Apple just launched a fresh iPad Air and iPad Pro, creating more powerful tablets and OLED displays for the Pro models. But what really catches my eye are the accessories, especially the new Apple Pencil Pro.
The Apple Pencil Pro brings a bunch of exciting new features and upgrades, making me eager to dive back into digital art. With a new barrel sensor, you can lightly squeeze the pen to bring up a tool panel, similar to how you pause and play music with AirPods.
Gone are the days of holding a static stick of plastic; the Apple Pencil Pro is super responsive. Thanks to the haptics in it. You can even roll it to control your selected brush or editing tool, adding depth to your art or 3D models.
During the announcement, James Cuda, CEO of popular art tool Procreate, showcased all the cool new things the Apple Pencil Pro can do.
My favorite feature, as a novice Procreate user, is the ability to hover and squeeze the pencil to switch between layers. This is a lifesaver hack when you have lots of layers in your artwork. The roll feature also comes with new brushes in Procreate.
For Procreate Dreams animators, you’re in luck. You can pick up and swipe elements from Procreate right over to Dream with the Apple Pencil Pro. Plus, you can manipulate objects to add a more realistic ‘free-hand’ look.
One standout feature of the Apple Pencil Pro is support for the Find My tracking system. This could be an anti-theft for those who tend to misplace their Apple products. Many of them lost their Apple Pencil countless times and spent ages searching for it, so this feature is a game-changer.
The Apple Pencil Pro is priced at ₹9,593 on the Apple Store, making it the most expensive Apple Pencil available. The price might seem steep, but it’s a ‘Pro’ device with a bunch of new features.
Lastly, the Apple Pencil Pro will charge and store magnetically to the side of your iPad. However, it’s only compatible with the new M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro, which is a bit disappointing for those with older models like the dusty A14 iPad Air. But with the impressive new features of the new iPads, many existing users might be tempted to upgrade.
