New Apple Pencil rumors suggest an imminent launch and bolder design

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There’s been talk of a new Apple Pencil for some time now, and with iPads overdue and expected to launch soon too, this latest leak promising an imminent release looks as though it might hold water.

It’s been five years since Apple introduced its second-generation Apple Pencil, which boasted a completely self-contained design with magnetic wireless charging (the first-gen Apple Pencil charged via a Lightning port on one end), alongside new pressure, hover, and double-tap functionality. According to tipster Instant Digital – via Chinese social media site Weibo – a follow-up should be arriving this month.

Instant doesn’t have a rock-solid track record with their Apple reveals, but as noted by MacRumors, did correctly foretell of the iPhone 14’s yellow colorway for Spring (in the northern hemisphere, at least) 2023, alongside key iPhone 15 developments, including the standard models’ use of frosted back glass, and Spatial Video recording being possible on the iPhone 15 Pro line.

Talk of a new iPad stylus release does coincide with established Apple analyst, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman’s recent claims that both the next Apple Pencil and new iPad Pros should be arriving “in the next several weeks,” so we’re crossing our fingers that this latest tidbit holds true too.

Alongside an expected iPad Air 6 that’s larger than previous models and a new iPad Pro 2024 line in possession of OLED displays, the next-gen Apple Pencil is thought to possess a slew of new features, including interchangeable tips that snap on magnetically, a shorter design with a glossy finish (like the first-gen Apple Pencil), and even the ability to sample colors directly from the world around you.

Pencil case

Having never taken the original Apple Pencil off the market, there are now a trio of first-party styli on offer for the company’s famed iPads, each with a varying feature set and price point. The hope is that Apple uses the arrival of a new, more advanced model, to consolidate the line down to just one or two options, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the first-gen Apple Pencil – with its outdated Lightning port – is on the way out regardless.

What’s more, the case for Apple Pencil functionality straying beyond the bounds of the iPad and onto other Apple hardware – including the iPhone and Mac – continues to grow too; based on both external pressures and the ever-expanding functionality Apple itself continues to bring to iOS and macOS.

Even if such a shift were to occur, however, knowing Apple, the company would likely hold fast until WWDC 2024 (expected to take place in June this year) – where it usually shows off new software and operating system improvements – to offer us even a hint of expanded support being on the horizon.

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