Apple Pencil support on the iPad is now incredibly confusing – here’s how to work out which ones you can buy

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Apple’s iPad 2024 event, which introduced four new slabs and upgraded the iPad Air and iPad Pro line, was a straightforward affair. Even the introduction of the Apple Pencil Pro was more or less expected. But with that last introduction comes a fair bit of confusion about the Apple Pencil line and its relationship to all the iPads Apple has on sale today.

The Apple iPad lineup now consists of:

iPad Pro 13-inch and 11-inch iPad Air 6 (13-inch and 11-inch)iPad 10.9 iPad Mini

And the Apple Pencil lineup now consists of four styluses:

Apple Pencil proApple Pencil (2nd Generation)Apple Pencil USB-CApple Pencil (1st Generation)

All of these Apple Pencils are still for sale because, well, compatibility, And here’s where things get really interesting. Even though there are all these iPads and Apple Pencils, not all Apple Pencils work with all iPads and vice versa. It’s always just two. Here’s how that breaks down:

Perhaps the most surprising thing here is that the nine-year-old original Apple Pencil is still supported (and for sale!) anywhere. However, with Apple selling the iPad 10.9 for just $349 (it was originally $449 / £499 / AU$749), this aging piece of now $89 / £99 / AU$159 hardware is something of a necessity.

The Apple Pencil USB-C model is, at just $69 / £79 / AU$139, $20 cheaper than the original Pencil and the iPad 10.9 model supports it. Considering the cleaner design and that you don’t need to use a USB-C-to-lighting adapter to charge and pair the Apple Pencil with your iPad, it sounds like a no-brainer. However, the cheapest Apple Pencil (the USB-C mode) lacks pressure sensitivity, a key component for any budding artist.

The OG Apple Pencil (Image credit: Apple)

It seems that until the iPad 10.9 gets a refresh where it can support, say, the Apple $129 / £129 / AU$219 Pencil Pro and all its cool new features including haptics, squeeze, and Barrel Roll control, basic iPad owners must choose between an aging design and somewhat limited artistic capability.

The iPad mini 6 would seem the perfect candidate to support both the second generation and Pro Pencil models, but it’s stuck with the quite able 2nd generation Pencil and the less-able, albeit very cheap, USB-C Pencil.

Got all that?

Yes, there are reasons that each iPad model has its own dual set, but for consumers, there might be a moment of confusion. (Worth noting is that the cheapest yet not-feature-complete Apple Pencil USB-C is the only model to support all on-sale from Apple iPad models).

Our advice is that after you’ve chosen your iPad model, choose the Apple Pencil that best matches your feature needs and budget. If, for instance, pressure sensitivity is a must and you just bought an iPad 10.9, well, I have an almost 10-year-old Apple Pencil to show you.

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