Three Things to Know About the New Apple Pencil

[melgross]

Interesting that there are firmware updates to the Pencil. That bodes well for the possibility of performance enhancements and possible feature updates.

 

[gaximus]

I didn’t necessarily say I do. But again, why would it use a completely different wireless charging method than other Apple devices?

That said, I’m imagining a situation where I’m done drawing at my desk, and want to take the iPad out to my patio and read the news while I have some coffee. I don’t think I’d want my Pencil stuck to it. The Pencil is a tool I use sometimes, not a permanent feature I want to carry around on my iPad.

Anyway I’m still confused why Apple decided to make the Pencils incompatible with each other. If the Pencil charged via Qi, then an old iPad user could charge it using any Qi pad they own, much more convenient than using Lightning. Pairing could be via a simple dongle, which only has to be done once. And of course there’s absolutely the old Pencil should not be compatible with the new iPad via a USB-C adapter, unless there’s a major change in the way they work past the pairing issue.

The qi charging standard says the charging coil needs to be 40 mm in diameter, that's not going to work on the side of a 5 mm iPad. A flat coil in the pencil wouldn't work to be charged via Qi. Apple is probably using some non coil type of charging method

 

[charlituna]

They look identical though I haven't tested it. I bought extra tips for my first pencil that I never even used.

i just flipped the tips on my two and tried the new one with the old tip and it seems to be working just fine

 

[Khedron]

So you're thinking that Tim Cook was sitting at his desk thinking how he can boost net income beyond the current 80 billion a year, and his solution was to remove a 25 cent piece of plastic from a product that makes up .001% of Apple's revenue? Yeah that's probably it.

Tim doesn't see it as removing 25 cents he sees it as getting customers to pay an extra $19

We've seen Apple remove extra tips, headphone adapters, SIM card tools... You think someone is going over Tim's head to force these changes?

 

[joueboy]

Good job Apple after raising the price you also force people to pay extra $20. But we get couple extra tips, that was a nice gesture though.

 

[V.K.]

How is it not convenient to just place it in the magnetic spot. It snaps right into place.

While I use my Pencil a lot, most of the time I use my ipad without the pencil. I carry it around, put it on various surfaces and hold it in various positions. I can't imagine that having the pencil attached to it all the time could be very convenient.

 

[thebeans]

Last week, Apple introduced a second-generation Apple Pencil that magnetically attaches to the new iPad Pro. It also features automatic pairing, wireless charging, tap to wake, double-tap to switch drawing tools, a more seamless design with no Lightning connector or cap, and a matte rather than glossy finish.

As the new Apple Pencil begins to arrive to customers around the world, we've learned some additional details about the drawing tool:

1. Unlike the original, the second-generation Apple Pencil does not include an extra tip in the box. Apple sells a four-pack of extra tips online and at many of its retail stores for $19 in the United States.
   The new Apple Pencil wirelessly charges when attached to the new iPad Pro, but it is not compatible with Qi-based wireless chargers. Not too much of a surprise there, but good to know.
   In a memo shared with its retail stores on Wednesday, seen by MacRumors, Apple said customers "may experience the new Apple Pencil as unresponsive after initial setup" and outlined steps to resolve this.First, pair the Apple Pencil to the iPad Pro. Once the iPad Pro has an internet connection, it will download an Apple Pencil firmware update and send it to the Apple Pencil via Bluetooth. The Apple Pencil will continue to work normally during the 10-minute transfer.The pairing update will begin the next time the Apple Pencil goes idle for 60 seconds, and will take roughly two minutes. The Apple Pencil will be non-responsive during this time. Once it resets, and the update is complete, it will start working normally again.

The new Apple Pencil is compatible with the latest 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. It retails for $129 in the United States with free custom laser engraving available exclusively for orders placed on Apple.com.
Apple has more details about the new Pencil on its website.

Article Link: Three Things to Know About the New Apple Pencil

$19 for four tiny plastic tips for the pencil. You just can’t hide greed can you?

 

[gnipgnop]

While I use my Pencil a lot most of the time I use my ipad without the pencil. I carry it around, put it on various surfaces and hold it in various positions. I can't imagine that having the pencil attached to it all the time could be very convenient.

I bought a neoprene pencil case for around $10 to use with my first gen Pencil and iPad Pro. That's probably the best solution for portability, as you can keep a lot of other useful stuff in there, like a micro fiber cloth and prepackaged screen wipes, extra tips, charger and cord etc.

 

[yaxomoxay]

So you're thinking that Tim Cook was sitting at his desk thinking how he can boost net income beyond the current 80 billion a year, and his solution was to remove a 25 cent piece of plastic from a product that makes up .001% of Apple's revenue? Yeah that's probably it.

No he probably was sitting at his desk, reading a memo on potential cost saving measures he requested. His staff (CFO office most likely) probably completed a one or two pager memo with some pro and cons, and he signed off and pushed it down to his staff for more analysis (impact on schedule, overhead costs etc) and implementation. Then it became a yes or no question for him. That’s his job as CEO, not philosophying at the meaning of new technologies.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

No extra tip. Just how stingy can Tim get.

Remember when Macbook Pros used to come with dongles?

 

[koa]

Not sure why old pencil could not have been compatible with new iPad other than forcing upgrade sales. The new pencil should have been able to upsell itself based on new features. The old pencil could have been paired with new iPad via the USBC to lightning cable many have for fast charging their 10.5 with 29+ amp USBC chargers. Probably most people would have bought the new pencil anyway eventually, but they would have had a backup or one to use with a case if in fact a case with new pencil won’t work, etc. And one could have justified the higher cost of new iPad by saying: At least I don’t have to buy a new pencil right away!

 

[mi7chy]

$19 for four tiny plastic tips for the pencil. You just can’t hide greed can you?

At least they didn't stop selling replacement tips to force you to buy a replacement pencil.

 

[metalsiren]

anyone know whats the updated firmware for it?

 

[840quadra]

Still dislike that Apple will not let us use the original Apple Pencil on this iPad. Charging it is not a problem.



1. Buy an Apple Lightning to USB-C cable (I already had one)
2. Attach Lightning adapter that ships with the original Apple Pencil to that cable
3. Attach the pencil to cable and adapter.

On my 10.5 I can see that the pencil is actually able to charge when connected to the 11 via this method, so it’s clear that Apple is simply blocking it from pairing via BT.

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

Still dislike that Apple will not let us use the original Apple Pencil on this iPad. Charging it is not a problem.

1. Buy an Apple Lightning to USB-C cable (I already had one)
2. Attach Lightning adapter that ships with the original Apple Pencil to that cable
3. Attach the pencil to cable and adapter.

On my 10.5 I can see that the pencil is actually able to charge when connected to the 11 via this method, so it’s clear that Apple is simply blocking it from pairing via BT.

I was thinking that your method might work -and that people would be able to charge and use their 1st gen pencils. Naturally Apple has blocked that. Blatant money grab.

 

[niun]

At least they didn't stop selling replacement tips to force you to buy a replacement pencil.

You FOOL!

 

[notabadname]

I am surprised to hear someone say it charges faster. That’s cool. I would’ve thought wireless would take longer than the FireWire plug.

 

[840quadra]

I was thinking that your method might work -and that people would be able to charge and use their 1st gen pencils. Naturally Apple has blocked that. Blatant money grab.

THe only thing I can think of is the possibility of more advanced technology in the screen making the older pencil less reliable, or, somehow incompatible otherwise.

That said,

They could have Easily declared such an issue during the Keynote so customers like us don’t speculate / assume otherwise.

 

[mi7chy]

$129, another %30 price increase

A lot of R&D went into making that $5 plastic pencil magnetic. Waiting for the $199 metal version to match the metal iPP.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Interesting that there are firmware updates to the Pencil. That bodes well for the possibility of performance enhancements and possible feature updates.

Incredibly doubtful you'll ever see new features added to the Pencil. It's far more likely the firmware updates would be used to correct any issues. For example, when iPhones have had reception issues, the people of MacRumors swear there is no way Apple can fix it without replacing the hardware and yet they've been able to correct it each time with a software update.

 

[Mac 128]

The qi charging standard says the charging coil needs to be 40 mm in diameter, that's not going to work on the side of a 5 mm iPad. A flat coil in the pencil wouldn't work to be charged via Qi. Apple is probably using some non coil type of charging method

Thanks for that explanation. At least it makes sense why no one was surprised it was not Qi.

Still dislike that Apple will not let us use the original Apple Pencil on this iPad. Charging it is not a problem.

View attachment 802464

1. Buy an Apple Lightning to USB-C cable (I already had one)
2. Attach Lightning adapter that ships with the original Apple Pencil to that cable
3. Attach the pencil to cable and adapter.

On my 10.5 I can see that the pencil is actually able to charge when connected to the 11 via this method, so it’s clear that Apple is simply blocking it from pairing via BT.

THe only thing I can think of is the possibility of more advanced technology in the screen making the older pencil less reliable, or, somehow incompatible otherwise.

That said,

They could have Easily declared such an issue during the Keynote so customers like us don’t speculate / assume otherwise.

I can't imagine that the protocol is so different. That would mean each Pencil and iPad is running different software. Do we know if the Crayon is likewise incompatible?

As for the new Pencil running on the old iPad, again I see it as solely a desire not to support it. A simple charging/pairing dongle could be sold separately to support it. Even if it didn't function with the new features, unless the protocol is entirely different, the basic functions of the new Pencil would still work with the old iPad.

$100 is not nothing. Even if the new Lightning charging/pairing dongle cost $29, it would still be an inducement for someone to buy the new Pencil for future compatibility rather than spring for a new iPad Pro too.

 

[motulist]

I bought the ipp 9.7, then the 10.5, and I was looking forward to buying the new one when it came out - but now? No. Hel* no. There are so many price increases, forced upsells, nickle and dime swindles, etc. that I just wouldn't feel happy with having bought it. I can *afford* to buy it, but I would feel like a total rube if i bought the new iPad. No, apple, you've gone off the deep end.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

#4. It is NOT a real pencil.

 

[Rogifan]

Not sure why old pencil could not have been compatible with new iPad other than forcing upgrade sales. The new pencil should have been able to upsell itself based on new features. The old pencil could have been paired with new iPad via the USBC to lightning cable many have for fast charging their 10.5 with 29+ amp USBC chargers. Probably most people would have bought the new pencil anyway eventually, but they would have had a backup or one to use with a case if in fact a case with new pencil won’t work, etc. And one could have justified the higher cost of new iPad by saying: At least I don’t have to buy a new pencil right away!

The old Pencil paired via lightning. That’s why it’s not compatible.

 

[Lepton]

I like that the thing doesn't constantly roll off the desk like the old one!
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Steve Jobs comes back to life and finds Apple is making a Pencil – what is his reaction? Aaaaand go...

I think Steve would be ok with this. He was talking about requiring a stylus on a three inch screen. Today's iPad is a large blank canvas - how could you produce one without the ability to optionally use a brush?