Apple Pencil Executives Discuss New Hover Features in iPadOS 16.4

[jlc1978]

Apple could make an extra $100 for each iPhone sold if they made it compatible with the Apple Pencil.

How? People have gotten quite good using the finger that a pencil would be strange and awkward. The UI works well as designed, no need to bastardize it.

Not to mention where to carry the pencil.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Isn’t that already possible with devices like the Jot?

Well yeah... There are lots of devices where this is already possible. I'm speaking specifically about Pencil support on iPhone Pro - which isn't possible. Yet.

I doubt that, for a few reasons:

1. Most people, from what I’ve noticed, only occasionally take notes, etc. On a phone and it’s pretty easy to do already, whether by keyboard or voice

While possibly not the norm, I crack open Notes on a daily basis. On my iPhone 14 Pro, it's ~98% keyboard entry, with ~2% voice-to-text. On iPad mini 6, it is ~98% Pencil 2 entry and ~2% keyboard. Given the typical use cases of those two different devices, I wouldn't expect a Pencil + iPhone scenario to see me flip to 98% Pencil input. Heck no! But I do think I might get to something like 70/30 keyboard/Pencil - which seem statistically significant. Regardless, the ability to sketch on an even more mobile scenario than an iPad mini, is something of interest to me. And I would assume, others.

2. You’d have to carry a large pencil, which isn’t pocketable, around and pull it out every time you want to take a note

Probably also not the norm - while I almost always carry a writing utensil, typically a pen, with me at all times, I don't always have something to write on. I always have my phonon me. Pencil + iPhone support would ensure I always had something to capture ideas. Again, these device screens are now large enough where the option to use Pencil is totally viable. More importantly, I think that the act that is idea-to-arm-to-pencil-to-paper is an important flow/process we are losing as we move toward increasingly digital experiences. Anything we can do to support that flow & development, is worthy (IMHO). And from a business POV, Apple is leaving money on the table by not opening up Pencil support to the iPhone Pro line. I have seen them market items with less potential than what a Pencil + iPhone combo would yield. Plus, it would mark a tangible differentiator between the iPhone and iPhone Pro lines.

3. Cost of the pencil. Even for the iPad the pencil isn’t a must have item; and the iPad is designed for it.

Of course, YMMV

Sure, I'd love a $49 Pencil. But I don't find the $99 price point, for what you get, out of line. Pencil 2 is one of their more impressive pieces of hardware. I've been nothing but impressed with what it has afforded me, from a workflow perspective (it has also seen me reconnect with illustration). Said another way, in the time I've been using Pencil 2 (since iPad mini 6 launch day), I haven't once thought "I wish Pencil did ______." It's a pretty solid piece of gear. I too didn't think Pencil 2 was a must-have item until I used it with iPad mini 6. I was wrong. I'll not own an iPad sans Pencil moving forward. But that's just me. As you said, YMMV. And sounds like yours do, which is great. Cheers.