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Tag: pencil

  • Apple files patent application for a third-generation Apple Pencil

    Apple files patent application for a third-generation Apple Pencil

    The late Steve Jobs introduced the touchscreen Apple iPhone in January 2007 by famously saying, “Who wants a stylus? You have to get them and put them away and you lose them. Yuck! Nobody wants a stylus.” But in 2015, the Apple Pencil was unveiled for the iPad Pro. Of course, the Apple Pencil is much more advanced than the simple stylus that Jobs was familiar with back in the day. Three years later, Apple’s second-generation Pencil was announced.

    And now Apple appears ready to take its digital writing instrument to another level. According to Patently Apple, the company recently filed patent application number US 20220413636 A1 with the US Patent & Trademark Office for an optical sensor that would be used with the next-generation Apple Pencil. The sensor would allow the pencil to copy the texture and the color found on the surface of an item. It also would be able to wirelessly send this data to a laptop so it could be used with a drawing program.

    According to the patent application, the pencil would contain a light sensor and a light emitter which would help the device “sample” the color and texture of a surface. Yanko Design created some renders showing what the Apple Pencil would look like with the optical sensors included in the design of the new digital stylus.
    Apple has applied for or received a patent for other ideas and innovations related to the Apple Pencil. In 2021, it received a patent for an Apple Pencil with interchangeable nibs (the writing tip on the end of the accessory). The nib can be changed to replace one that is worn down, or could be changed to change the capabilities of the nib based on “a color, a shape, a thickness, a size, a brightness, or an opacity.” While you can currently replace a worn-out tip, it doesn’t add any new features to the accessory.
    Nearly three years ago, Apple filed a patent application for an Apple Pencil with a biometric security feature, a method to use the number of times the pencil is tapped on the screen as  an input that could be used to initiate a copy function, a paste function, an undo function, and/or a redo function.” Other possible additions to the Apple Pencil that we’ve seen mentioned in a patent application include “a speaker, a rotary input device, a microphone, an on/off button, a mute button, a biometric sensor, a camera, a force and/or touch-sensitive trackpad, and so on.”
    If we do see a new Apple Pencil, it might not be until the 2024 iPad Pro is introduced, which could be the first iPad to sport an OLED display. When you think about it, that might be the perfect time to offer a new digital stylus with the ability to sample colors and textures lifted by the pencil, and include features such as a microphone and a camera.
    Just because you see something in a patent application or even a patent, it doesn’t mean you should expect it to be used in a consumer device right away. In fact, of the large number of patents that Apple receives every year,  many are never used. So we can’t say for certain that the technology covered in a patent application or a patent will be used by the company. However, it does make sense that Apple would want to keep improving the capabilities of the Apple Pencil.
    In 2021, a tipster shared a video of what he claimed was the third-gen Apple Pencil and it showed a glossy body with a magnetic flat edge for charging. A new Apple Pencil would be expected to offer longer battery life and improvements in latency and precision.
  • Apple receives a patent for a major new Apple Pencil feature

    Apple receives a patent for a major new Apple Pencil feature

    Apple has received a patent that could change the way the Apple Pencil is used. Titled “Multipurpose stylus with exchangeable modules,” the patent covers the tips (or nibs) used on the Apple Pencil. There are various reasons why an Apple Pencil user might want to change the nib on the (with all due respect to the late Steve Jobs) stylus. One, the current nib on the digital pencil could be wearing down and a replacement needed. But another reason to change the Apple Pencil tips would be to change the functionality of the accessory.

    Or as Apple explains it in the patent, “The stylus can provide interchangeability of various removable components, such as removable functional end modules that cover a connector for charging and communicating with the stylus. The various removable components each provide distinct features, thereby allowing the user to select various capabilities by employing each of the various functional end modules.”

    Some of the changes that Apple discusses in the patent includes “a color, a shape, a thickness, a size, a brightness, or an opacity.” The nib (called the “end connector” in the patent) would be removable from the main body and would have a number of sensors. A tactile sensor would detect when the nib touches a surface. Other sensors listed in the patent include a “contact sensor, a capacitive sensor, a touch sensor, a camera, a piezoelectric sensor, a pressure sensor, or a photodiode.” Other possible features found in the accessory could be a an orientation detector, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a biometric reader, a display, a switch, a button, a speaker, a compass, a microphone, a camera, or a voice coil.

    Currently, Apple offers two different generations of the Apple Pencil which are compatible with certain iPad models. Offering interchangeable tips might not only be a revenue-generator for Apple, it obviously could be an easy way for users to expand the functionality of the accessory. The million-dollar question (which might actually be a millions dollar question as far as Apple is concerned) is whether Apple will finally add Pencil support to the iPhone. Consider that Samsung’s multi-functional S Pen now works with the 6.8-inch screen on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. However, unlock the Galaxy Note line throughout the years, the accessory has to be purchased separately and there is no place to house the S Pen on the phone.

    While there have been rumors for years about the Apple Pencil coming to the iPhone, this has not taken place yet. Is Apple trying to honor the memory of its late co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs? The executive famously put down the use of a stylus when he introduced the iPhone in January 2007. At that time, before the touchscreen was widely used, many smartphones came with a stylus to help the user navigate through the UI. It needs to be pointed out that these styluses were not as multi-functional as the digital pens are today. Most were merely made of plastic with a sharp tip.

    There are some manufacturers who build phones today that come with a stylus. One popular mid-range model is the LG Stylo which early this year is expected to launch a 5G version of the phone which will be the seventh-generation of the model. Last year, Motorola released the mid-range Moto G Stylus.

    Just because Apple has received a patent for this technology, it doesn’t mean that it definitely will be used. Still, it seems like offering exchangeable tips for the Apple Pencil could be a win-win for users and for Apple. The patent number is 10,921,907 and the technology was originally filed for protection by Apple back in April, 2017.

  • iPad Pro and a car, you should be looking into the Apple Pencil 2

    iPad Pro and a car, you should be looking into the Apple Pencil 2

    Apart from being pretty expensive, at $129, we really couldn’t find anything wrong with the second-generation Apple Pencil shortly after the upgraded writing accessory was unveiled alongside a new iPad Pro duo last fall. But that’s only because we didn’t think to test the functionality of the Apple Pencil 2 around a car’s keyless entry solution. Wait, what?

    We know you may have trouble believing this, but while Amazon is testing delivery by self-driving robots and Elon Musk wants to send humans to Mars, Apple seems to have recently added a note to its support webpages highlighting some decidedly weird signal interference issues between the company’s newest Apple Pencil and car key fobs.

    Although this is a very specific problem a small number of users is likely to sporadically encounter in a particular situation, it still shouldn’t happen in 2019. Basically, the wireless charging capabilities of the Apple Pencil 2 can interfere with the signal sent from a car’s keyless entry device to your automobile, making it impossible to unlock your car without a key.

    Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround you can employ whenever the aforementioned issue might crop up, as storing the Apple Pencil separately from your iPad Pro should eliminate the bizarre signal interference. You could also try to put some distance between the iPad Pro used to juice up the refreshed Apple Pencil and your key fob, although Apple’s support documents do not specify how far you need to keep the two away from each other to stop this abnormal behavior from happening.

    On the bright side, the very root of the problem appears to be connected to the charging functionality of the Apple Pencil 2, so storing the stylus while fully charged alongside a 2018 iPad Pro should not interfere with car key fob signals in any way. Bottom line, this really doesn’t sound like a big deal and something tells us Apple isn’t going to bother trying to fix the glitch. But it’s still a curious thing we never expected to hear about in this day and age.

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  • Change to AppleCare+ helps most of us using an Apple Pencil

    Change to AppleCare+ helps most of us using an Apple Pencil

    Apple used to demand that an Apple Pencil be purchased at the same time as an iPad in order to allow the accessory to qualify for AppleCare+ protection. According to MacRumors, this is no longer the case. For example, if you own an Apple iPad that is covered by AppleCare+, any first or second generation Apple Pencil you’ve purchased will be covered by the plan even if you bought the Apple Pencil separately from the tablet. So if you have AppleCare+ for iPad, you will be covered if your Apple Pencil sustains accidental damage up to two times a year. Both times, all you will have to lay out is $29 plus tax for each repair.

    And Apple Care+ will be in effect for two years from the date that the plan is purchased. If you buy an iPad, you have up to 60 days after your purchase to add AppleCare+ (the date of the Apple Pencil purchase doesn’t seem to matter). If you have to return your iPad because of accidental damage, it will cost you $49 plus tax.

    This news comes after Apple introduced a couple of iPads this morning. The new iPad Air and the new iPad mini both support the first-gen Apple Pencil only. The cost of AppleCare+ for both new tablets is $69 (more on this below), and this will include coverage for the first generation Apple Pencil regardless of whether you purchased the accessory with the tablet or not. For those who take their iPads with them wherever they go, it might make sense to have the device protected from accidental damage.

    AppleCare+ for iPad covers hardware damage to your iPad, the battery, the AirPort, included USB cable and power adapter, the battery, and the Apple Pencil. It also gives you 24/7 priority access to Apple experts through a chat or a phone call. You can mail in your repair using a prepaid mailing box provided by Apple, or bring it in to the nearest Apple Store or authorized repair center. And you will also be entitled to express replacement service.

    AppleCare+ for iPad can help protect your investment

    Apple Care+ for iPad will also provide answers to questions you might have on how to run certain aspects of iOS and iCloud, how to connect to wireless networks, and questions you might have about certain Apple branded apps such as FaceTime, Keynote, Numbers, Pages and more. The cost of AppleCare+ for 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch iPads (including the new iPad Air and iPad mini) is $69 or $3.49 a month over 24 months. For iPad Pro units, the cost is $129 or $5.99 a month over 24 months. Considering the cost of your new iPad, iPad mini or iPad Pro, it might not be such a bad idea to spend the money to protect your investment.

    And since Apple has made the change in AppleCare+ coverage for the Apple Pencil, we would be remiss if we didn’t tell you that the first generation accessory costs $99.99 while the second-generation variant is priced at $129.99. The latter is compatible with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models that were released last year. The former is supported by the new tablets announced today along with the 9.7-inch iPad launched last year (6th generation), the first and second generation iPad Pro models, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

    Since AppleCare+ is considered part of Apple’s services unit, Apple is counting on increased revenue from these plans to help boost services revenue to $50 billion by 2020. The unit had revenue of $25 billion in 2016, and also includes ApplePay, the App Store, Apple Music, iTunes and more. It is the second largest revenue generator for Apple following the iPhone, and is the most profitable part of the company.

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