The next-gen Apple Pencil could feature an easier pairing process for the user.
Per 9to5Mac’s Guilherme Rambo, a next-gen Apple Pencil with an AirPods-like pairing process is expected to be released later this month:
The new Apple Pencil will be paired with iPad Pro by proximity, much like AirPods or HomePod. Switching between devices will be possible without connecting the Apple Pencil to the charging port. It’s unclear whether the current model of Apple Pencil will work with the new iPad.
It’s unclear if the new Apple Pencil will be compatible with previous iPad Pro models or the sixth-generation iPad.
It’s also been rumored that the next-gen Apple Pencil would feature greater precisions thanks to ultrasonic technology.
The current Apple Pencil launched alongside the original iPad Pro in November 2015, and hasn’t been refreshed since. The $99 drawing tool gained support for the sixth-generation 9.7-inch iPad earlier this year.
Rambo has also stated that the next-gen iPad Pro is expected to feature an edge-to-edge display and arrive without a Home button. He went on to say that unlike the iPhone X, he said the new iPad Pro will not have a notch, as the bezels are said to be wide enough to accommodate the TrueDepth camera and sensor array necessary for Face ID.
Face ID on the new iPad Pro is rumored to work in both portrait and landscape orientations.
Rambo also went on to corroborate rumors about the iPad Pro with Face ID having a new rear-facing Magnetic Connector for connecting accessories, such as a new Smart Keyboard. Earlier this year, rumors and a CAD drawing suggested the Smart Connector will be relocated to the lower back side of the device.
The Smart Connector is said to be versatile and could enable 4K HDR video output to external displays, with new settings to control resolution, HDR, and brightness on connected external displays.
Apple will likely unveil the iPad Pro with Face ID and the new Apple Pencil at a media event later this month, although no date has been announced as of yet. Apple is also expected to announce updates to several Mac models at the event, including the MacBook and/or MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.