Apple Pencil

Since its unveil nearly two years ago, the Apple Pencil has improved dramatically. Even though its hardware has remained the same, Apple has expanded Apple Pencil support throughout iOS, while developers have also released amazing applications that take advantage of it.

Last year, I rounded up the best iOS apps for taking notes with the Apple Pencil and iPad Pro, but as the device and App Store have matured, the selection of drawing apps has increased dramatically. There are now a variety of drawing apps on available that turn the Apple Pencil and iPad Pro into the digital sketchbook for which artists have longed. Read on for a full roundup…

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Iconfactory has updated its excellent sketching app for Apple Pencil to work specifically on the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro. Like Procreate yesterday, iPad apps need to be updated for the slightly larger iPad Pro display to take advantage of the increased resolution.

Expand
Expanding
Close

While we’ve seen the accessory discounted a few times in the past, Apple this evening has started selling a refurbished Apple Pencil via its online store for $85 in the United States…

Expand
Expanding
Close

The cover illustration for this week’s issue of New Yorker was created by an artist using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, and as the magazine did back in January, it’s shared a time-lapse video showing how the drawing was created …

Expand
Expanding
Close

Artist Evan Sklar uses an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to draw a scene of Sergio Garcia after he made an ace on No. 17.

The PGA Tour has been one of the more tech savvy sporting efforts in recent years. For instance, The Players Championship last year commissioned iPhone-only photography, while also adopting Apple Pay. Now, The Tour has brought in artists to capture the scene using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil…

Expand
Expanding
Close

We’ve seen cases that protect the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and covers that hold the Apple Pencil, and now ProBack Cover is hoping to become the first case that does both while also charging Apple Pencil.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are powerful tools in the right hands, and artist Rob Zilla is a great example of what’s possible with the latest hardware.

Apple is showcasing his work illustrating NBA stars like Kevin Durant using the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil with an exclusive look at how Zilla creates from start to finish.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Last month The Iconfactory released Linea for iPad which is a really well crafted sketching app designed with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil in mind. The app made our weekly Friday 5 app pick video following its launch.

Now Linea is back with a new app update that includes further Apple Pencil support and optimization plus a few new features. Version 1.0.2 of Linea for iPad brings tilt support for every drawing tool included so you can take advantage of the Apple Pencil’s intelligent drawing features.

Linea 1.0.2 also includes a new Presentation Mode that works with Apple TV. Check out the full release notes below:

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Iconfactory is today launching Linea, a straightforward digital drawing app. It’s available now for iPad in the App Store for $9.99. With only four brushes and a maximum of five layers, the app focuses on essentials. It’s a replacement for the digital sketchbook you might carry around in your bag to explore ideas or casually draft compositions.

The whole UI is refined to maximise drawing space and it doesn’t let you get bogged down in customization options. Linea was designed with the Apple Pencil in mind; you can erase with your finger and draw with the Pencil without switching tools. Here’s my hands on …

Expand
Expanding
Close

While rumors about refreshed iPads have been surfacing for months now, there has been no evidence that an Apple Pencil 2 is being planned for this year. A single sketchy rumor making the rounds on Chinese social media, however, claims the Apple Pencil 2 will launch alongside new iPads this year.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A series of new patents spotted by Patently Apple refer to the Apple Pencil working with an iPhone, as well as illustrating it being used with additional stock iOS apps like iMovie.

A comment by Tim Cook back in September seemed to suggest that Apple is already testing the Apple Pencil with an iPhone …

Expand
Expanding
Close

It’s difficult for Apple to keep secrets this close to an iPhone launch. At this point, we probably know most of what there is to know, but a May interview with Tim Cook resurfaced on Daring Fireball could indicate that Apple has one surprise in store.

If you’ve ever seen what can be created with that pencil on an iPad or an iPhone, it’s really unbelievable … 

Expand
Expanding
Close

We already know a lot about Apple’s upcoming iPhone and MacBook Pro refreshes, but a new report today from Bloomberg details a bit more about what the company has up its sleeve for the rest of the year. The report claims that in addition to the new iPhone and MacBook Pro lineups, Apple is planning to refresh the iMac and MacBook Air and will also introduce a new 5K display, as we’ve reported in the past, in partnership with LG. On the software side of things, Apple is reportedly working on a variety of new features for the iPad Pro.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Pencil is fantastic as a digital stylus, but its minimal design creates the obvious question of “Where do I put the thing when I’m not using it?” for anyone that owns one. Belkin has a new solution that borrows from the traditional inkwell: Base for Apple Pencil. If you regularly use Apple Pencil with iPad Pro at your desk or want a nice solution for storing it when not in use, Base is worth checking out…

Expand
Expanding
Close

In my continuing quest to find a great iPad Pro case, I’ve been testing out the new BookBook case for iPad Pro 12.9-inch ($99) … and I really like it. Don’t judge a book by its cover; the cute design hides a lot of utility. There’s a display mode for watching movies, an integrated kickstand perfect for typing and sketching as well as a fantastic Apple Pencil holder hidden in the ‘spine’. (Check the Twelve South website if sold out on Amazon.)

As the whole thing zips up, it’s one of few cases that completely protects the iPad whilst in transit. Read on for my full review of the BookBook for iPad Pro after the jump …

Expand
Expanding
Close

A patent published today suggests that Apple may have plans to allow the Apple Pencil to be used with Mac trackpads as well as the two iPad Pro models.

The patent was originally filed in 2014, when Apple referred to the Apple Pencil as ‘the stylus.’ Much of the text focuses on use of the stylus with a ‘touch screen display’ (aka an iPad), but several of the drawings show what appear to be a trackpad and iMac …

Expand
Expanding
Close