A new Apple Pencil 3 is all but confirmed to launch during the upcoming Apple event, and its rumored features have me more excited than the OLED iPad Pro.
It’s probably no surprise that Apple will launch new iPad Pro during the Let Loose event. It’s also very unsurprising that they’ll get an OLED display and even potentially new M series silicon. The iPad Pros have always offered monstrous specs, and another spec bump is the last thing they need (but that’s a discussion for another day).
I’m not one to get hyped about specs; my tablet doesn’t need the latest hardware. It just has to handle simple games, YouTube, and note-taking, which my current iPad Air M1 does perfectly. I’m not planning to upgrade anytime soon. But I’m looking forward to the Apple Pencil 3.
Rumor has it that it’ll come with haptic feedback, magnetic tips, and support for the Find My network. The current Apple Pencil is already great for drawing, note-taking, and more, but the Apple Pencil 3 could bring things to another level.
More realism
The Apple Pencil, whether it’s the first or second gen, is the most natural stylus out there. It feels way more like a real pencil than any other alternative I’ve used. Draw light, and you get thin lines. Press down harder, and you get thicker ones. And there’s zero lag, which makes it almost feel like you’re using a real pencil. But, you still don’t get the same tactile experience as a real pencil.
The Apple Pencil 3 could change that. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims in one of the latest editions of his Power On newsletter that the new Apple Pencil will include haptic feedback. That’s a first for an Apple Stylus.
It’s not clear how Apple is going to employ haptic feedback, but it could add more realism to using the stylus. Microsoft’s Surface Slim Pen 2 already comes with haptic feedback. It is designed to mimic the feel of paper. The Verge’s Tom Warren used Microsoft’s stylus and noted that it makes drawing feel more realistic.
“It’s difficult to describe without feeling it yourself, but the chalk feels… chalky, and the inking nib has the slight bit of tension you’d expect to feel on real paper,” said Warren.
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So, any haptic feedback that can mimic the feeling of real-world writing or drawing would be a major upgrade for the Apple Pencil 3. Especially if it can simulate different tools, like a smooth pen on paper or the scratchy texture of a crayon.
You’ll never lose it again
The Apple Pencil 3 might get support for Apple’s Find My network, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Anyone who uses an Apple Pencil understands the anxiety of misplacing it. Take my recent trip to the Maldives. While waiting for my flight, I was busy sketching on my iPad with the Apple Pencil. When boarding was announced, I rushed off, accidentally leaving my Apple Pencil behind.
It wasn’t until later that I realized my mistake, but by then, it was too late. If only my Apple Pencil had Find My support, I could have easily tracked it down. The Apple Pencil 3 might include this feature, making sure that if you ever lose your stylus, finding it will be a breeze.
Another Apple Pencil 3 feature that has me excited is the support for interchangeable tips. The stylus could have new tips with different shapes to better fit the your needs. For example, there would be specific tips recommended for drawing and painting.
Based on what my source reportedthe new Apple Pencil 3 will come with interchangeable magnetic tips(for drawing, technical drawing and painting) pic.twitter.com/AXUdpbZFVh
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) September 30, 2023
The first and second Apple Pencils already let you swap out the tip, but it’s a bit of a hassle. The current tips screw on, and there’s only one kind available (so you just buy a replacement if yours wears out or gets lost). According to Majin Bu, new tips might attach magnetically to the Apple Pencil. This would make switching between tips a lot smoother.
There might be other features that Apple could announce, such as a new squeeze gesture for controlling certain features. The Apple Pencil 3 has more exciting and useful upgrades than the iPad Pro, which already has super capable hardware. So, for me at least, it offers me a chance at not only replacing the one I lost, but will also serve as a massive upgrade on older models, too.