The New Apple Pencil: Why Are They Removing Features?

Earlier this week Apple announced a new Apple pencil that works with modern iPads and supported USB-C charging. At first this looked terrific but on closer inspection they are removing the one feature that makes drawing with the apple pencil so nice... pen pressure.

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[ddnava]

As someone who draws as a hobby, pressure sensitivity is the one and only feature I expect all respetable styluses to have, and somehow Apple thought it was a good idea to remove it. The most basic tablet I bought some years ago for $50 (One by Wacom) had pressure sensitivity and it was a great tablet when I was just starting and it had pressure sensitivity!!

[BenjaminRodriguezReyes]

If you don't care about pressure sensitivity, just buy a third party pen for 20-40 depending on how fancy you want it. Paying 80 dollars for this is a mistake.

[scribblingjoe]

I'd rather have pressure sensitivity over tilt sensitivity.

[Scribbly_Chi_]

But the problem is that it is not cheaper, they are cutting down on features without cutting down on cost, so at this point if one doesn't care about pressure, then that person should buy alternative pencils.

[IcyyDicy]

How is an art channel doing more comprehensive technology reviews than actual tech channels?

[onjikun]

I really think they should've just called this the "Apple Pencil SE, " like how they use the "SE" branding for lower-end iPhones and Apple Watches. That, and/or retroactively rebrand the 2nd-gen Pencil as something like "Apple Pencil Pro".

I also think the entry-level iPad should be rebranded as an "iPad SE, " but that's another subject altogether.

[TheTopMostDog]

Why the hell didn't they call it a "lite" or something? They are terrible to their consumers, always have been.

[JayneAFK]

I hate corporations. Edit: Dude, you went way too easy on Apple. This is genuinely an appalling, money-grubbing bs display from this evil megacorp and I am personally so done with this. I'm not even an apple user, but I'm sick and tired of the tech oligopoly that is constantly hammering the consumer, because there isn't adequate competition nor consumer protections.

[nonesuch]

I'm sorry, but pressure sensitivity is also necessary for quality handwriting. Apple is extortionate as ever

[keyboard_g]

Apple, the $2.7 trillion dollar company can't afford to put pressure sensitivity in the cheaper pencil.

[filnn]

Brad, I'd just like to say that when you first started your channel I wasn't sure about the content you were creating, but over these last few years you have truly become an important and positive force in the digital art community. As a professional artist with the necessary equipment already owned, I still find you really endearing, knowledgeable and unbiased. Not to mention very entertaining, keep up the good work!

[BenjaminRodriguezReyes]

It's not the existence of this pen that's offensive, it's the price and naming.

[genkia]

Excluding the Pen pressure in the new pencil is odd, considering the Logitech Crayon served the intended purpose of being used in school for years already.

[BaSBomba]

I think they should name it differently. Maybe „Apple Art Pen“ and „Apple Writers Pen“ so you know what it is good for. I don’t mind that they made one without pen pressure. It’s just not ideal for artist. But hey can get the one that still has the pen pressure. You just have to inform yourself before you buy.

[TadpoleArtz]

I just love this channel because it’s focused on tech that impacts creatives, a lot of other tech channels are like “the screen is this big, batter is that big” but this is the IMPORTANT stuff. How the new tech can either impacts me or makes my life easier. Love what you do ❤

[lavenders-kin]

The thing is Logitech is selling the same thing at a cheaper price, so it really makes no sense

[coalt]

I don't think I've ever actually used tilt on any pen device. I would have cut tilt over pressure. Super weird choice imo.

[Just_a_commenter]

This is such a strange change to make... And frankly, I think it's quite a blunder. I would sooner like to see the pressure sensitivity be reduced so a cheaper sensor could be used with less pressur levels, rather than stripping the feature entirely while leaving the tilt detection lol.

I'm not one for Apple products to begin with, but this is certainly cementing my preference for products from anyone else.

[thelogoth]

Samsung includes the pen for free... IF education was so important to apple, I'm sure making a pressure sensitive pen much cheaper or for free would have been more than possible.

[DrawJam]

It feels like this version of the Apple Pencil is a few generations late. There are so many other affordable styluses that are equally hobbled without pressure sensitivity and also your finger. But I guess it's easier for businesses and institutions to buy everything from the same vendor rather than having to get the cheapo iPads but then also source Logitech Crayons or similar styluses.

My initial reactions was to dog on Apple because I always look at these tech things from the perspective of an artist. But the sad truth is that we really aren't a big enough market share for Apple to truly cater to us. Otherwise we'd have etched glass options and variations of the Pencil that were more ergonomic for long drawing sessions. Like I would definitely pay the Apple tax for an etched glass iPad Artist edition!