Apple is developing a new Apple Pencil model for release next year, possibly with a replaceable battery

Bloomberg’s Mark Garman said Apple is developing a new lineup of Apple Pencil stylus accessories, expected to launch next year with new iPad Pro models in spring 2027.

This means a new generation of Apple Pencil (USB-C) and wireless charging Apple Pencil Pro. Bloomberg suggests that these new styluses may feature a new battery system that will be easier for users to replace to comply with upcoming EU regulations.

The current Apple Pencil is basically not user replaceable. The battery charges via the USB-C port or by magnetically connecting a stylus to the side of the iPad for wireless charging. However, if the condition of the internal battery deteriorates, it is practically impossible to replace the component.

Modern pencils are manufactured with lots of internal adhesive that glues everything together and are not designed to be taken apart and put back together.

The EU regulation cited by Bloomberg is Article 11 of the EU Battery Regulation, which came into force in 2023 but will not be legally applicable until February 2027. The new law requires that portable batteries be easily removed and replaced by the end user during the product’s lifetime.

Obviously, the first intended target of this law is smartphones (which Apple may already have in compliance due to the availability of self-service repair programs). However, it applies more broadly, including accessories such as rechargeable styluses, keyboards and mice, and headphones.

It remains to be seen exactly what changes Apple will need to make across its products to comply. AirPods are a particularly difficult example where there’s no obvious way Apple could make small wireless earbuds with easily replaceable batteries. This complexity feels a little more obvious when you compare it to the user-replaceable battery path inside the Apple Pencil.