The next Apple Pencil could feature replaceable batteries

According to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman, Apple will launch two new Apple Pencil models in the first half of 2027. The refreshes may come with Apple’s next generation of iPads, almost three years after the USB-C Apple Pencil debuted and two years after the more premium Apple Pencil Pro.

The first model, called B582 internally, updates the entry-level Apple Pencil that charges via USB-C, Gurman says. The second, code-named B632, is a refresh to the Apple Pencil Pro, which at present features a squeeze-sensitive barrel and haptic feedback.

The original Apple Pencil Pro was to add new sensing hardware, but the new model B632 should be about repairability, not new input features. According to Gurman, Apple is also working to comply with new EU regulations that mandate easily removable batteries in consumer electronics, and that is impacting the redesign.

iFixit has given every Apple Pencil model a repairability fail, mostly because none of them allow you to replace the internal battery once it starts to degrade. A repairable Apple Pencil Pro would be a reversal for Apple, which has faced EU pressure over device design before. The rules of the bloc already forced Apple to move on from its Lightning connector to USB-C across the iPhone 15 lineup in 2023.

Apple is not the only hardware maker tweaking products for the EU's battery rules. Nintendo has announced new European versions of the Switch 2 and several accessories based around user-replaceable batteries. A new Switch 2 console is expected to launch in Europe this fall with a slightly smaller battery capacity of 5,172mAh (compared to the original 5,220mAh) and about 10 grams more weight.

Replacement batteries and repair kits for the Joy-Con 2 controllers, the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and the Nintendo 64 and GameCube controllers offered through Nintendo Switch Online will also be available through the Nintendo Store in Europe. The original Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED won’t receive the same treatment. However, redesigning those models was not feasible, and Nintendo plans to phase them out of European retail by mid-February 2027.