We’ve just reported on how iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 beta, which was released to developers today, hints at a new iPad Pro with landscape Face ID camera. However, it seems that the update has much more to reveal, as 9to5Mac has also found references to a new Apple Pencil 3 compatible with the Find My network.
Apple Pencil 3 coming soon with Find My support
Based on the internal files of iOS 17.4 seen by 9to5Mac, Apple has built a new Apple Pencil 3 that works 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 at this point whether the new Apple Pencil will have Ultra Wideband technology for precise finding or whether the implementation will simply show the last location on the map, but there’s definitely a new Apple Pencil ready with some kind of integration with the Find My network.
To add fuel to the fire, iPadOS 17.4 beta introduces a new version of the PencilKit API, which developers can use to make their apps compatible with Apple Pencil. While version 2 came with iPadOS 17.0 and enables new tools such as monoline, fountain pen, watercolor, and crayon, the Apple Developer website gives no details about what exactly is new in 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. Another report last year suggested that Apple Pencil 3 will have interchangeable magnetic tips.
A new iPad Pro is on the way
Apple has also been working on a new iPad Pro model. According to rumors, it will feature an OLED display, M3 chip, and perhaps even support for MagSafe technology. And according to iOS 17.4 beta, the new iPad Pro will also have the front camera placed at the top when in landscape orientation.
Gurman previously said that Apple is expected to announce new iPads around March, which is when iOS 17.4 will be released to the public according to the company.
- Apple cut OLED iPad Pro orders by 20-30%, claims supply-chain report
- New iPad Air with 12.9-inch display and redesigned rear camera design shown in purported leaked schematics
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