Hands-On With the New USB-C Apple Pencil

Apple last week began shipping out the new USB-C Apple Pencil, so we thought we'd check it out for MacRumors readers who might be interested in purchasing one. The USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌ is compatible with all iPads that have a USB-C port and that are running iOS 17.1 or later.


When it comes to design and feel, the USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌ is much like the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌, featuring a matte finish and a flat side where it can attach to the iPad, but it's worth noting that it's shorter. Unlike the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2, it is not able to pair with an ‌iPad‌ automatically, and you'll need a USB-C cable for pairing purposes.

If you pull on the bottom of the ‌Apple Pencil‌, you'll reveal a USB-C port, but Apple does not include a cable so you will need to use your own. Pairing can be done by attaching a USB-C to USB-C cable to the ‌iPad‌ and the USB-C port.

Though the USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌ can be placed on the top of the ‌iPad‌ thanks to the magnetic connection, it is not able to charge magnetically like the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2. As with pairing, charging is done via USB-C.

The USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌ is the most affordable ‌Apple Pencil‌ option at $79, but it lacks Double Tap for swapping tools, and there is no pressure sensitivity for varying line thickness. It does support tilt functionality and the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Hover gesture that's available on the M2 ‌iPad‌ models.

What do you think of the USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌? Let us know in the comments.

Related Forum: iPad Accessories

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

boss.king Avatar
22 months ago
This is such a weird, bad product. The charging solution is awkward, the price isn't nearly low enough to justify the compromises, and it further complicates the already convoluted iPad buying process.

They should have planned ahead with their designs to make all iPads compatible with the 2nd gen Pencil, dropped it's price to $80, and then launched an actually improved 3rd gen that's backwards compatible. There's no need for this confused 1.5 gen to exist.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stiligFox Avatar
22 months ago
For all the people complaining about it, I really like the idea of this Pencil - I rarely use my Pencil 2, and I can’t leave it attached to my iPad as it just sits there and drains the battery. I have to leave the pencil somewhere else, and manually toggle the Bluetooth off and on, on the iPad so that it doesn’t stay connected and just drain the Pencil’s battery all the time.

That and I never use the pressure sensitivity and actually find it horrendously annoying. I could actually see myself “upgrading” to this - letting it charge with a USB C cable and not having it leech off my iPad sounds amazing.

All I mean by this is - don’t knock it too hard. Everyone has different needs and for some, this is perfect!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
osofast240sx Avatar
22 months ago
I have two kids that are homeschooled. They currently use the iPad 10th generation. This new pencil replaces the logitech crayon for sure. Which would be a significant upgrade. This is specifically targeted to the education market.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N1jl Avatar
22 months ago
Soooooo, it begs the question - what is the point in this stupid device that is a worse product than its predecessor?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
22 months ago

Soooooo, it begs the question - what is the point in this stupid device that is a worse product than its predecessor?
This is not a replacement for the Apple Pencil 2, this is a lower cost Apple Pencil with USB-C charging.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
22 months ago

Soooooo, it begs the question - what is the point in this stupid device that is a worse product than its predecessor?
More profit!

What is the point of swapping 2 performance cores for 2 more efficiency cores in a “new” M3 Pro chip. What is the point in cutting RAM bandwidth in the new M3s below M1s? Why still clinging to Lightning accessories with M3 iMac? Etc.

All moves that don’t make sense to us consumers are very likely about more profit.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)