The Apple Pencil is tied with a keyboard case as the no-brainer iPad accessory to buy. With it, your iPad turns into a notebook, a sketchbook, and a drawing tablet, and you’ll find plenty of casual use cases for the Pencil along the way. (Instead of typing into a text field, try writing in it instead.)
But it gets confusing when you try to actually buy one of these Apple styluses for yourself. Apple currently sells three Apple Pencils for the iPad, including a brand new one that uses USB-C. It doesn’t just come down to how much you’re willing to spend, either: Each Apple Pencil is only compatible with a specific selection of iPad models. You can’t buy the most expensive Apple Pencil and simply assume it’ll work with your tablet—you need to buy one that actually works with it.
Apple Pencil (1st generation)
This is Apple’s first ever Apple Pencil, and unlike other first gen products, the company still sells it. It retails for $99, and is arguably worth the price tag. It sports tilt and pressure sensitivity, so programs will recognize when you’re tilting the Pencil and pushing harder or softer. In theory, that enables you to draw and write on your iPad with a similar experience as with pencil and paper: Tilting the Pencil is perfect for shading, while pushing in harder creates deeper colors and larger patterns.
Things get weird when you go to charge it, however. This Pencil has a removable cap on the end with a Lightning port, like you’d find on your iPhone’s cable. To charge the Pencil, you simply stick it into the base of your iPad. It’s a funky design, and one you need to be careful with, since you can accidentally snap the Pencil.
While this Pencil lacks many of the features of newer Apple styluses, it’s the only option for many iPad owners. The following iPads can only use an Apple Pencil (1st generation), so if you have one, this is the Pencil you need to buy:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Pro 9.7-inch
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad (6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th generation)
The 10th generation iPad can use this Pencil, but for the first time, it’s compatible with one other. (More on this later.)
Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
Three years after the first Apple Pencil, Apple introduced Apple Pencil (2nd generation). This Pencil was an excellent upgrade over the original. It both syncs and chargers magnetically and when you aren’t using it, you attach it to the side of your iPad; when you need it next, it’s all charged up and ready to go. So long, snapping Pencils.
But it isn’t just the charging advancements that make the Pencil better. It also has new features: You can double tap the side of the Pencil to switch between drawing and writing tools, and if you have an M2 iPad Pro, you can see a preview of your Pencil’s mark before you actually touch the screen. Plus, Apple will engrave this Pencil for you, the only Apple Pencil it offers the service for.
At an MSRP of $129, it’s an expensive peripheral, and, for the longest time, was the only Apple Pencil compatible with the following iPads:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation)
- iPad Air (4th and 5th generation)
- iPad mini (6th generation)
That’s not the case, any longer however, now that Apple has made the newest Apple Pencil available to order:
Apple Pencil (USB-C)
This Pencil is the latest from Apple, advertised as the “most affordable Apple Pencil.” Apple prices it at $79, which is the lowest MSRP ever on one of these styluses. But for that price, the company cut corners in ways you may not think are worth the cost savings.
At first glance, this Pencil looks nearly identical to the second-gen Apple Pencil. It even connects magnetically to your iPad, unlike the first-gen Pencil. However, one big difference is the moving top piece, which slides out to reveal a USB-C charging port inside. It’s a weird design, and makes charging the pencil less intuitive than either of the other pencils.
That’s right: This Pencil connects magnetically to your iPad, but it won’t charge. On top of that, it doesn’t support pressure sensitivity or double-tapping to switch tools, the former of which I’d sorely miss. It definitely hurts the Pencil’s ability as an art tool, since your lines will look the same no matter how hard or soft you push.
For the first time, however, Apple is offering some iPad owners the choice between two Apple Pencils. The USB-C Apple Pencil is compatible with all iPads that can use the second-gen Apple Pencil, as well as the 10th generation iPad. Here’s the full list:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation)
- iPad Air (4th and 5th generation)
- iPad mini (6th generation)
- iPad (10th generation)
That means you can save $40 on a Pencil for your compatible iPad, if you don’t mind the tradeoffs. For 10th generation iPad owners, the decision is similar: You can save $20 going for this model over the first-gen Apple Pencil. Plus, you don’t need to worry about buying a USB-C adapter to actually charge your Pencil with your iPad.
Which Pencil should I buy?
If you have an iPad that’s only compatible with the first generation Pencil, your choice is simple. However, if you’re in the cross-over range, and have the option between the USB-C Pencil and the second-gen option, you have a decision to make.
In my view, it’s second-gen all the way. The magnetic charging alone makes the Pencil great, but so do all the extra bells and whistles it has over the USB-C option. Plus, stores often have the second-gen Pencil on sale. According to Amazon price tracker Keepa, Amazon listed the second-gen Apple Pencil for $89 between Oct. 26 and Oct. 31. That’s only $10 more than the USB-C option, for a better product.
If you need the cheapest-possible Pencil for your compatible iPad, sure, go with the USB-C Pencil. But as far as I’m concerned, a discounted second-gen Pencil is the move.