Among the two tablets announced yesterday, the 10th gen iPad 2022 is the more interesting product from Apple. From the looks of it, this is essentially a watered-down iPad Air as it gets a larger 10.9″ display and it finally gets a USB-C port. With the lack of a lightning port connector, you would probably expect the new iPad to support the newer 2nd gen Apple Pencil. Unfortunately, the new iPad would only work with the 1st gen Apple Pencil and you’ll need to use an extra adapter in order to pair and charge the Pencil.
Why won’t the 2nd gen Apple Pencil work with the 10th gen iPad 2022?
To recap, the 2nd gen Apple Pencil which costs RM599 pairs and charges wirelessly by attaching it to the sides of a supported iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPad Pro. There are no extra cap or physical connectors like the 1st gen Apple Pencil, and it is so much more convenient to charge as shown above.
In order to support the 2nd gen Apple Pencil, the iPad must have a magnetic connector on the sides. Although the 10th gen iPad looks very similar to the iPad Air, it lacks a magnetic connector as shown above. This seems to be a deliberate omission by Apple and as a result, you’re left with a complicated way to charge the Pencil.
USB-C to Apple Pencil adapter costs RM55 in Malaysia
According to Apple’s announcement, a new USB-C to Apple Pencil adapter will be required to use the 1st gen Apple Pencil with the 10th gen iPad. If you already have an existing 1st gen Apple Pencil, you will need to buy the adapter which costs RM55.
It looks like a tiny little stick with a USB-C port on one end and a female lightning connector on the other. To pair or charge, you’ll need to connect the Apple Pencil, plug in a USB-C cable and then hook it up to the iPad’s USB-C port. If you just need to charge the Pencil, you could probably plug it directly into a compatible USB-C power source. If you worry about your Apple Pencil running out of juice, that’s a total of two extra items that you need to carry when you’re on the move.
Overall, this seems more complicated than plugging the Apple Pencil directly into the lightning port on the previous iPad but you probably look less silly than using the iPad while having the Pencil sticking out of it. It would probably be better if Apple released a male USB-C to Lightning connector dongle which reduces the extra step.
If you don’t own an Apple Pencil, Apple has updated the first-gen Apple Pencil packaging which now includes a USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter in the box. The 1st gen Apple Pencil is priced at RM479 but if you’re planning to buy one, do take a closer look at the contents as older stocks would not come with the adapter included.
Related reading
- iPad and iPad Pro 2022: Here’s the official pricing in Malaysia
- iPad 2022 Malaysia: The new iPad is a cheaper iPad Air with Landscape Ultra-wide front camera
- iPad Pro 2022 Malaysia: “Breakthrough” M2 performance, new Pencil features and 2x WiFi speeds
