Apple Pencil 3 to Get New 'Squeeze' Gesture, iPadOS 17.5 Beta Suggests: Report

Apple is gearing up to launch new iPad Air and iPad Pro models soon. The new line of tablets is expected to get updated chipsets, larger displays, thinner bezels and more new features. The Cupertino, California-based company is also expected to debut new accessories, including a Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and a new Apple Pencil, alongside the iPad models. A new report claims that the upcoming Apple Pencil accessory will include a “squeeze” gesture.

The iPhone maker is said to be working on the third-generation Apple Pencil, expected to launch alongside new iPad models. A 9to5Mac report on Tuesday claimed that the Apple Pencil 3 will feature a new ‘squeeze' gesture. According to the report, evidence of the feature was found in the code of iPadOS 17.5 beta, which was released to developers on Tuesday.

The “squeeze” gesture could likely be triggered by pressing down on the Apple Pencil, the report said. The feature could be used for quick interactions, like adding signatures, stickers or text, while using the accessory.

The “squeeze” gesture was not present on the Apple Pencil 2, which was released in 2018. Thus, the evidence found in the iPadOS 17.5 beta code suggests that the feature would likely be present in the next Apple Pencil, the report added.

Apple Pencil 3 is expected to feature magnetically interchangeable tips and support for Find My app. A report last month claimed that the pencil could get a shorter body and a glossier finish than its predecessors. The multiple magnetically interchangeable tips could be used to sketch in different styles.

The Apple Pencil 3 could also get support for the Find My app, enabling users to find the accessory in case it gets lost or misplaced. Support for Precise Location feature, however, is not confirmed. The next Apple Pencil is expected to get the USB Type-C port, just like the Apple Pencil launched last year.

Apple Pencil (2023) features a USB Type-C port
Photo Credit: Apple

Apple introduced a new Apple Pencil in October last year as an affordable alternative to the Apple Pencil 2. The accessory sports a matte finish and a flat edge the helps it attach magnetically to the side of the 10th-generation iPad. The Apple Pencil (2023) features a USB Type-C port for charging and pairing, revealed by a sliding mechanism at the top.

The new iPad Air and iPad Pro models were expected to debut in March or April, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported last week that the launch of the next-generation Apple tablets had been delayed to May. The report said that M2-powered iPad Air and M3-powered iPad Pro models would be unveiled early next month, ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.