Apple releases the new Apple Pencil, now with USB-C

Apple held a hyped-up launch event for the iPhone 15 series and had good reason to do so. The new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro pack have plenty of new changes that warrant capturing the world’s attention for a few hours. Today, Apple has announced a new Apple Pencil without as much fanfare. The company has also skipped over any iPad refreshes, contrary to leaks that suggested so.

Apple calls this stylus the “new Apple Pencil,” but for those keeping track, this is the third generation. The Apple Pencil 3 exists alongside the previous Pencils from Apple, likely positioned there until Apple phases out the original Apple Pencil with the iPad 9 (both use Lightning ports, while the rest of the iPad ecosystem has switched to USB-C).

The Apple Pencil 3 has a USB-C port hidden underneath a sliding cap. It’s meant to provide a basic stylus option for iPads with USB-C ports. Apple says this new Apple Pencil 3 is ideal for the iPad 10 but also works well with the iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

The stylus can be magnetically attached to the iPad, which would put the stylus in a sleep state to preserve battery life. On M2 models of the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil 3 supports hover functionality.

However, the Apple Pencil 3 has a few key misses. It doesn’t support pressure sensitivity, wireless pairing and charging, double tap, and cannot be engraved by Apple.

The new Apple Pencil 3 is priced at $79 and will be available beginning early November. For reference, the original Apple Pencil costs $99, while the Apple Pencil 2 costs $129. At its lower pricing, it makes sense for users who want a stylus only for note-taking and not for drawing.

Apple did not release new iPads, even though leaks suggested a processor refresh. Still, the iPads have a sizeable lead in the tablet space and continue to compete well against the best Android tablets.