The Apple Pencil is Apple’s take on the ‘stylus wars’ and one that we would recommend if you use an iPad. To date, Apple has 2 generations of the Apple Pencil and in this guide, we will compare the first and second-generations and share some tips on the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Part 1: Apple Pencil 1 vs 2

The original Apple Pencil was a marvel, as it came with technologies that no other styluses had. It brought pressure sensitivity, which meant you could draw thicker lines if you pressed it and that was one of its main selling points. However, the charging process was awful, and somewhat very inconvenient as you had to place it in the lightning female connector. Thankfully, Apple released the second generation and we will compare the styluses.

Apple-Pencil

Comparison

Apple Pencil 1 Apple Pencil 2
Charging Through the female Lightning port on the iPad Snaps and charges through the magnets surrounding the iPad
Cap Yes No
Body Cylindrical Has a subtly flattened section, matte finish
Gesture controls No Yes
Support 1st, 2nd gen. iPad Pros, iPad Mini 5, iPad Air 3 & higher, iPad 6 3rd, 4th gen. iPad Pro
Price $99 (USD) $129 (USD)

Part 2: 6 tips and tricks for Apple Pencil 2

The Apple Pencil 2 is the latest generation in the stylus lineup from Apple, and there is more to it than just writing and drawing stuff. In terms of Apple Pencil 2 compatibility, it will only support the 2018 iPad Pros and later. It spots a design that is way better than the first generation, its always there by the side of your iPad and it now supports touch gestures. The list goes on, and we will share with you 6 Apple Pencil 2 tips and tricks.

Apple-Pencil-2

1. Palm rejection. The first-generation Apple Pencil brought an annoyance with it, you had to hold it in such a way not to rest your hand on the iPad screen and that is probably the worst thing of using a ‘pencil’. With Apple Pencil 2, that changes as the palm rejection is close to perfect although you might notice odd palm touches once in a while. The feature activates itself when you start using the Pencil.

2. Double-tap to switch modes. The flat surface on Apple Pencil 2 allows users to double-tap it so that they can switch between tools. For example, you can switch between a pen and an eraser in a present app, in case you make any errors. You can also change the double-tap gestures in the Settings app.

3. Trace through paper. If you have a thin paper with tracing on it, you could use it to transfer the drawing to your iPad by drawing through it! That is just amazing, although you will have a little trouble using thicker papers.

4. Switch Apple Pencil tips. For people who are going to heavily use the Apple Pencil 2, the tips will wear out with time. Apple does include an extra tip out of the box and in case you run out, you can still buy more from the Apple store. More so, if you have tips from the first generation of the Apple Pencil, those will work well as Apple Pencil 2 tips. Just unscrew the tips counterclockwise and screw in the new one.

5. Press harder for thicker lines. Just like a normal pencil would draw darker and thicker lines when pressed on a piece of paper, the Apple Pencil 2 also does that. This is because it is built with pressure sensitivity at the tip. You can also draw using the side of the tip to fill in large sections, just as a regular pencil would do.

6. Check the battery. When you put back the Apple Pencil to charge it on the side of your iPad, it will show you the battery percentage. However, there is a quicker way through the Notification Center widgets view. You should find the iOS battery widget, which shows battery percentages of the iPad as well as all connected accessories.

Part 3: What do we expect from Apple Pencil 3

The second generation of the Apple Pencil offers some great improvements over the first generation, and also a design that is far more appealing. While the Apple Pencil 3 seems to be far from release, it will eventually hit the shelves, and rumors have already started circulating. In fact, Apple currently has a patent that could be a feature for Apple Pencil 3. According to the U.S Patent and Trademark Office, Apple has a technology on a “Stylus with external magnetic influence”. So what exactly is that? Through that technology, the stylus could make a force by itself which in turn provides artificial weight on the device. The technology would allow the pencil to vibrate as it is being used on a screen, which will add the feeling of weight on the surface. It will work with the devices’s stylus tip thereby allowing magnetic technology to adapt on how its being used, and professionals who want to have a heavier tool for drawing would appreciate this feature. This magnetic technology would also allow the Apple Pencil to interact with haptic technology. Currently, no stylus on the market has this sort of technology, and it would be a first for Apple if other players do not release it first. Apple Pencil 3 might also gain the ability to recognize gestures such as swiping. If implemented, the touch sensor could be used to detect a rolling gesture by users, and that includes the movement of a finger around the circumference of the housing or over a working surface.

While this could improve the Apple Pencil, Apple is known to push many patents like these and they are not always employed on the development of actual products. More accurate rumors and news about Apple Pencil 3 will show-up closer to the release of the device.

Extension: How to transfer notes from iPad/iPhone to PC

With the iPhone and especially the iPad coupled with an Apple Pencil, taking notes is made fun and better. We all take notes from time to time, and the notes stored on our Apple devices are just as important as everything else stored on it. As such, it is highly critical and recommended to make regular backups of your notes, as well as anything else stored on your iPhone or iPad to prevent data loss due to several possible circumstances. Leawo iTransfer, a much more advanced iOS mobile device manager would be most suitable for backups and transfer jobs to and from an iOS device and a computer. Unlike iTunes or other competing software, Leawo iTransfer can manage the playlists of the iOS devices and iTunes with ease. Apart from supporting notes, Leawo iTransfer supports 13 other types of data as well as 3rd-party apps. In this day and age everyone wants to do a job in the fastest time possible, and the good news is Leawo iTransfer is built with advanced high speed scanning and transfer technologies. You also do not have to worry about prying eyes over your personal data, as privacy and protection comes standard with this software. After sharing some Apple Pencil 2 tips with you, we will now show you how you can backup or transfer the notes you are going to take by using this software. Download and install it first then follow the steps below.

Download Windows Version Download Mac Version

Step 1: Launch Leawo iTransfer on your PC

Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer via USB and the software should detect it. On the left sidebar, you will see your libraries (notes, music, messages, photos, podcasts, installed 3rd party apps etc).

iTransfer-main-interface

Step 2: Select Notes from the library

Click the Export button at the top of the screen after selecting specific notes. Besides, you can also edit the notes in this process.

export-notes

Step 3: Select your output folder

After that, a pop-up dialogue box will show up, and from there choose a target folder then click “Save” to export the notes.

choose a target folder