In October, 2018, except all-new IPads Pro with high-quality screens and display widths, an Apple Pencil 2 was presented. None of us has been waiting for that, and obvious question has appeared: is the new Apple Pencil 2 really better? Let?s try to figure it out.
Photo by Sanni Sahil on Unsplash
Round 1: Fight for compatibility
Apple Pencil 1 got a program-build compatibility with a great amount of different Apple tablets:
- IPad Air (3rd generation)
- IPad Mini (5th generation)
- IPad (7th, 6th generation)
- IPad Pro 12.9 (2nd, 1st generation)
- IPad Pro 10.5
- IPad Pro 9.7
At the same time, the new Apple Pencil 2 might be used only with new IPads:
- IPad Pro 11
- iPad Pro 12.9 (3rd generation)
It is hard to tell what was the reason of such solution made by Apple managers, but here is what we have ? if you wanna have a new Pencil, go get a new IPad too.
Photo by el alce web on Unsplash
Round 2: Visual Differences
The new Apple Pencil is much more compact and smaller than the previous one ? and this is no surprise as long as it does not have a Lightning connector on the top side anymore. Except this, the stylus got a small flat side, so it could be much easier to lay the pencil on a table, for example.
To think so, lack of Lightning connector in the new Apple Pencil is a perfect solution ? connecting the old stylus to an IPad looked pretty weird and ugly. You got a stick sticking out the tablet (such a pun!). That was really funny, strange, and even unsafe.
Coming to the physical parameters, here is what we have for the Apple Pencil 1:
- Length: 175.7 mm
- Diameter: 8.9 mm
- Weight: 20.7 g
And for the Apple Pencil 2:
- Length: 166 mm
- Diameter: 8.9 mm
- Weight: 20.7 g
Actually, no difference in parameters at all, but the visual look is much different than it was.
The new Pencil charges only via magnet connector of the new IPad Pro (actually, that is why you cannot use your new Pencil with an old IPad). Also, magnets help to attach the Pencil to an IPad ? that is absolutely comfortable! In common aesthetic sense, a new accessory look much more stylish and elegant, with no useless parts like a metal ?hat? on a previous one.
Round 3: Gestures
The new Apple Pencil can do simple gesture commands, that is enormously cool! For example, double tap allows you to switch to the next supported instrument. This is very useful if you want to switch between eraser and pencil fast.
Photo by Henry Ascroft on Unsplash
Round 4: What?s inside the box?
With Apple Pencil 1 you could get a Lightning-adapter and a reserve tip. At the same time, the new Apple Pencil literally has nothing except the accessory itself inside. And we do not really know if it is good or bad.
Round 5: Price
Unfortunately, ?the second? Apple Pencil costs much more then the previous one. The difference in price is about 1.5 times now ? and you should remember that in case you have a new IPad, you cannot use and old Apple Pencil, only upgrade to a new one.
Such as life, and there is nothing to do with it ? at least a bunch of cool new features provided in a Pencil 2 might be a treat.
Kristen Lane, IT Correspondent of Inksot LLC
