8 ways the Apple Pencil 2 is better than the original

As long as you did not know the appalling loading process, the Apple pencil was a marvel of design: a pen that looked a lot like a pen or a pencil. This does not mean that it does not need improvements (as we indicated in a wish list earlier this month), but adding them may complicate too much the simple elegance that makes Pencil such a pleasure to draw and write.

But with Apple Pencil 2, Apple shows that it can significantly enhance one of its minimalist products without sacrificing the power of its design. Almost every new feature counts as an improvement over the previous model (with some caveats). The only real disadvantages are the $ 30 price increase and the inability to use the Apple Pencil 2 with any device to save both new iPad Pro.

Still, the improvements are enough to make the Apple Pencil 2 an essential purchase for anyone with the new Pro tablets. It has all the highlights of the previous model – including variable line weight and the ability to start new notes in the Notes app by simply touching the iPad's lock screen – as well as a host of improvements in storage, loading and use. Here are our favorites.

He gets rid of this terrible charging method

Even if you have never owned an Apple pen, chances are you'll know how difficult it is to load it. First of all, you have to remove the tiny and eminently lose magnetic cap, then the male Lightning connector in the female port of the iPad. You must basically leave both devices alone while charging. C & # 39; was somewhat Convenient to load the pencil itself, but the end result made you feel like you needed to hold it as a sign – a sign that probably said something like "It's a bad design".

Leif Johnson / IDG

The laughs are over with the Apple Pencil 2. No need to plug the stylus: you simply have to hang the edge of the pencil at one of the 105 huge magnets surrounding the iPad Pro and the charging will begin immediately . It's as simple as that. In fact, with this change, Apple has also corrected a number of other problems at one go.

You no longer have to worry about losing the hood

The Lightning connector of the original Pencil Pencil was concealed under a magnetic white cap at the "gum" end, and it was generally more secure than it appeared there. I've even used Apple Pencil as a wand and the hood never flew.

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As powerful as this magnet has been, you may need to remove the cap to refill the pencil itself. I think that's why many people lost their caps because they had no choice but to slip them in their pockets or place them next to the pencil, hoping they would not would not have fallen from the table into oblivion.

Now these worries are gone because the hood is gone. Since you can only charge the Apple pen with a wireless link, you will never need to remove a cap. This is the kind of elegance we expect from Apple in its best moments.

Do not worry about Apple Pencil being removed from the table

You do not have to worry about removing the cap, but you also do not have to worry about the Apple Pencil 2 itself that runs on a desk . Most Apple Pencil 2 pencils are still as smooth and cylindrical as their predecessors, but Apple has slightly flattened the section to be aligned with the iPad Pro for loading and shipping. This new design holds it firmly in place once attached to the tablet and prevents it from rolling when you drop it.

But I am a little divided on this one. I am happy that the new model does not disappear, but the cylindrical form factor of Apple Pencil is one of the things I liked the most. In addition to weight and weight, this has made Apple Pencil feel more like a real pen or pencil than many other pens.

The only flattened edge sacrifices part of this unit. Again, it's subtle, but I can not help but wonder how this seemingly minimal change will affect comfort during long writing or drawing sessions. Most pens or pencils have round drums or multiple flattened edges that evenly surround the entire device. Even the resemblance between the carpenter's pencil and Logitech Pencil Carpenter's pencil, which does not fear the roll, fits this tradition, as both sides are uniformly designed.

You now have a place to store the pencil Apple itself

One of the biggest problems with the old Apple pencil is that there was nowhere to put it. Only a few cases offered a place to put it away, and usually I just finished putting it in my bag, my shirt (so old) or my blue jeans. It was far from ideal.

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Thanks to new magnets and wireless charging, the iPad Pro itself becomes the perfect place to tidy up your pencil. This does not mean it's totally foolproof, but your Apple Pencil 2 will remain at least as firmly attached to the iPad Pro as the old model's magnet keeps the cap attached to the Pencil itself.

So, in other words, never let it fall from your sight.

Signage controls make it a better tool for artists

Many artists with whom I have spoken in recent months, such as Transylvania Hotel 2Lizzie Nichols – told me that they wanted to see additional controls on the pencil Apple. But many feared that Apple could not do it without sacrificing the sleek, buttonless design of the previous model.

It turns out that Apple's inspired AirPods. Apple now lets you change the type of line you use in your own Notes application by simply double-tapping the pen body, allowing you to customize the way these double entries work in other applications. This sounds like a boon for artists who want to change the line with one click in Adobe Photoshop or switch the pen to eraser mode without looking for a separate interface element.

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As I said elsewhere, I admire this design, but I'm afraid it's too easy to activate the different taps by simply tapping the Pencil in moments of deep reflection.

It's easier to know if the iPad is charging.

This is one of the features I was hoping for on my Apple Pencil 2 Wish List, but I imagined it would come with a small charge indicator light that you would only see when you removed the cap. (I was thinking of AirPods.) This is not an option here because the ceiling is no longer a thing.

Instead, a small notification now appears after you have logged the Apple Pencil 2 on the side of the iPad Pro for loading. The name of the device is displayed along with the black power lock and the green (or red) battery symbol that you probably already know on your iPhone. It's a quick and popular way to check the battery without sacrificing Apple Pencil's design integrity or adding too many steps in iOS 12.

You can easily pair it with your iPad

Pairing your Apple Pencil with the iPad is now even easier with the new version. Just let the Apple Pencil bang against the magnets on the side and the stylus will immediately pair. This is not only clever for the configuration, but it will make it easier to use multiple iPads and Apple Pencils for the very small number of us who regularly use multiple models.

Apple will burn it for free

It may not seem like a big deal, but every time the words "free" and "Apple" are mentioned in the same sentence, it counts as something new to me. If you order your Apple Pencil 2 on Apple.com (and only on this one), Apple will allow you to engrave a few words of your choice on your new fancy pen at the lowest price possible from nothing.

This is not an entirely new thing: after all, Apple has been providing the same services to iPods and iPads for years.

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