I saw the price of the updated device with disbelief, even allowing for Apple mania, and the gushing media coverage made me feel more cold. But – hey – this blog is meant to cover the latest consumer gadgets as well as home-brewed projects and self-built devices. And this was certainly a big product announcement, along with the new Apple chipset M4, a new iPad Pro running the M4, an iPad Air, and a new Magic Keyboard…

Apple Pencil Pro

What does Apple say about the Pencil?

“Apple Pencil Pro adds even more magical capabilities to help bring your ideas to life. Advanced features like squeeze, barrel roll and haptic feedback make marking up, taking notes and creating a masterpiece more intuitive than ever. Use Apple Pencil hover to preview exactly where Apple Pencil Pro will touch down on the display,1 and double-tap to quickly switch tools. And if you misplace it while you’re out and about or at home, you can easily locate it in the Find My app.”

For example, if you squeeze it then it will bring up a new palette to help switch things like line weights and colours. Barrel roll is for more precise control of the pen and brush tools. And double-tap lets you quickly switch between tools such as a pen or eraser.

Other features of the stylus include wireless pairing and charging, tilt sensitivity, pressure sensitivity, and supports Apple Pencil hover, where you preview your mark before you make it…

The Apple Pencil Pro costs $130 or £129.

Stylus Compatibility

Be careful, too, when it comes to compatibility. It is compatible with the following devices: iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) tablet, the iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), the iPad Air 13-inch (M2) and iPad Air 11-inch (M2).

For completeness sake, there are now actually four Apple pencils. As well as the Pencil Pro, there’s the Apple Pencil USB‑C (£79), Apple Pencil 1st generation (£99) and Apple Pencil 2nd Generation (£129).

See also: iFixit tears down the Apple Vision Pro