A new, more affordable Apple Pencil has been launched to take your iPad sketching and note-taking to a new level. 

Priced at £79 and available early in November, the new Pencil has been designed with low latency and tilt sensitivity to make it the ideal companion for Apple’s latest iPads with a USB-C connection. Plus, it’s also got USB-C charging, much like the new iPhone 15 range. When it’s magnetically attached to an iPad, the Pencil will automatically enter into sleep mode to help boost battery life, too. 

Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing, said: “Apple Pencil has revolutionised note taking, sketching, and illustrating, unleashing endless possibilities for productivity and creativity.

“Combined with the versatility of iPad, the new Apple Pencil unlocks another great option to experience the magic of digital handwriting, annotation, marking up documents, and more.”

The Pencil can be used in conjunction with apps like Scrabble and Quick Note, while users of the iPad Pro will be able to make the most of the Pencil’s hover function which makes things even more precise. 

It’s worth pointing out that this latest model of Pencil isn’t a replacement for the second-generation version or the original but provides a cheaper, less feature-rich alternative that could be great for someone looking to better their iPad experience without pushing the budget too far. 

For example, this Pencil doesn’t wirelessly pair and charge – you’ll need to do that via the USB-C charging cable – and you can’t double-tap to switch between tools. To get those functions you’d need to switch to the second-generation model which clocks in at £139. The first-generation model, meanwhile, can be bought for £109 and that includes an adapter for USB-C charging and pairing. 

Given that the first-generation Pencil has most of the same features as this latest version, we recommend opting for this new USB-C version and saving some money in the process.