We’ve just got our best evidence yet that the Apple Pencil 3, a new stylus for iPad devices, is on the way.
Diving into the code present in the iPadOS 17.5 beta reveals that Apple is set to introduce new stylus-based gesture controls that would not be possible with the current generation Apple Pencil 2 device, adding weight to growing rumors that a refresh of its stylus line-up is coming.
According to the code, the Apple Pencil 3 will be able to identify if a user gives the barrel of the stylus a long squeeze or a ‘double squeeze’, presumably assigning different shortcut commands to each action.
These two gestures are in addition to the previously-reported ‘Squeeze’ gesture uncovered recently, suggesting Apple expects its new pen to be smart enough to discern different squeeze interactions and intentions.
Though it can identify pressure levels in its tip, the Apple Pencil 2 does not have pressure sensitivity in its casing, so these gestures must be intended for an all-new device.
Not just a full iPad line-up refresh
The Apple Pencil 3 is therefore expected to land alongside the long-awaited iPad line-up refresh. It’s been a record-breaking 18-months at the time of writing since Apple last revealed new iPads, with an OLED iPad Pro, iPad Air 6 and iPad Mini 7 all expected to launch at some point this year.
The larger iPads are expected imminently, with a May 2024 launch window pencilled in, while the Mini 7 will likely follow later in the year. More evidence of that iPad Pro’s OLED screen — a first for Apple’s tablet line-up — can also be found in the iPadOS 17.5 beta.
But if you think the wait for iPads has been long, it’s been an even longer wait for a true successor to the Apple Pencil 2, which launched in November 2018 — almost five and a half years ago. And while a USB-C variant was introduced in November 2023, it was functionally the same as the 2nd-gen stylus, with the exception of the more modern charging port.