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?
One possible scenario is that Apple takes the “good, better, best” strategy with the Apple Pencil:
- Apple Pencil 1 ($99) works with iPad 9 and iPad 10
- Apple Pencil 2 ($129) works with iPad mini, iPad Air, iPad Pro
- Apple Pencil 3 ($149+) with interchangeable tips works with M2 iPad Pro
Again, just spitballing, but maybe the new tip features are like the M2-exclusive hover feature.
Equally likely, I’d guess, is that the new Apple Pencil replaces the second-gen Apple Pencil in the lineup for around the same price. The first generation Apple Pencil would stick around for the base model iPads.
The most interesting scenario to me would be the Apple Pencil 3 replacing both of the current models. It’s not rumored, but it would be nice.
This seems least likely, though, because it raises new questions. How would it pair? How would it charge? Apple Pencil 1 pairs and charges over Lightning/Lightning to USB-C. Apple Pencil 2 pairs and charges over a magnetic connection.
The magnetic method is preferred because it’s physically less awkward and also provides a place to put the Apple Pencil.
But does Apple plan to move the FaceTime camera on future iPads to the horizontal top center like on the iPad 10? That seems to be the main reason the iPad 10 doesn’t work with the Apple Pencil 2.
If the answer to that is yes, the Apple Pencil 3 could be the next clue to that happening. However, the fact that the Apple Pencil 3 seems to be launching on its own would seem to imply that it will work just like the Apple Pencil 2.
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