Will the future Apple Pencil be touch-sensitive?

In the future, the Apple Pencil can be operated via a touch-sensitive part. At least: if a new Apple patent does indeed become a reality.

Touch-sensitive Apple Pencil

The patent, called Touch-based input for Stylus, states that Apple’s stylus may have a touch-sensitive part. Probably near the pen tip, where your fingertip normally rests. For example, by swiping over it, you can initiate various actions. What exactly is still a mystery at this point. You might be able to make a brush width much wider with a swipe of Apple Pencil, switch between two colors in one stroke, or zoom in on the image.

The patent also explains what the advantage of this is: now you can adjust these kinds of things in the app itself, via the screen of your iPad. Holding the Apple Pencil doesn’t feel intuitive. The touch-sensitive part is said to be so clever that it can distinguish the natural grip from the new controls, so that you don’t accidentally activate anything.

Double-tap the Apple Pencil 2

The Apple Pencil 2 was released in 2018 – it can only be used in combination with the iPad Pro 2018. This stylus is also touch-sensitive to a limited extent: with a double tap on the front of the pen, you switch tools. Depending on the app, you can switch between eraser and color palette, for example, and then back again after a double tap.

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Source: United States Patent Application