Apple has introduced the Apple Pencil Pro, the first major update to its stylus lineup since the Apple Pencil 2 launched in 2018. The new accessory brings several significant changes and improvements.
One of the key new features is the squeeze gesture. The Apple Pencil Pro can sense when pressure is applied to its sides, allowing users to squeeze the pencil to bring up a palette for quickly switching tools, line weights, and colors.
App developers can also customize how their apps respond to the squeeze gesture.
The Apple Pencil Pro includes a gyroscope that enables barrel roll functionality. By rotating the pencil’s barrel, users can precisely control the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, mimicking how a real pen or brush would perform when tilted during drawing or sketching.
Haptic feedback is another new addition, with a built-in haptic engine providing subtle vibrations in response to gestures like squeezing or double-tapping, as well as when using the snap-to Smart Shape feature.
Apple has also included Find My support for the Apple Pencil Pro, allowing users to track its location alongside other devices in the Find My app.
The Apple Pencil Pro attaches magnetically to the side of compatible iPad Pro and iPad Air models for automatic pairing and charging. It retains existing features like Apple Pencil hover, double-tap for tool switching, low latency, tilt sensitivity, and pressure sensitivity.
The Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with the M2 iPad Air models and the M4 iPad Pro models released in May 2024. It is priced at $129, the same as the Apple Pencil 2.
