Apple Pencil

The Apple Pencil is a line of wireless stylus pen accessories designed and developed by Apple for use with supported iPad tablets and the iPhone Duo. The first-generation Apple Pencil was announced alongside the first iPad Pro on September 9, 2015. It communicates wirelessly via Bluetooth and has a removable cap that conceals a Lightning connector used for charging. The Pencil is compatible with the first- and second-generation iPad Pro models, and the sixth through eleventh-generation iPad models (with the latter two requiring a USB-C adapter). The second-generation Apple Pencil was announced on October 30, 2018, alongside the third-generation iPad Pro, and is used with most iPad models from 2018 through 2022 that contain a USB-C port (excluding the base iPads). It uses a magnetic connector on the side of the tablet for charging rather than a Lightning port, and includes touch-sensitive areas that can be tapped to perform actions within supported apps. A successor to the second-generation Apple Pencil known as Apple Pencil Pro was released in 2024; which adds roll and squeezing gestures, as well as haptic feedback. It is used on non-base iPad models released since 2024. In October 2023, Apple announced an entry-level Apple Pencil model, intended as an entry-level model for iPad models with USB-C ports; this version removes the pen pressure sensitivity, touch-sensitive areas, and magnetic charging features, and is charged using a USB-C connector concealed by sliding up its cap. Apple has promoted the Pencil as being oriented towards creative work and productivity; during its unveiling, the Pencil's drawing capabilities were demonstrated using the mobile version of Adobe Photoshop, and its document-annotation capabilities were shown on several Microsoft Office apps.