Apple to Launch a Stylus for its Long-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro", Says Analyst

[RaduTyrsina]

For the past few weeks, we've been hearing more and more rumors related to the imminent launch of the iPad Pro, which makes us believe that Apple is indeed interested in launching a bigger-sized iPad. And now we're getting some fresh intel that further strengthens a potential unveil of the iPad Pro.

A fresh report form analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says that Apple is likely to launch a simple stylus to enhance the upcoming 12.9-inch iPad user experience. What's even more interesting is that he mentions that a more advanced model with 3D handwriting will be released later on.

The analysts bases his assumption judging on the many stylus-related patents that have been filed by Apple and on his own research. He said the following:

"Given that it's more precise than a person's fingers, a stylus can be more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases. Therefore, we believe Apple's stylus will improve the user experience of 12.9-inch iPad."

He further adds that because of the big price of the iPad Pro, the stylus will be offered as an accessory:

"Coupled with its unfavorable cost structure, high selling prices may turn consumers off if the 12.9-inch iPad is always bundled with it. We therefore expect the stylus to be an optional accessory before sufficient user feedback is received."

Ming-Chi Kuo also thinks the first stylus won't have too many features,

"The addition of a gyroscope accelerometer to a stylus allows users to write not only on the display, but also on other hard surfaces and even in the air. While this is a fantastic application for a stylus, we think the required software and hardware is not fully developed yet. Hence, we don't expect Apple's stylus to support 3D handwriting in 2015."

So, what do you think about these new details? Do they make sense or Apple will stick to its usual cycle of releasing iPads in fall and at the same sizes?

Source: AppleInsider

 

[Hettybetty]

I find styluses aren't as effective as fingers. And theyre inconvinient to carry around. I found no that Apple is going a bit over the top with all the iPads. I have a ipad 4 and my friends have I pad threes and ipad airs, I can't see any difference.

 

[twerppoet]

It depends on what you are doing. For most task fingers work really well. For writing, drawing, or precision work styluses should be better. If for no other reason than we've spent a good part of our lives training ourselves with similar tools.

However, the nature of the iPad's capacitive touch screen does not lend itself to a high degree of precision, robbing pretty much every stylus out there of what would be it's main strength. A few styluses have managed a degree of precision, but nothing on the order of the pressure sensitive screen technologies that are used with devices specifically built for drawing and drafting.

There are other problems, like getting false reading when your hand rests on the screen. This makes it difficult to wield a stylus accurately. But those, at least, can be solved with software.

 

[twerppoet]

Cont:

I see no reason to give this rumor any more weight than most other iPad rumors (which means almost none); but if Apple were to create a new professional level iPad with a stylus, they would be almost certain to do something to the technology to make that stylus accurate and reliable enough to be useful.

So while most people may not need or want a stylus, the professionals and artists that want one would be willing to pay a premium for this, supposedly, higher quality and higher priced iPad; for that feature alone.

Even though I don't particularly want a larger iPad, I would be really tempted by that feature. Just because I really like to doodle.