That the Apple Pencil is a truly impressive product in terms of interaction with our iPads is something we already know. That it could go much further is something we are just discovering. According to sources close to the company (via MacRumors), a new version of the Apple Pencil is being internally tested that would be compatible with visionOS, the operating system of Apple’s space computer, the Vision Pro.
A huge change in how we interact with information
It may seem like a minor detail, but it would open up a range of possibilities, as we could use the Apple Pencil directly in Vision Pro applications, such as Freeform, Notes, Pages, Pixelmator, and many more. We still don’t know the specific details of the tests, but it is speculated that we could draw with the Apple Pencil on a table or any other flat surface, and that our annotations would appear in the open visionOS application.
If so, this seemingly simple integration would transform our environment into a giant canvas. Taking into account the pressure sensitivity and tilt capabilities of the Apple Pencil, the possibilities are endless, from writing on a virtual whiteboard during a meeting, to annotating a PDF file that the system projects directly onto our desktop.
As far as we know, Apple will release a new Apple Pencil in the coming weeks, along with the new iPad Pro and iPad Air. We don’t know if it will be directly compatible with visionOS, if a software update will be required on the space computer, a new Apple Vision Pro 2, or if Apple will continue with these plans.
What we do know is that being able to interact with the digital world of the Vision Pro directly with our Apple Pencil can mark a before and after in how we relate to technology and the information that it gives us access to. While Zuckerberg claims that the Meta Quest 3 is better than the Vision Pro, we will see what other surprises Apple may have in store for us.
