CheckMag | Apple’s USB-C Pencil is still pretty...pointless

It's been a full five years since the introduction of the second-generation Pencil, but the third addition to Apple's family of pointy sticks doesn't seem to have progressed with the times. Instead, it's a step backwards that seems to show that the company will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the era of the European Union's enforcement of USB-C.

Lacking the wireless charging features of the 2nd generation Pencil is certainly understandable on the grounds of how much cheaper the new model is, but a little more confusing is the retention of magnetic docking and hover capability paired with the ditching of pressure sensitivity – a key feature for any stylus, especially one commanding as much of a price premium as Apple's.

Even in the feature list above, the messaging on the USB-C Pencil is confusing. Tilt sensitivity – and, in particular, touting it as being particularly useful for shading – is a strange decision for an ostensibly no-frills product, stacked on top of the already-odd decision of cutting the one feature that had given iPads and Pencils significant inroads in the art tablet market. Similarly, hanging on to hover support is certainly something that can be lorded over the first-gen model, but a feature that only works with iPad Pros doesn't quite gel with the goal of being a more budget-conscious option.

Perhaps most incriminating are the results you'd get if you took the USB-C Pencil's product listing and played spot-the-difference with the Logitech Crayon (available on Amazon). Since 2018, the Crayon has enjoyed most of the more budget market segment to itself, with the originally education-oriented stylus finding popularity thanks to a price well below the earlier Pencils while still being a more premium and reputable product than other third-party offerings. But now, Apple's long-time accessory manufacturer is finding once again that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even if that imitation comes in the form of attempting to eat their lunch – with the same features, for the same price. 

Except, well, the budget-conscious market might do well to take note that the cheapest Pencil doesn't actually go with the cheapest iPad you can buy from Apple, as the 9th Generation model is the only one of the currently available line-up that still has the old Lightning port.

For its part, Logitech has seen fit to offer its stylus with both USB-C and Lightning versions. But if you pride yourself on only buying from Apple – well, Tim Cook has a dongle or two to sell you.