Just as we are waiting for the new iPad Air and iPad Pro that should be launched in May, we are also waiting for a renewed version of the Apple Pencil 3. In the first beta of iPadOS 17.5, 9to5mac has found evidence that not only confirms the existence of this new Apple pencil, but also gives us clues about what it could offer.
An update that is already being prepared for the next Apple Pencil
The code of the beta refers to a new gesture: squeezing. This new form of interaction should allow us to request some action from the Pencil. Whether it’s offering us shapes, changing colors, or switching between pencil effect settings on the iPad, this is a notable evolution from the Apple Pencil 2, which only supports the double tap gesture to switch between tools in certain applications.
Thanks to a pressure sensor, probably in a specific section of the pencil and not throughout its entire length, the Apple Pencil 3 opens up to more gestures. More gestures because we have to consider that the combination of pressing and the current double tap can give rise to even more options when interacting with our pencil.
In addition to this news, Apple has updated the pairing interface of the Apple Pencil to support new hardware that does not yet exist. A preparation for the company’s third generation pencil, which apparently is coming soon.
In fact, iPadOS 17.5 could be the software version dedicated to the new iPads that may have been holding back its release. Now, with the first beta already underway, we will have to see what we discover in the following ones and when this version of the operating system becomes available for our iPads. For our iPads and, it seems, for our new Apple Pencil 3 as well.
