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The $129 Apple Pencil Pro arrives alongside the latest iPads and brings with it fresh features that should appeal to artists and other creators. A gyroscope enables a barrel roll gesture, embedded sensors allow for pinch actions, and a haptic engine creates vibrational feedback. The best part? It costs the same as the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil. For its powerful capabilities and ease of use, the Apple Pencil Pro earns our Editors’ Choice award for serious iPad creators.Design: The Apple (Pencil) Doesn’t Fall Far From the TreeOn the outside, the Apple Pencil Pro isn’t all that different from the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil. In fact, I’d challenge you to sort one from the other.The updated stylus, which appears to use the same plastic material as its predecessor, is cylindrical three-quarters of the way around and has a distinct flat side to aid with grip. It measures 6.53 by 0.35 inches (HW) and weighs a barely there 0.68 ounces. It’s a smidge taller than the 2nd-gen Pencil (6.52 inches) and the Apple Pencil USB-C (6.10 inches), but shorter than the lanky 1st-gen Apple Pencil (6.92 inches). It’s a good length that should work for most people. I also like the matte finish, which makes it easy to hold. Overall, it’s a comfortable instrument to carry and use.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Notably, the Pencil Pro is compatible only with the 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets. That’s a disappointing limitation but not wholly surprising. If you have an iPad Air or iPad Pro from 2022 or earlier, stick with the 2nd-gen or USB-C Pencil.
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Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)
Apple Pencil (1st Generation)
Similar to the 2nd-gen model, the Pencil Pro slaps onto the flat edge of the iPad magnetically to pair and charge. It connects wirelessly via Bluetooth and pairs automatically the first time you attach it. Speaking of charging, the only way to check the Pencil’s battery life is via the software battery meter tool built into iPadOS. You can see its status in a drop-down menu or via a widget if you prefer. It takes about an hour to charge from empty and, in my experience, lasts for three to four days between charges. If you keep it attached to the iPad when you aren’t using it, the Pencil ostensibly might never fully lose its charge.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Strangely, the Apple Pencil Pro is significantly thicker than both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions of the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro, which measure between 0.20 and 0.24 inches. That extra 0.15 inches of girth between the thinnest iPad and the stylus makes the Pencil easier to accidentally knock loose from the magnetic edge. This scenario is less likely if you’re using a folio or keyboard case for the tablet.The Apple Pencil Pro includes two identical tips, one installed and one spare. They haven’t changed from the previous models. You can buy replacements from Apple in packs of four for $19.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The stylus is the first to support Apple’s Find My network. Once you register the Pencil with your iPad, you can use the Find My app to locate it. This function worked well in testing. The Find My app pointed me to the misplaced Pencil in my house in a matter of minutes.What Can You Do With the Apple Pencil Pro?The Apple Pencil Pro continues to be an outstanding stylus for digital creations. It’s light, accurate, quick, and supports features like tilt and pressure sensitivity (up to 4,096 different levels). You won’t find a better writing or sketching tool for Apple’s tablets.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The Pro supports all the features of previous Apple Pencils and adds several that are sure to appeal to serious artists. The first is called Squeeze. New sensors above the tip can detect when you squeeze the Pencil. Doing so calls up a new palette with a selection of tools and various line weight and color options. Perhaps most helpful is the new delete function, also part of the palette. A long press of the back/forward arrows brings up a circular timeline tool that allows you to scroll backward through time to delete your markings. It’s pretty neat. You can control what happens when you squeeze or double-tap the Pencil via the settings menu.The added internal gyroscope powers a new barrel roll function. This works best for shaped pen and brush tools, such as thicker pens and highlighters. Twisting the Pencil rotates the angle of the brush while you hover it above the screen so you can see the direction the tool will take before you press it to the glass. It worked perfectly in testing. I’m no artist, but knowing the angle your tool will draw before making a mark will surely reduce the number of times you reach for the eraser.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Haptic feedback also adds to the experience. A new haptic engine at the end of the Pencil creates vibrations to indicate when you activate a feature or perform an action. The way the Pencil delivers haptic feedback alongside the Squeeze feature is particularly outstanding. It feels like you’re pressing a button, even though the Pencil is solid plastic. As always, the Pencil is compatible with nearly every app available for the iPad. You can use it as a pointer or mouse for navigating the interface, but it works best for creative apps such as Evernote, Freeform, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate. It’s also great for making fine adjustments to audio or video tracks in Logic Pro, GarageBand, or iMovie.Verdict: The Best Apple Pencil for the Latest iPadsThe Apple Pencil Pro adds a handful of useful features to improve the experience of using an iPad, particularly for artists. Specifically, the Pencil gains a helpful squeeze gesture for accessing a digital palette, a rolling motion for rotating the pen tip, haptic feedback, and support for Apple’s Find My network. It doesn’t work with older iPads, but it’s by far the best stylus for the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro. As such, it earns our Editors’ Choice award.
The Bottom Line
The Apple Pencil Pro is the stylus that serious artists and creators should get for the latest iPad Pro or iPad Air thanks to its advanced writing features and controls.
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