With four new iPad models announced during Apple’s “Let Loose” event, there was plenty for Apple fans to like. A new iPad Pro and iPad Air were announced, with 11-inch and 13-inch models for each. Apple also lowered the price of its 10th-generation iPad, giving it a very welcome $100 price cut.
With all the excitement over the new slates and the OLED iPad Pro, it was probably easy to overlook that accessories weren’t neglected during “Let Loose.” There’s a new Apple Pencil Pro that works with several of the tablets that were newly announced, along with a new Magic Keyboard. But which iPads does the new Apple Pencil Pro work with? That’s what we’re here to clear up.
The Apple Pencil Pro works with the four new iPad models. That includes:
The missing link here is the base iPad, which supports two models of the Apple Pencil, but not the Apple Pencil Pro. The new Apple Pencil Pro also does not work with the iPad mini.
It’s particularly confusing because there are now four models of Apple Pencil available. The Apple Pencil Pro, which we have already discussed, the Apple Pencil (2nd generation), the Apple Pencil USB-C, and the Apple Pencil (1st generation). And largely, these aren’t cross-compatible. The Apple Pencil Pro won’t work with any older devices, while the 2nd gen isn’t forward compatible, but the USB-C Apple Pencil is and will work with the new iPad Pro and iPad Air.
Overall, you have some manner of stylus support for the whole lineup, but it’s easy to see how this will be confusing to consumers trying to buy one. The Apple Pencil Pro also doesn’t match the broad compatibility of Samsung’s S Pen Pro, which works with a huge range of Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and PCs, including some older-generation devices.
The Apple Pencil Pro is chock-full of features and sensors that add unique capabilities. There’s Squeeze, which senses when you squeeze the stylus and lets you bring up a new palette to switch tools, line weights, and colors. There’s a gyroscope that allows Barrel Roll, which lets you rotate the Apple Pencil Pro for more precision control of shaped pen and brush tools.
You also get haptic feedback when you squeeze or double tap, letting you know when you’ve activated something. Double tapping lets you quickly switch between tools, like a pen or eraser. Hover allows you to preview where your Apple Pencil Pro will touch down on your display, letting you see a virtual shadow of the tool before you start writing. Finally, you get Find My, which lets you track down the Apple Pencil Pro more easily if you misplace it. This has been a much-requested feature for Apple fans.
The Apple Pencil Pro costs $129 and is now available for preorder. It is expected to ship on May 15.
Apple has just launched its latest iPad mini with a notable set of upgrades, including an OLED screen, improved speakers, and a more resilient build. It also gets a new chip, and the whole package costs $200 more than its predecessor. But if you look closely at Apple’s online store, you’ll realize that $699 isn’t enough to get you the most powerful version of the A20 Pro chip inside this tablet. In fact, even if you pay $800 for the 256GB model, you still won’t get the beefiest variant. Only when you jump to the 512GB trim, which costs an absurd $999, do you get the most powerful flavor of the A20 Pro.
The $999 model gets more than extra storage
Ahead of its October 28 “Pro and Tell” event, Apple has refreshed the iPad mini with an OLED display (the first for the mini line), the company’s latest in-house, Pro-grade chipset, and something else that made me read twice: an Acoustic Display design.
The iPad mini (8th generation) starts at $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for cellular variants. Pre-orders start October 28, 2026, and general sales begin November 6, 2026.
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