Apple launched a brand new third-generation “professional” Apple Pencil at its “Let Free” iPad occasion Tuesday alongside new iPad Pro and iPad Air fashions. The primary Apple Pencil Professional brings a brand new “squeeze” gesture, an inner gyroscope, haptic suggestions and Discover My help, making it essentially the most succesful iPad stylus but.
Obtainable to order today for $129 — the identical worth as the second-generation Apple Pencil — the Apple Pencil Professional beneficial properties options usually discovered on styluses for devoted drawing tablets, like a brand new “squeeze” gesture and a “Barrel Roll” gyroscope for exact device controls.
“The brand new options in Apple Pencil Professional are merely revolutionary,” mentioned John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice chairman of {hardware} engineering, within the introductory “Let Free” video. “And we’re additionally excited that Apple Pencil Professional works with the brand new iPad Air as nicely, giving air customers one more professional characteristic to push their creativity.”
New Apple Pencil Professional provides ‘squeeze’ gesture and haptic suggestions
The Apple Pencil has confirmed to be a vital accent for a lot of iPad customers. It’s a significant device for portray, sketching, doodling, note-taking and marking up paperwork proper on the display.
The brand new Apple Pencil Professional is the largest replace to the accent because the second-gen Apple Pencil in 2018. It’s technically the fourth Apple Pencil total, following the finances USB-C model that came out in October 2023 however lacked options like stress sensitivity. The most recent version’s new options were much-anticipated.
Squeeze gesture and Barrel Roll
The Apple Pencil Professional includes a new sensor within the barrel that may detect squeezes. Squeezing the pencil brings up a device palette to rapidly swap issues like colours, brush shapes and line weights.
Apple mentioned app builders would be capable of code their very own customized device palettes.
Haptic suggestions and rotation controls
The brand new pencil additionally includes a customized haptic engine that evenly faucets to substantiate squeezes, double faucets and objects snapping into place.
A built-in gyroscope means merely rolling the Apple Pencil Professional gives exact management of no matter device is getting used. Rotating the barrel modifications the orientation of issues like pen and brush instruments, in order that brushes grow to be wider when rotated, for instance. Utilizing Apple Pencil hover, any modifications to a device are visualized earlier than making a mark.
“Apple Pencil Professional fully transforms the portray expertise in Procreate,” mentioned James Cuda, the CEO of Procreate, within the introductory video.
Within the video, the Professional’s squeeze gesture and Barrel Roll have been proven to activate shortcuts, change layers, and transfer and rework objects.
Discover My help for first time
Like earlier fashions, the Apple Pencil Professional is magnetic. It attaches magnetically alongside the pill’s flat panorama edge for storage, wi-fi pairing and charging.
For the primary time, Apple Pencil Professional helps Apple’s Find My network, making it straightforward for customers to situated a misplaced stylus.
Select the precise options and compatibility
The most important disadvantage is compatibility. The Apple Pencil Professional is suitable solely with the just-announced M2 iPad Airs and M4 iPad Pros.
Customers with older iPads will be unable to improve to the Apple Pencil Professional.
When you personal an older iPad, and aren’t planning to improve, the Apple Pencil 2 options stress and tilt sensitivity and a flat magnetic edge to attach with an iPad for charging. It really works with iPad Professional 12.9-inch (third, 4th, fifth, and sixth technology); iPad Professional 11-inch (1st, 2nd, third, and 4th technology); iPad Air (4th and fifth technology); and iPad mini (sixth technology).
Launched means again in 2015, Apple Pencil (1st gen) continues to be a great tool. And it’s usually on sale. It’s a fantastic alternative for iPad homeowners (tenth gen or older). The older Apple Pencil lacks the flat edge and magnetic connection to your iPad, and prices by way of Lighting connector.
Another choice is the inexpensive Apple Pencil USB-C, launched last year with a restricted characteristic listing however with charging by way of USB-C, after all.
To assist select your Pencil, try Apple’s compatibility info and extra at apple.com/apple-pencil.
David Snow contributed to this report.