Apple Pencil Bluetooth buttons

[mixel]

im talking about an accessory that doesn't exist now! But I wish it did..

Is there any demand for a tiny Bluetooth device you could slide onto the Apple Pencil functioning as a thicker grip but also containing 2-3 side buttons? I know it sounds a bit insane.. Many users coming from a Wacom background really make heavy use of the buttons on the side of the stylus though..

in my use I have a colour picker button (I hold it down and tap to pick up) and a brush size/hardness slider. (I hold it down and move the stylus about on the canvas to adjust its properties.) with nice configuration options they can speed up productivity a bit..

Anyone else want something like this?

There's really no point coming here and saying its a stupid idea and "real pencils don't have buttons!", yadda yadda.. I know as many Wacom users who turn off the buttons as who use them for things. There's no right/wrong way with stuff like this.

 

[Cptnodegard]

Good idea!

I would be interested in that if my most used apps supported it, however my most used app currently doesn't even do palm rejection properly when using the Apple Pencil, so fat chance of that ever happening. Speaking more generally, I think it would be fairly easy to convince devs that already support non-Apple Bluetooth styli to include it, should the product come into existence.

The best solution for such a device would perhaps be one that acted as a cap for the Lightning end of the Pencil, hiding the needed battery in an extension to that, providing pass-trough for Lightning functionality (which wouldn't require MFI as it would be a dumb pass-through). You could then have a skin-like sticker or other sleeve cover the pencil down to where the buttons would be located, placing those near your fingers without adding the thickness a battery in that location would.

 

[617aircav]

You know its coming in Apple Pencil 2, though they could have put it in Apple Pencil 1.

 

[mixel]

You know its coming in Apple Pencil 2, though they could have put it in Apple Pencil 1.

I really don't think it is coming. Maybe they'd find a way to get an eraser on the end and have it charge by being placed next to the smart connector, but I really doubt Apple will add side buttons.. Not including them was a specific concious choice to make it more like a natural tool - which makes sense for most users. Everyone else's styluses have buttons, their absence is a feature more than an omission.. But I'd still like the option.

Good idea!

I would be interested in that if my most used apps supported it, however my most used app currently doesn't even do palm rejection properly when using the Apple Pencil, so fat chance of that ever happening. Speaking more generally, I think it would be fairly easy to convince devs that already support non-Apple Bluetooth styli to include it, should the product come into existence.

The best solution for such a device would perhaps be one that acted as a cap for the Lightning end of the Pencil, hiding the needed battery in an extension to that, providing pass-trough for Lightning functionality (which wouldn't require MFI as it would be a dumb pass-through). You could then have a skin-like sticker or other sleeve cover the pencil down to where the buttons would be located, placing those near your fingers without adding the thickness a battery in that location would.

Woah good thinking. If you're covering that end you could maybe somehow integrate a removable eraser too, as a lid for the Lightning connector, haha.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who'd like something along these lines!