The decision to make the all-new iPad compatible with the original Apple Pencil looks likely to go down as one of Apple’s most ridiculous design decisions.
Since the new entry-level iPad utilizes USB-C rather than Lightning, you can’t plug the Apple Pencil into the tablet to charge the stylus. And Apple’s “fix” — the $9 USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter that will come packaged with old-school Apple Pencils — sent some Apple fans into an accelerated version of the five stages of grief.
Mourning the new iPad’s Apple Pencil dongle
The silly dongle is just one of the puzzling revelations from this week’s iPad and iPad Pro updates. But it’s definitely the one that evoked the most denial, anger, bargaining, depression and … finally … acceptance.
Cue up some somber organ music on Apple Music and join us as the world weeps, longing for the rapturous days when you charged an Apple Pencil by jamming it awkwardly into your iPad’s Lightning port.
Denial
At first, people couldn’t find a way to wrap their heads around the decision to require the dongle. Confusion and shock set in, and many simply shut down.
Oh nice new iPads!
Oh awesome home button gone, finally unifying the lineup, and ports, and Pencils, and…wait, is that a… can’t be… Pencil 1 on that photo? How?!?
Oh no, no way, they actually dongle-ized the pencil. pic.twitter.com/diQvAh5qKl— Daniel Gobera (@dgobera) October 18, 2022
WAIT WHAT.
So the iPad now has USB-C but isn’t compatible with the Apple Pencil 2, so you need to buy a dongle to be able to use the Apple Pencil 1. And you have to carry it with you everywhere. pic.twitter.com/InXAOcBZNq— LeaksApplePro (@LeaksApplePro) October 18, 2022
Anger
Then came the righteous anger. How could Apple do this to us? Whatever happened to elegance and Apple’s faultless design principles?!? Requiring a dongle is an affront to good taste. Plus, it’s bad for kids and worse for the environment.
How could the Apple design gods let this happen?
iPad (10th) #PixelArt .
Apple Pencil "1st generation" is paired. Via iPad (10th generation).Blog title (8vivid):
iPad (10th generation) is supported Apple Pencil "1st generation". It's horrible! pic.twitter.com/Aq85jcUzjE— 2410NEKO Pixel Art (@NekoNijo_8bit) October 19, 2022
Apple, you kill me. They release this base model iPad thats not actually a base model, is essentially an iPad Air 4th generation, but they don't give it support for the magnetic Apple Pencil? You gotta use the 1st generation one? And they ship you an adapter? WHAT pic.twitter.com/QmYicp7BT9
— Luke Miani (@LukeMiani) October 18, 2022
Asked my mom, a school teacher, for her opinion on the iPad 10 Apple Pencil situation. Super interesting pic.twitter.com/VSY4MNDkPv
— Ian Zelbo (@ianzelbo) October 18, 2022
Apple: "No charger block cause we <3 environment"
Also Apple: "We keep 2 generations of pencils in production, and for the old one we also create a brand new dongle (shipped separately) so we can sell 2 different iPads that are practically the same"— RaMP✨ (@RampWuff) October 19, 2022
Bargaining
Eventually, some folks tried to convince themselves that toting around a dongle wouldn’t be that bad.
A brilliant way for charging Apple Pencil in iPad 10.#apple #Apple #iPadgen10 #ApplePencil pic.twitter.com/4o8V7Tffis
— Sherlock Lau (@theSherlockLau) October 19, 2022
USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter. CAN’T INNOVATE ANYMORE, MY ASS! #ItJustWorks #TakeNote https://t.co/vjKCsfchh8 pic.twitter.com/hYivp0o86W
— ᴺᴼᵀ Jony Ive (@JonyIveParody) October 18, 2022
Depression
Soon others descended completely into the depths of depression and despair. This is, after all, the kind of unwarranted indignity that no technology fan should ever endure.
APPLE WHY
WHY CANT YOU JUST SUPPORT THE IPAD 10 WITH PENCIL 2
WHY DO YOU NEED THIS DONGLE pic.twitter.com/vR7dHiPWhP
— SonicHacki -my heart vandalized by #SonicFrontiers (@SonicHacki) October 18, 2022
The old way was bad but at least the new way is bad pic.twitter.com/mLp2B1ANy1
— Alex Guyot (@_alexguyot) October 18, 2022
Acceptance
And finally, at least some Apple fans came to terms with the new reality. They found acceptance — and even hope for the future!
$9 lightning to usb-c dongle
Hey at least you don’t need to plug directly into the ipad anymore pic.twitter.com/6vX4br3gXu— ShrimpApplePro (@VNchocoTaco) October 18, 2022
I present… My solution for those afraid of losing their USB-C Apple Pencil adapter #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/mPHHJHn955
— Ian Zelbo (@ianzelbo) October 18, 2022
