Apple's "Let Loose" event is just days away, and we're excited to hear more about the iPad lineup after a quiet 2023. Still, the Apple Pencil is also seeing a revamp, and we now know what that could entail.
The third generation of Apple Pencil could be adding haptic feedback according to a new report from Mark Gurman, who drops the tidbit into his Power On newsletter, alongside reporting on the potential arrival of the M4 in the iPad Pro.
While Gurman doesn't state how it could be used, it's easy to imagine a world where users can switch between different modes, adjusting the feel of the Apple Pencil to feel like a traditional pencil on a page, or something more or less accurate.
In my mind, it could be closer to the way a Dualsense, the controller on Sony's PS5, adjusts its triggers via haptic feedback to help road surfaces feel different, or add the feeling of tension when drawing a bow.
Of course, we've had other instances of haptic feedback in tech, but as a point of reference, it'd be an interesting shift that would make the Apple Pencil stand out from third-party alternatives.
What about the Magic Keyboard?
The Apple Pencil is one thing, but what about the Magic Keyboard that forms the other part of the iPad triumvirate with the tablet?
Reports have previously suggested (also from Gurman last year) that a redesign is coming to the premium tablet accessory, but details are relatively scarce outside of the addition of a larger trackpad that's said to be more laptop-like.
Gurman has also suggested the keyboard could be aluminum, making it closer in style to a MacBook and sturdier.
Time will tell, with the new iPad lineup and accessories being revealed in just over a week, followed by WWDC 2024 in June.
