Apple does not usually announce new products via a software release. But the first developer beta for iOS 17.4, a big release, seems to have confirmed that a new iPad Pro is on its way—full details here. And, alongside that, there are references in the software to an all-new accessory: an updated Apple Pencil.
The current range of Apple Pencils is wider than ever: the first-generation model, the more affordable and most recent Apple Pencil with USB-C, and the second-generation Apple Pencil.
So, what will the new Pencil offer, and will it replace any of the existing models? According to 9to5Mac, there are neat updates coming, as revealed in the internal files in the iOS 17.4 developer beta.
The big news is that the software hints compatibility with Apple Find My will be built in to the next Pencil. That’s a first for Apple Pencil. It’s not clear whether this means the next model will have Ultra Wideband built in or not. If it does, you’ll be able to precisely find the Pencil (though, trust me, it’s almost always going to have slipped down between the cushions on the couch, so look there first). Precise finding means your iPhone can guide you directly to the right place.
There’s no issue in terms of space—the latest AirPods Pro have the U1 chip in the case, after all, but it could be that instead the Pencil simply shows up on a map with its last known location. Either way, it’s a neat upgrade, though I refer you to my earlier remarks about the couch.
There’s another upgrade coming, it seems, which is not surprising as Apple is unlikely to release a whole new product without adding new features. The software says that a new version of PencilKit API si coming. That’s what developers use to make apps work with Apple Pencil. New features were introduced recently with iPadOS 17.0, enabling new ways of drawing and writing, including a fountain pen and a crayon. But a new API tells us more is on the way, even though it’s not clear what those changes might be. We’ll have to wait for the general release software and the Pencil going on sale for that.
Which will be when? Well, we know that iOS 17.4 will be released in early March, Apple has told us that, so it could be that the Apple Pencil and new iPad Pro will be revealed alongside.
They won’t come any earlier, than that, for sure, but it’s also possible the Pencil and iPad could be delayed—and the current clues could even be removed from successive betas.
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