New iPad Only Supports First-Gen Apple Pencil, Requires Adapter to Charge

The 10th-generation iPad only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, meaning that it requires an adapter to charge separately via a wired connection since the device has moved to USB-C.


The new ‌iPad‌ has no magnetic wireless charger on the side to connect to the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌. Only the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ is supported by the device, which normally needs to be plugged into a Lightning port to charge. The ‌iPad‌ now has a USB-C port, meaning that the ‌Apple Pencil‌ can no longer be charged directly via the ‌iPad‌.

Entry-level ‌iPad‌ users who wish to use the ‌Apple Pencil‌ will need to charge the accessory using a USB-C cable and a separate adapter available from Apple for $9. The smallprint on Apple's press release states:

Apple Pencil (1st generation) is compatible with the new iPad. A new USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is required for pairing and charging and is included in the box with a new version of Apple Pencil (1st generation) for $99 (US).

For existing owners of Apple Pencil (1st generation), the USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is sold separately for $9 (US).

The first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ came with a female to female Lightning adapter allowing it to be charged separately, but now Apple is offering a new variant of the accessory called the "USB-C to ‌Apple Pencil‌ Adapter" that enables ‌Apple Pencil‌ users to charge. The adapter is available separately for existing ‌Apple Pencil‌ users, while new ‌Apple Pencil‌ units include the adapter in the box.

Tag: Apple Pencil

Related Forum: iPad Accessories

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