, it sure does suspiciously behave like a stylus. But I guess Steve Jobs’ ghost still haunts Apple so that word is forbidden.
This is why I sometimes wonder if there should be sort of "time out" counter for people to properly digest and reflect on each news article before they are allowed to respond to it, though I suppose it would basically kill all interest and vitality in the story.
Let's look at what we do know.
Apple currently offers 3 models of Apple Pencil.
1) The OG Apple Pencil with lightning that people with a 9th gen iPad (or older models all the way to the 6th gen) will require. As long as Apple continues supporting these iPad models, I expect Apple to continue to offer the 1st gen Apple Pencil for sale for many more years to come.
2) We finally have a stylus that works with the 10th gen iPad without needing an adaptor. You can now charge and pair it directly using the usb-c cable that came with said iPad. I. have no idea why this was not released with it way earlier.
3) I feel there is some truth in users using the Apple Pencil for fairly basic tasks (note-taking) and therefore don't need the extra functionality such as pressure sensitivity or double tap (I find the latter quite irritating because I keep activating it by accident), and users can decide whether that utility is worth $50 to them or not.
4) It's not that atypical of Apple to segment their products by feature set and price, and I suppose it was only a matter of time before they did the same thing to the Apple Pencil. Off the top of my head, it makes sense for Apple to offer a cheaper Apple Pencil (ie: more options) rather than continue to cram features into a single, very capable but expensive Apple Pencil (ie: the current 2nd gen model) that everyone is forced to buy.
This also means that current iPad Pro and Air users have an option of using a case that would otherwise block / impede the apple pencil's magnetic charging mechanism, because they can use the new usb-c pencil and charge / pair it with a cable.
5) I assume that this also hints at a future cheaper usb-c iPad aimed at education (or maybe a price drop for the 10th gen iPad). Just as the most expensive iPad models require the most expensive apple pencils, the reverse is now true as well (cheaper iPads have a cheaper Apple Pencil option). Nothing is stopping schools from getting a third party option from Amazon, and Apple is under no obligation to match their pricing either.
6) The more I think about it, the more I suspect "jokes" of an "Apple Pencil Pro" might not be that implausible. There might be one ultra-premium model with specific use cases designed for the Vision Pro in mind.
In summary, I wonder if I am the only one who can see that there is some order amidst the chaos. I do agree with you that as iPad refresh timelines seem to become more sporadic and infrequent, the likelihood increases that Apple is unable to neatly line up the release dates of their iPads and accessories. Apple Store employees may also have their work cut out for them in explaining the pros and cons of the various Apple Pencil models to their customers.
But as Apple's user base continues to grow, the implication is that their needs and budgets will become more diverse as well, and one way of tackling this is through price and feature set segmentation, even right down to accessories like the Apple Pencil.
If it doesn’t support pressure sensitivity, you might as well get a cheaper third party brand. Or just get the second gen pencil when it goes on sale.
Agreed. Apple should just bundle it with whatever iPad it's intended for. I don't have time for all this segmented, mix-and-match crap. It should just work. And work well.
So nothing imaginary about it?It’s rather a Pencil √2 + √2 i on the complex plane, I would say.
But the second gen pencil is not a solution of the iPad 10 users, since they can not charge that pencil with the provide USBc cable or plug into their iPad to pair. I think this new pencil was created to give iPad 10 owners a less expensive option that works without dongles required by Apple Pencil 1.
That is how people charge the Pencil 1 now and this clearly is just an update to that model.