C'mon, Why Isn't the New Apple Pencil Pro Backward Compatible?

Apple announced four new iPad models today, and alongside these tablets is a new stylus: the $129 Apple Pencil Pro. It's the first major overhaul of the iPad accessory that introduces new features since the company launched the second-generation Apple Pencil in 2018.

The new stylus is very similar to its predecessor, except there's a new “Squeeze” function that lets you squeeze near the tip of the stylus to bring up a new tool palette on the screen. (The double-tap function is still present, allowing you to tap twice at the tip to switch back to the last-used tool in your drawing app.)

There's a haptic motor inside so you can feel it when you squeeze. The motor also works when you double-tap to confirm by generating a tactile sensation to tell you the action worked successfully. Also new is a gyroscope, which lets you rotate the Pencil Pro as you sketch for even finer control. Lastly, the Apple Pencil Pro works with the company's Find My app, so you can now locate it if it's misplaced.

These are nice improvements but there's nothing here that warrants the “Pro” moniker for the stylus. If I had any say, this would just be the Apple Pencil (3rd Generation). Alas, you now have four styli to choose from for your iPad: the Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (2nd Generation), Apple Pencil (USB-C), and Apple Pencil (1st Generation). This makes things even more confusing for the average person who already had to learn which of these Pencils is compatible with their iPad model.