While Apple’s “Let Loose” event on Tuesday could be one of the shortest events in the company’s history at about 35 minutes, there will be plenty jammed into the short runtime. And if another report holds up, Apple may spend some of that time talking about a high-end Apple Pencil.
On Monday, Apple updated its websites worldwide with a new animation of the “Let Loose” logo, one where you can erase the image if you move a cursor over it on a Mac, or erase it with your finger on the iPhone and iPad. According to an X post by @ribu_ap712, the updated Apple website in Japan had code that referred to an “Apple Pencil Pro.”
The existence of the code was confirmed by MacRumors, which also provided a translation of the code: “Folded green, yellow, orange and blue paper forms the Apple logo. Inside the logo, you can see the creator’s hand holding the Apple Pencil Pro and drawing.” However, the “Apple Pencil Pro” mention was not spotted on the Apple website in other regions, including the U.S., so it’s possible that the “Apple Pencil Pro” reference was a translation error. However, it’s also possible that Apple will make this squeeze feature available on a Pencil that’s designed specifically for the new iPad Pro, thus an Apple Pencil Pro.
A month ago, the iOS 17.5 beta was revealed to have code that referred to a new squeeze gesture the Apple Pencil. Since the three current Apple Pencils do not have pressure sensors to support such a gesture, it’s presumed that Apple will reveal a new Pencil during the “Let Loose” event. It’s not clear if this new Pencil will be in addition to the three current models or if it will replace one (or more) of them.
Apple is expected to announce updates to the iPad Pro and iPad Air at the event, and a new Apple Pencil (as well as a new Magic Keyboard) could be part of the reveal. Here’s how you can watch Apple’s Let Loose event on May 7.