The Apple Pencil is almost ten years old, and has evolved significantly since its presentation in 2025. A look back at the different models that have equipped the many iPads released by Apple until today.
If the iPad was unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2010, we had to wait a few more years to see the first stylus developed by Apple for its touchscreen tablet appear. The founder of the brand did not see fit at launch to offer such an accessory to its users, but the release of the iPad Pro in 2015 pushed Apple to offer the Apple Pencil, a stylus dedicated to taking notes handwritten and to the needs of creative people.
Apple Pencil: more of a pencil than a stylus
It was in 2015 that Tim Cook and his teams presented the Apple Pencil, the brand’s first style for its touchscreen tablet. Please note, there is no question of using the word “stylus”. Apple doesn’t do anything like everyone else, and preferred to introduce the Apple Pencil as a large pencil allowing illustrators and designers to indulge their passions, and to use the iPad Pro as a work tool.
The first Apple Pencil had pressure and tilt sensitivity. The iPad Pro refreshed its screen 240 times per second, twice as often as normal, for better precision. Apple apps like Notes have benefited from new drawing and annotation tools, while third-party publishers like Adobe have leveraged the accessory to offer tailored versions of their creative software for writing. iPad.
Apple had also adapted iPadOS to the Apple Pencil, allowing the user to place their hand on the screen without it being recognized by the touch screen. The tablet thus becomes a real drawing board when using the stylus.
If the Apple Pencil has been well adopted by its users, many have criticized the charging system. A Lightning port is hidden under the plastic cap, and the stylus had to be plugged into the tablet. A fairly unforgivable lapse in taste on the part of Apple, which took a few years to correct its copy.
In 2023, Apple released a new version of the first Apple Pencil of the name, and still compatible with tenth generation iPads, as well as certain older models. This new stylus now has a USB-C port, hidden under a hatch. Simply connect it with a cable to the tablet or any other charger to recharge the integrated battery. It’s not perfect, but it’s still clear progress.
Apple Pencil 2: magnetic and more discreet
It was with the release of the iPad Pro 2018 that Apple offered a new version of the Apple Pencil. The accessory is now smaller and fits better in the hand with its matte finish, whereas the previous pencil was made of shiny white plastic.
The Apple Pencil 2 no longer has a port, and charges directly on the edge of the iPad Pro (then recent versions of the iPad Air), via a magnetic wireless charging area. This small improvement also allows the stylus to be stored after use in a rather elegant way, where nothing was planned for the old Apple Pencil, condemned to being placed carelessly on your desk or in a bag. This magnetic zone also allows quick pairing of the accessory to the iPad. Only problem: it is only compatible with iPad Air and iPad Pro released after 2018 and adapted to its wireless charging system.
The Apple Pencil 2 also has a touch zone, near the tip, which allows you to switch from a brush to an eraser or any other tool with a double tap.
Apple has also taken care of the software, with the possibility on the latest iPad Pros to see the area which will be touched by the stylus even before having placed it on the screen.
Apple Pencil Pro: more options for creatives
Tuesday May 7, Apple unveiled the latest version of the Apple Pencil: the Apple Pencil Pro. This new model does not change its design compared to the Apple Pencil 2, but brings its share of new features for easier use and better precision.
The Apple Pencil Pro incorporates a new pinching movement, thanks to sensors placed near the tip of the stylus. By pressing on the accessory, a small options selector appears on the screen to offer various tools and the color selector. A haptic motor provides feedback, with a small vibration that confirms the choice made.
The Apple Pencil Pro also offers a new gyroscope capable of analyzing the rotation of the body and rotating the accessory for even more precise use, particularly in drawings and illustrations.
The Apple Pencil offers the most complete experience to users, but Apple unfortunately only reserves it for buyers of the all-new iPad Air and iPad Pro, released in spring 2024. If you too want to benefit from it, you will have to invest in a new tablet.
Grand master of robot vacuum cleaners and home automation who lives in a “house of the future”. I also like talking about films and series on the internet. Eternal padawan, curious about everything related to new technologies.
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