Brand new Apple Pencil USB-C is on sale (here’s why you should buy the old one instead)

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New isn't better.

Apple Pencil Cyber Monday
(Image credit: Future / Apple)

Last month, Apple revealed the brand-new USB-C Apple Pencil, and it's already on sale for Cyber Monday. But wait! Before you run off to Amazon to pick up the latest Apple Pencil with a 10% discount, let me tell you why you should avoid this deal at all costs and pick up the even better Apple Pencil 2 with a $40 discount instead.

You see when Apple announced the more affordable USB-C Apple Pencil in October, we all breathed a sigh of relief — no longer would iPad 10th generation owners be stuck with the USB-C adapter required to charge a 1st gen Apple Pencil with a USB-C iPad.

The cheaper USB-C option ($79 rrp) is also compatible with the other iPads in Apple's lineup, such as the M2 iPad Pro or the 5th generation iPad Air. That said, no one other than iPad 10th generation owners should even contemplate the cheaper Pencil with its lack of pressure sensitivity and magnetic charging.

The reason? You can pick up an Apple Pencil 2 with a huge discount this Cyber Monday, making it far more appealing than the new USB-C Apple Pencil and a much better deal.

So make sure you don't buy a USB-C Apple Pencil this Cyber Monday (unless you own a 10th generation iPad).

If you're in the market for a pencil and own an iPad mini 6, iPad Air 4th gen, or an iPad Pro, buy the Apple Pencil 2 for under $90 instead.

Cyber Monday iPad savings

The Apple Pencil deal you should actually buy

Apple Pencil 2nd gen | $129$89 at Amazon

Apple Pencil 2nd gen | $129 $89 at Amazon

The Apple Pencil 2 is a marked improvement on the previous model. It can magnetically attach to an iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini. You can also double-tap the Pencil to summon the eraser, alongside support for 'Hover' on iPad Pro models. At $40 off, it's a great discount if you've been tempted by one.

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If you're looking for the best Cyber Monday Apple deals as the annual sales season kicks off, we've got you covered. From now right through to Cyber Monday on November 27, we'll be serving up the best offers on iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, HomeKit smart home devices and more. Save a small fortune by checking back on our daily deals coverage.

John-Anthony Disotto
John-Anthony Disotto
How To Editor

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019.  John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.