What is an Apple Pencil?

Apple is known for its premium products, including iPhones, Apple’s range of Mac computers, and the iPad series. One of the reasons why Apple iPads are so popular is because of their functionality combined, portability and Apple’s excellent ecosystem features. And this functionality is further aided by some useful accessories, including the Apple Pencil.

If you’re an iPad user, or are planning to get one, you could really benefit from the Apple Pencil. Here’s a quick dive into the accessory, what it can do, and who should get it.

What is an Apple Pencil?

The Apple Pencil is essentially a stylus in the form of a pen or a pencil. It has a rubber tip which interacts with the screen. It was first introduced along with the first iPad Pro in the year 2015. It connects with the iPad using Bluetooth and it has a removable cap at the end of it, which hides a lightning connector to charge the pencil.

What it does is adds extra functionality and flexibility when using an iPad. You can use it to write on the screen as you write on a piece of paper. You can use it to draw as well as use it to operate the iPad. Apple Pencil is aimed toward productivity tasks and creative work. It is compatible with not just the first and second Gen iPad Pro, but all other newer iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro variants.

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The Apple Pencil also has a successor in the form of the Apple Pencil Gen-2, which was introduced along with the 3rd Gen iPad Pro in 2018. The successor sports some extra features and upgrades that make it more intuitive to use. One of the handy new features the Gen 2 Apple Pencil supports is pass-through charging. This lets the accessory charge magnetically via a connector on the side of an iPad. This cuts the need for the stylus to have a charging port of its own. The pencil also included a touch-sensitive area on the side of it which can be used to perform certain functions inside apps. This is compatible with all iPads with a USB-C port.

Which Apple Pencil to get?

The Apple Pencil Gen-1 is the older of the two products, but remains very useful even today. It is comparatively inexpensive, and perfect for basic stylus use cases for users of all iPad variants. However, if you tend to use the iPad and Pencil a lot outdoors and want the advanced features like pass-through charging as well as tap controls, you can consider getting the Apple Pencil Gen-2 for a premium.