Pencil, Apple’s active stylus for iPads, is getting a cheaper version with USB-C that works on every current and previous iPad with USB-C.

If you want to order a stylus with your iPad today, you can choose from three variants: 1st generation (Lightning), 2nd generation (wireless charging) and USB-C. The latest variant, the USB-C version, is also the cheapest at 95 euros including VAT. When you pull out the top of the Pencil, a USB-C port appears that a cable fits into.

The lower price means that Apple has left out some features with the USB-C Pencil. For example, the pen is not pressure sensitive and the double-tap function to switch between tools does not work. Wireless pairing is also not an option: You have to briefly establish a USB-C connection between the Pencil and the iPad as a one-time connection. Then they both remember that they belong together.

Until recently, Apple still had a gap in its Pencil range. Since the introduction of the latest iPads last year, the basic version of the iPad has had a USB-C port. Since the first Pencil was charged via Lightning and the tablet doesn’t support wireless charging (the Pencil 2), there was no option for drawing. Now with the USB-C version.

The cheapest Pencil with USB-C is compatible with these iPad models:

• iPad Pro 12.9 inch (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th generation)
• iPad Pro 11 inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation)
• iPad Air (4th and 5th generation)
• iPad (10th generation)
• iPad mini (6th generation)

If you are unsure which generation of iPad he or she has: Check whether there is a USB-C port on the bottom. If available, you can get started with the new, cheapest Pencil.

Initially, there were rumors that Apple would announce new iPad models this week. Has this news now been replaced by the USB-C Pencil or will something else be released later this week? Stay tuned for more news.