We recently reported on evidence of a new Apple Pencil found in the iOS 17.4 code. To add fuel to the fire, there are now more rumors hinting at the launch of a new generation of Apple Pencil coming in the next few days.

Apple Pencil 3 coming soon with new iPad Pro

A Weibo user identified as “Instant Digital” (via MacRumors) has claimed that Apple will announce a new version of its Pencil later this month. In the past, the leaker was right about Apple launching a yellow iPhone 14, adopting frosted glass in the iPhone 15, and adding Spatial Video capabilities to the iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple Pencil 2 was introduced in 2018 alongside the redesigned iPad Pro, but the accessory has never been updated with new features since. Last year, the company launched a cheaper Pencil with a USB-C port, but it’s not considered an evolution of the Apple Pencil 2.

Based on evidence seen by 9to5Mac, the new version should work with the Find My app. This should allow users to easily find their lost Apple Pencil, similar to what you can do with AirPods and AirTags. It’s unclear whether the new Apple Pencil features Ultra Wideband technology for precise finding or whether the implementation will simply show the last location on the map.

It’s worth noting that iPadOS 17.4 introduces a new version of the PencilKit API, which developers can use to make their apps compatible with Apple Pencil. However, there are no details about what’s new with PencilKit 3. This suggests that PencilKit 3 may add new capabilities that require new hardware and Apple wants to keep them secret for now.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on redesigned accessories for the next generation iPad Pro. As the company has just announced a new generation of the MacBook Air with the M3 chip, the launch of a new iPad Pro and a new Pencil seems imminent.

Source: 9to5mac