Steve Jobs once said, “As soon as you have a stylus, you’re dead.” For years under his leadership, Apple mostly stuck to this philosophy. The company thrived with their easy-to-use, capable touchscreen devices. It seems like adding a stylus to the iPhone or the iPad might be messing with a good thing. However, years after Steve Jobs mocked the stylus, the current Apple CEO, Tim Cook, announced the Apple Pencil. In recent years, the stylus has made a comeback. It seems that this time, Apple is jumping on board with the trend. While many users think the idea is foolish, experts argue that it could give Apple an even greater edge over the market. So, what features make the Apple Pencil special, and how can it change the mobile market?
It’s Not Necessary
The Apple Pencil was released in the fall of 2015, but it was only available for a limited number of apps. In September 2016, Tim Cook make an announcement that led most experts to believe that a heavier implementation of the Apple Pencil will be incorporated with the iPhone 7 release. However, it’s important to note that unlike many other styluses, the Pencil is not a necessity for everyday usage of Apple’s devices. Instead,
it’s an accessory. Instead of giving accessories numerous features, Apple tends to focus on having their products do a few things very well. Because of this philosophy, there aren’t many expectations of the Pencil, which means it meets its basic need perfectly: that is, precision.
It Works Like a Pencil
In addition to this, the Pencil is aptly named. It’s not really a stylus, because styluses feel clumsy and awkward at times. Instead, the Pencil works just like any other writing implement, which everyone is accustomed to using. As with many other Apple products, this one is usable straight out of the box. Most people intuitively understand how it works.
Bonus Features
While the Pencil has a basic design, the extra features are more subtle but just as important. Users can make lines darker or lighter, add shading and more just by adjusting the pressure or angle of the Pencil. That’s why it’s popular for professionals who use their handheld devices to create artwork or blueprints.
If, like most people believe, the
iPhone 7 includes Apple Pencil integration, technology could change drastically. As it stands, mobile devices are incredibly popular among nearly all demographics, though they’re not at quite the same level as personal computers when it comes to the number of tasks they can handle. The Apple Pencil may be just the push technology needs to move towards full computing on the go.
iPad Pro & Apple Pencil by brett jordan is licensed under Attribution License
