Apple Pencil Pro
A new sensor in the barrel can sense a user’s squeeze, bringing up a tool palette to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors, all without interrupting the creative process. A custom haptic engine delivers a light tap that provides confirmation when users squeeze, use double-tap, or snap to a Smart Shape for a remarkably intuitive experience. A gyroscope allows users to roll Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of the tool they’re using. Rotating the barrel changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, just like pen and paper. And with Apple Pencil hover, users can visualize the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark.
With these advanced features, Apple Pencil Pro allows users to bring their ideas to life in entirely new ways, and developers can also create their own custom interactions. Apple Pencil Pro brings support for Find My for the first time to Apple Pencil, helping users locate Apple Pencil Pro if misplaced. It pairs, charges, and is stored on the side of iPad Pro through a new magnetic interface.
This is really cool. I kind of wish Apple were doing more with Mac input devices. Magic Mouse could use more buttons and smarter gestures. I really liked using a stylus with a Wacom tablet back in the day.
Previously:
Update (2024-05-08): Joe Rossignol:
Priced at $129, the Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models announced this week. The first-generation Apple Pencil, second-generation Apple Pencil, and lower-cost Apple Pencil with a USB-C port all remain available, making the Apple Pencil lineup more complex than ever for the time being.
Update (2024-05-10): Juli Clover:
There are some major changes that were introduced with the new accessory, including new gestures and capabilities.
Apple now sells four different Apple Pencil models. It can be confusing to figure out which one works with your iPad. In this article, we will help you choose the right Apple Pencil for your iPad.
There are some new docs from Apple to go with the new features enabled by Apple Pencil Pro — they’re well-written, and they have workable sample snippets with a SwiftUI/UIKit toggle.
Update (2024-05-17): Nick Heer:
In a video on Threads, Quinn Nelson shows how the Apple Pencil casts a tool-specific faux shadow on the surface of the page. I love this sort of thing — a detail like this that, once you notice it, brings a little joy to whatever you are doing, whether that is creating art or just taking notes.
Still dreaming of the iPad running macOS. There was so much discussion today about the iPad converging towards the laptop form factor, especially the rhetoric around the Magic Keyboard, that I could almost imagine them announcing it at the next WWDC. Almost.