Apple just announced a new iPad Air and iPad Pro, featuring more powerful tablets and OLED displays for the Pro models. I'm more excited about the accessories, though; in particular, the new Apple Pencil Pro.
The Apple Pencil Pro offers a whole new range of features and upgrades that make me really excited to get back into digital art. The stylus now offers a new barrel sensor, meaning you can squeeze the stylus lightly to open a new tools panel (similar to how you pinch your AirPods to pause and play music).
You will no longer have to hold a static plastic bar; The Apple Pencil Pro is incredibly responsive thanks to the addition of haptics. On top of that, you can now rotate the new Apple Pencil to control the brush or selected editing tool, opening the doors to greater depth in art or 3D models and allowing you to take full control of your work.
Procreation
The announcement featured James Cuda, CEO of the popular art tool Procreate, to present all the exciting new things the Apple Pencil Pro can facilitate.
My favorite as a new Procreate user is the ability to hover and squeeze the stylus to switch between layers, which is an absolute lifesaver when you're creating art and get lost among the dozens of layers you end up needing. The roll feature also debuts along with new brushes in Procreate that you can take advantage of.
As for the Procreate Dreams animators, don't worry, you're not left out: you'll be able to pick up and slide elements from your drawing in Procreate and slide them directly into Dream with the Apple Pencil Pro. Plus, if you want to animate just one element in the frame, you can use the stylus to manipulate the object and add a more realistic “freehand” look.
Perhaps my favorite new feature of the Apple Pencil Pro is support for the Find My tracking system, which could be a real lifesaver for users who misplace Apple products. I can't tell you how many times I've lost my Apple Pencil, only to have to tear up the entire house looking for it because it's not compatible like my Airpods or iPhone.
An expensive professional pencil
In terms of price, the Apple Pencil Pro sells for $129 / £129 / AU$219 on the Apple Store, making it the most expensive Apple Pencil on the site. The price seems a little high, especially since the previous versions are not that expensive. But it's a 'Pro' device (something that's consistently been associated with higher prices across Apple's product line) and it has a ton of new features, so I can't be too mad about that.
Of course, the Apple Pencil Pro will charge and store magnetically on the side of your iPad. However, according to Apple's website, the Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the new iPad Air M2 and iPad Pro M4. As someone with a very dusty iPad Air A14, I'm a little disappointed, although there's always a chance this will change in the future. And the new iPads are impressive enough that many current users may be tempted to upgrade.
