Apple Pencil

After conflicting reports about whether Apple was going to launch new iPads, a new Apple Pencil, or both, the matter appeared to have been settled with yesterday’s announcement of the Apple Pencil (USB-C).

However, it turns out there was a new(ish) iPad also – but only in China …

Well that’s a twist no one seemed to predict. Apple didn’t announce new iPads nor did it unveil a third-generation Apple Pencil with interchangeable tips. Instead, it pre-announced a third model that makes the Apple Pencil lineup as confusing as the iPad lineup.

Apple is out with a new version of Apple Pencil for iPad users today, coming in at a lower-cost price point of $79. The new Apple Pencil features a matte finish, a hidden USB-C charging port, and more. It will be available to order starting in early November.

What started as a minor iPad spec bump rumor over the weekend has since been clarified to be a rare Apple Pencil update. We expect Apple to release the rumored Apple Pencil with interchangeable magnetic tips. But will the new Apple Pencil join the lineup or replace one or both of the existing models?

It was suggested yesterday that new iPads might be announced as soon as tomorrow, and our own sources indicate that something iPad-related is landing this week, but a new report suggests that something might be an Apple Pencil 3.

The latest report gives weight to earlier talk of an upcoming Apple Pencil update with a choice of three magnetically attached tips …

Astropad, the maker of Astropad Studio, Luna Display, Rock Paper Pencil, and more is out with its latest product today in beta. Offering creators (and anyone) lots of flexibility for input and control, Astropad Slate turns your iPad into a no-screen pen tablet or trackpad for Mac. Here’s what it can do.

I have personally been a Paperlike customer since 2018. I bought my first iPad Pro in 2018 and my first accessory, besides the Apple Pencil, was a Paperlike screen protector. As someone who takes a lot of handwritten notes, I knew the best and only option was a Paperlike screen protector. Five years later, I still stand by their product, and I have never used my iPad without it. I had the pleasure of interviewing the CEO of Paperlike, Jan Sapper. He shed some light on how the company grew from just a side hobby to a product that is now synonymous with the iPad.

It’s been five years since Apple introduced Apple Pencil 2 for the iPad, which brought a new design that’s more comfortable to hold and recharges magnetically. Rumors about a new Apple Pencil are pretty vague at this point, but the X user known as “Majin Bu” is now claiming that there will be a new version of the accessory with “interchangeable magnetic tips.”

Procreate, pioneer and leader in the iPad illustration space – and two-time Apple Design Award winner – has unveiled its newest app that aims to make it easy to “create rich 2D animations, expressive videos, and breathtaking stories.” Procreate says “Dreams” for iPad includes an “all-new drawing experience” and is launching in November. Check out the teaser video and more below for all the details.

After previously launching its Magnetic Screen Protector for iPad that delivers a paper-like experience with Apple Pencil, Astropad is out today with a new product that offers an even more realistic pen-on-paper feeling for artists and notetakers. The Rock Paper Pencil kit includes Astropad’s newest magnetic screen protector along with two ballpoint-style Apple Pencil tips.

The Apple Pencil 2 is coming up on five years since it was released alongside the redesigned 2018 iPad Pro. It is still the best version of a digital pencil that Apple sells. Since its release, it has remained relatively unchanged. It is physically identical to when it came out, it has received two tiny software updates since iPadOS 13, and Apple still sells it for $119 ($10 less than the original $129 price). This has allowed 3rd party competition to get very good and catch up to the functionality of the Apple Pencil at a fraction of the cost. So that begs the question, are cheaper Apple Pencil alternatives worth it?

iPad owners who had the screen replaced by a third-party service center are reporting that an Apple Pencil problem occurs afterward – and it appears to be a deliberate move on Apple’s part.

To be clear, the issue isn’t limited to aftermarket displays: It happens when a genuine Apple screen is pulled from one iPad and fitted to an identical model …

Speaking of lost stuff, there’s one iPad feature that I hope Apple finds a way to deliver. There’s already a patent for it, and iOS 17 is a positive sign that it could actually happen.

A Find My Apple Pencil feature could be on the way, described in a new Apple patent application published today.

Interestingly, the method Apple describes doesn’t use an ultra wideband chip, but rather an acoustic signal …

Back in 2019, Apple introduced a new feature to iPhones, as part of iOS 13: Optimized Battery Charging. This is intended to protect iPhone batteries from unnecessary charge levels, in order to prolong their life.

The same feature subsequently came to AirPods, Apple Watch, and the Mac. But one Apple product doesn’t yet have it, and that’s the Apple Pencil …

Astropad Studio has received a valuable update today. The two major improvements are tilt and azimuth support with Apple Pencil Hover and the ability to directly connect your iPad and Mac wirelessly for a faster-than-ever and more stable experience.

After delivering great software experiences with Astropad Studio and Luna Display for years, Astropad has launched several curated hardware products designed specifically for creatives. Two of those we’ve been testing out are the new Magnetic Screen Protector that brings a paper texture feel to iPad with Apple Pencil plus the Compact Easel.

One of the features of iPadOS 16.4 is an improved Apple Pencil hover feature, in the form of support for Tilt and Azimuth.

Apple and Procreate execs have highlighted the benefits to both users and developers of the latest feature for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil users …

Notability, the popular note-taking app for iPhone and iPad, has been updated today with a new “Pencil” feature. According to the company, this feature brings “the most paper-like sketching experience to digital notetakers,” including support for the Apple Pencil as well.

Apple in October introduced a new generation iPad Pro that features the M2 chip. However, M2 iPad Pro also comes with a new exclusive feature named “Apple Pencil Hover,” which enables a new experience when the accessory is hovering over the screen. For the team behind the popular app Procreate, “it’s hard to go back” after using Apple Pencil Hover on the new iPad Pro.

Update to this article from 2015 for 2022: This story was originally published a month after the original Apple Pencil was released in 2015. Three years later, Apple redesigned the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. Apple Pencil 2 was less slippery, paired and charged magnetically, and generally just better in every way possible.

Fast-forward from 2018 to 2022, Apple introduced the 10th-gen iPad as an affordable option with the modern design. However, this new iPad bravely enters the market with support for the original Apple Pencil and not the second-gen version. Also it requires a dongle to pair. Anyway, this odd turn of events suddenly makes this tip from seven years ago relevant again. Enjoy this reopened time capsule.

Apple Pencil is a terrific digital stylus that transforms iPad Pro into a highly capable electronic sketch pad and notebook, but it’s dead simple design potentially leaves something to be desired for some users. For example, its cylindrical-shaped symmetrical body lacks a basic pen clip for attaching it to your shirt pocket or elsewhere, which makes it look prettier and simpler but means it easily rolls down inclines and can’t attach to cases or pockets. Apple has weighted it internally to sit in place on a flat surface cleverly with the Apple Pencil marking facing upward, but it’s still no match for a slight slant and where exactly are you supposed to put it?