The Apple Pencil could be about to get a serious upgrade, at least according to a newly published patent.
Apple has successfully patented a method by which the Apple Pencil can work on devices other than the iPad Pro. Specifically, the patent references an Apple Pencil working with a future version of the Magic Trackpad.
Currently, the Apple Pencil is only designed for use on the iPad Pro. But this new patent means that the Apple Pencil could one day be used to draw on an iMac – or perhaps even a MacBook.
Apple is also working on developing an Apple Pencil that can work with in-air gestures. This would allow users to control slides in a Keynote presentation using the Apple Pencil, for instance.
The patent was published by the US Patent and Trademark Office and were first revealed by Patently Apple. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that Apple will ever utilise the technology detailed in the patent.
The Apple Pencil was announced on September 9 last year, launched alongside the iPad Pro and released in conjunction with the suppressed tablet on November 11. It’s very similar to Microsoft’s Surface Pen, which pre-dates the Apple Pencil by over three years.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
