Huzzah, hyperbole. More like:
- Many of us being vocal have been using styluses of various kinds from third parties for years, and not just for graphics.
- Apple releases one that does it right. We go "finally!"... until we are told we must have the Pro or can't use it.
- A spec bump over the Air 2 may not be good enough to open our wallets, but actually addressing a use case we've been trying to make work in some form or another for years just might.
If Apple does bring Pencil support to the Air, they get my money. If not, I'll just wait until they offer something that is worth upgrading to. The Air 2 is not a bad model to hold onto for a few years.
Personally I think you will be in luck.
I can't imagine the pencil not being available on new iPads of ANY size.
It is a no cost feature that would give users something else to buy I.e. A pencil.