Apple Pencil May Integrate Full Touch Controls In The Future

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Apple wants to design a more intuitive stylus where you won’t have to toggle between pen and tablet to access controls, as suggested in a new patent application published by the US Patent & Trademark Office.

The proposed design builds upon the double-tap feature introduced in the Apple Pencil 2, which enables the user to make selections or change modes directly from their stylus. The updated patent details multiple touch sensor areas, instead of just one, along the lines of the natural grip.

Image via Apple / USPTO

One potential gesture could be the sliding of the finger down the Apple Pencil, which could allow the user to adjust characteristics such as pen size, width, thickness, color, and shape, Patently Apple outlines.

Image via Apple / USPTO

Another touch-sensitive motion could involve rolling around the circumference of the stylus to, say, zoom into a display. Apple recognizes that when people are holding their stylus, they’d struggle a bit more with launching controls from the iPad, so incorporating a zoom gesture in the Apple Pencil would eliminate the hassle of switching between the two input devices.

Image via Apple / USPTO

Apple also notes that, although the stylus could have several touch points, the technology would be able to distinguish between new tactile inputs “and disregard sustained tactile inputs” at the natural grip area.

[via AppleInsider and Patently Apple, images via various sources]