Apple has expanded its Apple Pencil stylus lineup with a new low-end offering. The latest model brings “more value and choice to the lineup” with a magnetic attachment, a USB-C port, and a $79 price tag.
Apple Pencil has revolutionized note taking, sketching, and illustrating, unleashing endless possibilities for productivity and creativity. Combined with the versatility of iPad, the new Apple Pencil unlocks another great option to experience the magic of digital handwriting, annotation, marking up documents, and more.
Unlike the second-generation Apple Pencil, unveiled in 2018, the new budget-friendly variant does not feature magnetic charging and pairing. It uses a conventional USB-C port covered with a sliding cap—no more weird contraptions with a stylus sticking out of your iPad. However, you can magnetically attach the pencil to a side of your iPad for convenient storage.
Wireless connection and charging is not the only thing Apple has removed—there is no pressure sensitivity and double-tap for toggling between tools. Other than that, the stylus still features tilt recognition, low latency, high precision, and hover when paired with the latest iPad Pro models.
The new USB-C Apple Pencil works with the following iPads:
iPad 10th gen
iPad mini 6
iPad Air 4 and Air 5
iPad Pro 11-inch
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and newer
Interestingly, the iPad 10th gen is the first and only iPad to support two generations of Apple Pencil: you can use it with the original Apple Pencil with a Lightning connector or the new USB-C model. However, the latter will not work with older iPads compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil.
The $79 Apple Pencil with a USB-C port will be available in the United States in early November 2023. Students and educators can get it for $10 less. You can preorder it on the official Apple website.