New rumors from Apple’s Asian suppliers suggest that Apple may be working on an update to Apple Pencil to be released alongside new iPad Pro models widely expected to be unveiled in March. While the rumors are vague on what new capabilities will be included, a Bloomberg report several months ago noted that Apple was working on “wider operating-system support for Apple’s stylus accessory” with the possibility of allowing users to annotate objects throughout iOS, rather than only in those apps specifically designed for the Apple Pencil. The Bloomberg report speculated that such features could be added as part of an iOS software update in early 2017, in which case the update would likely be released around the same time as the new iPad Pro models. It seems that such enhancements wouldn’t require a new Apple Pencil model, although there’s also been speculation that the new Apple Pencil could incorporate functionality Apple has outlined in several patents, such as an antenna, and a magnet for attaching to the iPad when not in use. [via MacRumors]
