Apple Pencil (USB C) and older iPads
I wanted to buy an Apple Pencil USB C for my older iPad and it is not compatible. Why is that?
iPad, iPadOS 17
Here is Apple’s definitive compatibility list for Apple Pencil and iPad:
Apple Pencil compatibility - Apple Support
Different models of Apple Pencil have different pairing interfaces and charging methods - and are therefore not interchangeable.
The USB-C Pencil can only be used with iPad models that have a USB-C port. Also note that support for the USB-C Pencil was introduced with iPadOS 17.1; as such, unless a compatible iPad has been updated to iPadOS 17.1 or later, the USB-C Pencil simply won't work with the iPad.
Many older models of iPad, that support Apple Pencil, are only compatible with the first generation Apple Pencil - that is paired and charged by directly connecting the Pencil to the Lightning port of the host iPad.