Apple has released another Apple Pencil. In terms of function, the model does not have any real advantages over its predecessors, the Apple Pencil 1 and 2. Nevertheless, it has a right to exist. All information about this – at TECHBOOK.
With the Apple Pencil, a digital pen from the hardware and software company, you can bring drawings and sketches to the iPad, take notes, color and much more. The first model came onto the market in 2015, three years after the Apple Pencil 1, number 2 followed. Now the latest one will go on sale in November. But there can be no talk of a third generation or the “Apple Pencil 3”.
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What can the new Apple Pencil do – and what can’t it do?
Apple calls it the “new Apple Pencil with USB-C”. It works with all iPads that have a USB-C port. You connect it to the tablet using a USB-C cable and can then use the pen wirelessly via Bluetooth. The Apple Pencil 1, on the other hand, was plugged directly into the iPad port. The new USB-C port is hidden under a cap on the back of the Apple Pencil.
This is special in that Apple has so far relied primarily on its own Lightning connector. However, due to an EU regulation, the technology giant already implemented USB-C in its new iPhone 15 models presented in October. With the Pencil, other devices in the Apple family are now following suit.
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Inductive charging is no more
Charging can be done either via USB-C or via a power supply. In the previous model, this was still possible via induction. The new Pencil is also magnetic – but in its case this is only so that the pen can be attached to the iPad. The new pencil also has flattened sides so that it doesn’t roll away.
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Lower price for fewer features
While Apple products usually improve from generation to generation, both functionally and mostly in terms of design, the Apple Pencil with USB-C is more of a downgrade. Because some functions have been omitted here.
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With the Apple Pencil 2, you could change the attachments or tools with a double tap. This is no longer possible with the new model. Furthermore, this comes without a pressure-sensitive tip. This made it possible to influence the thickness of the drawn or painted lines on the Apple Pencil 1 and 2. This set it apart from most tablet pens from other manufacturers, which were at least cheaper.
The loss of functionality is also reflected in the price of the latest Apple product. The Apple Pencil USB-C will be available “separately for 95 euros including VAT,” according to the website. The technically more sophisticated Apple Pencil 2 remains on sale – for still 149 euros.