Apple released two new iPads today in product refreshes at nearly opposite ends of the spectrum. While the 2022 entry-level iPad got a long overdue update to more modern specs, Apple also released a new M3 iPad Air with its predecessor barely ten months old.
While the M3 iPad Air update feels a bit unnecessary, it’s still a very solid midrange tablet — and we suspect most folks will find it a worthy alternative to the iPad Pro. However, it hasn’t changed much from its predecessor.
Meanwhile, Apple’s most affordable iPad happens to be the first device the company has released in its Apple Intelligence era that doesn’t actually support Apple Intelligence. The company used an A16 chip similar to the one found in the iPhone 15, minus a couple of CPU/GPU cores. It’s a nice performance boost over the 2020-era A14 chip but also leaves it out of the AI game.
The strange Apple Pencil game
In the midst of these new chips, one thing that hasn’t changed is Apple’s awkward lineup of styluses. We wrote about how buying an Apple Pencil was complicated in 2023, and it arguably got worse last year when Apple added a fourth stylus to the mix: the Apple Pencil Pro.
Apple now has four Apple Pencil models on the market — and it still sells and supports all of them:
- Apple Pencil (1st generation): This was released in 2015 alongside the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It charges directly from an iPad using a male Lightning connector, or via an adapter
- Apple Pencil (2nd generation): This was released in 2018 with the redesigned 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. It charges magnetically from the side of the iPad.
- Apple Pencil (USB-C): This was released in late 2023 as a more affordable alternative designed primarily for the entry-level iPad. It charges using a standard USB-C cable.
- Apple Pencil Pro: This was released in 2024 alongside the M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro. Charges magnetically from the side of the iPad.
While you’d think that Apple would have put the first-generation Apple Pencil out to pasture a long time ago, not only does it still sell that original stylus for older iPads, but it also refuses to drop support for it on its latest iPad.
This was insane enough with the 2022 iPad, which switched to a USB-C port and created a weird charging situation for that original stylus. That was arguably unavoidable since Apple’s entry-level tablet wasn’t ready to support the second-generation Apple Pencil, which required magnetic charging, but that didn’t make it any better.
The Apple Pencil (USB-C) should have ended this
This was the problem that the Apple Pencil (USB-C) was clearly created to solve when it debuted in late 2023. Not only did Apple release a much more affordable stylus that complemented the price tag of its budget tablet, but it also provided a proper USB-C charging solution. The new Apple Pencil could be plugged in using a regular USB-C cable, either to a wall charger or the iPad’s USB-C port.
The Apple Pencil (USB-C) was mostly a step forward from the original stylus. It added support for the hover feature of the 2022 M2 iPad Pro (which also came to the iPad Air and iPad mini last year) and even magnetically attached to the sides of the flat-edged iPads. It couldn’t charge from any of them, but at least you had somewhere to put it when you weren’t using it.
Sadly, that USB-C version was also one step backward: it lacked the pressure sensitivity of the first-generation stylus. That’s likely why Apple still supports it even on the 2025 iPad that was announced today. There’s also the reality that the latest iPad is seemingly identical to the 2022 model in every way, except for the chip inside. However, Apple could have still used this opportunity to get rid of its ten-year-old stylus if it really wanted to.
Apple needs to do more to simplify its styluses
The situation with the rest of Apple’s iPad family—the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini — is much simpler. The 2024 and later models use the Apple Pencil Pro, while versions released before 2024 use the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation).
The Apple Pencil (1st Generation) remains an option solely for those who need a pressure-sensitive stylus for the budget iPad. It’s not an entirely bad choice, but it’s definitely an awkward one as you’ll need to fuss with USB-C-to-Lightning adapters to charge it. Apple now includes one in the box, and sells them separately for $9 if you lose it or need an extra one.
However, the Apple Pencil (USB-C) is the stylus for most iPad users. It’s a great fit at a more affordable price for anyone who only needs to take notes and do basic sketching. That’s true across the entire spectrum of iPad models. Even most iPad Pro users won’t miss out by opting for the USB-C version instead of the Apple Pencil Pro, as the pricier version is targeted more toward digital artists who plan on using it in tools like ProCreate, offering double-tap and squeeze gestures for quickly selecting different drawing tools and rotate shaped pens and brushes through a barrel roll gesture.
It’s probably telling that Apple simplified its Apple Pencil lineup last fall. For about four months after the Apple Pencil Pro was released, the page showed all four options; by November, that had been reduced to only the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), which is where the list stands today. Those two styluses cover all current iPad models — including the M3 iPad Air and iPad (A16), so there’s nothing technically missing here except pressure sensitivity for the entry-level iPad.
