Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple is developing two new Apple Pencils with codenames B582 and B632, expected to launch in early 2027.
- These updated standard and Pro Apple Pencils may feature easier-to-replace batteries to comply with upcoming EU regulations.
- The new accessories will likely coincide with releases of updated iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models, addressing current limitations like missing pressure sensitivity in the USB-C model.
Apple has lots of big-ticket devices in the pipeline, from the iPhone Ultra to the Apple Watch Series 12, and this can leave the company’s cheaper accessory-type products in the shade. But iPad owners will be excited to hear that two new Apple Pencils are slated to launch in the first half of next year, according to a new report.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman predicts that early 2027 will see the launch of updated Apple Pencils, alongside new iPad Pros (and MacBook Pros) in a feast of launches aimed at creative professionals. He has previously claimed that the new iPad Pro models will appear in the spring, and observes that Apple generally likes such launches to coincide with the release of new Apple Pencils where possible.
The launch is still eight or nine months away, so details are scarce. But Gurman’s sources have obtained the codenames of the new Pencils: B582, he claims, will be an updated version of the standard (wired-charging) Apple Pencil, which currently retails for $79, while B632 is the new version of the $129 Apple Pencil Pro. Such codenames aren’t especially helpful, to be blunt, but they do provide some reassurance that the sources have access to insider information.
Other than the codenames, Gurman is able to offer only some brief speculation on possible changes to the battery setups in the new Apple Pencils. The EU, he notes, will next year bring in regulations stipulating that the batteries in consumer tech products are easier to remove and replace.
“One possibility is that these Pencils will offer new battery systems,” Gurman suggests. “The current (and prior) Apple Pencils are a nightmare to repair and are filled with glued-together parts, so this would be a big change if it happens.”
Of note, both Pencils on the market are 1st-gen models. Apple released the USB-C model in 2023 and the Pro version in 2024. The last Apple Pencil update was the 2nd-gen model in 2018, which added a flat edge for magnetic charging and a tap-sensitive body and was initially only compatible with the 3rd-gen iPad Pros.
That seems like a long shot. Other possibilities are a redesign of some kind or new colors finish-–although Apple has essentially kept the same general design since the 2nd-gen model arrived in 2018. The baseline Apple Pencil USB-C is missing lots of Pro features that could be added in an updated model, such as pressure sensitivity, haptic feedback, Find My, and so on. But the missing features are there to encourage you to pay more for a Pro model, so it’s unlikely Apple will be in much of a hurry to revamp its feature set.
