CNN
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apple
(Camel) It quietly announced a next-generation Pencil that works with iPads and now includes USB-C charging.
The change comes about a month after Apple pulled its Lightning charger, a milestone moment for universal charging amid pressure from EU regulators.
Like previous models, the third-generation Apple Pencil is designed for taking notes, drawing, and marking up documents. It also supports scrolling, which allows users to preview and switch between different widgets and app controls, when used with the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation). The price is $79, down $20 from the second-generation Apple Pencil and $50 less than the original version.
The biggest change to the newest model comes to the charging system, which is noteworthy not only because the company has been resistant to making the switch for years but because it’s about to make charging much easier for its customers.
At the iPhone 15 event in September, the company announced that all of its next-generation smartphones will launch the new AirPods Pro with USB-C charging. Apple previously switched its iPads and MacBooks to USB-C charging, but the push to finally add it to iPhones came less than a year after the European Union voted to approve legislation requiring smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, portable speakers and other small devices. To support USB-C charging by 2024.
The first-of-its-kind law aims to reduce the number of chargers and cables consumers have to deal with when purchasing a new device, and allow users to mix and match devices and chargers even if they are produced by different manufacturers. However, by doing so, Apple would be giving up control of its wired charging system, and identifying good chargers from bad ones would not be as obvious to many consumers.
Although Apple has not announced sales figures for its Pencil, David McQueen, a director at ABI Research, estimates that about 42 million devices have been sold since its launch in 2015, considering that 420 million have been sold. iPad since then (assuming 10% or less). of these consumers purchased an Apple Pencil).
“I would have to think it would be that low because of its relatively high price, high-end use case, and the availability of much cheaper alternatives capable of working with the iPad,” he said.
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