Apple has submitted a patent application for a next-generation stylus with a touch-sensitive body (via Apple Insider).

Details of the invention were published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today under the title "Stylus with touch sensor", describing an input device with an array of capacitive touch sensors along the instrument's body.

Stylus patent
The sensors determine the position of the user's fingers and this information can be interpreted as gestures to control aspects of the user interface on the display device.

In some versions, electrodes are installed around the body of the stylus to improve the accuracy of touch detection, including single- and multi-touch gestures.

Apple claims that the sensor design is such that it can detect when the user is rotating the stylus based on the location of two fingers. This data can then be used to perform functions like rotating a virtual object on the display, selecting a brush size in a drawing app, or changing a zoom level.

Stylus patent
Motion gestures are also described in the application. Running a finger up or down the stylus body could control UI window scrolling, for instance. Meanwhile, support for force gestures enables the user to, say, squeeze the stylus to invoke virtual buttons on screen, or increase drawing precision by tightening grip, for instance.

While Apple's idea for a touch-sensitive stylus is impressive in concept, in practice it would likely be a highly challenging technological undertaking, given the variability in the way users grip pens as well as differences in hand size. Whether Apple plans to use the invention in a future consumer product like the Apple Pencil remains to be seen.

Handedness detection patent
Another Apple patent application was also published on Thursday, called "Electronic devices with hand detection circuitry", which describes how special sensors on an iPhone-like device could distinguish between left- and right-handed use, or "handedness".

The ambidextrous invention details how motion sensors could be used to detect rotation and movement, and inform the position of virtual buttons and icons displayed on-screen to increase ease of reach.

The invention harks back to Apple's introduction of the Reachability feature for iPhones with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, in which a double tap on the home button shifts the screen content downwards to bring it within thumb's reach.

Tag: Patent

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
122 months ago
Cool, this would be a good upgrade to the Apple Pencil which had patents dating back to 2010 (just saying that in case people comment about Steve Jobs not wanting a stylus).
[doublepost=1466685387][/doublepost]
This is the Apple that addressed the competition "Yuck"?
Comparing styluses from 2007 to today is silly. Smartphones with touchscreens back then required a stylus. The iPad Pro doesn't require a stylus but it's a fantastic tool for artists and designers.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
122 months ago
This is the sort of competition that Jobs was deriding:



...you needed the telescopic toothpick because the icons on screen were too small for fingers - especially with the rubbish resistive touchscreen.

That said, I'm not sure what Jobs would have made of an Apple Pencil sticking at right angles out of an iPad to charge, with the cap and female-female lightning adapter long lost down the back of the sofa of time...
You mean for the 15 seconds you plug it in?
[doublepost=1466693662][/doublepost]
Why does Apple always overlook the simplest, most important points, before thy go off on bells and whistles? You know what happens when you use the back of a Microsoft Stylus? It erases. It also clips to the side of the tablet. And just having a simple button on the side would streamline so many tasks...

It's not as sexy, but I feel like Apple needs a dedicated division that focuses solely on getting the basic functionality right - streamlined, simple, beautiful, USEFUL. Then they can add superfluous complications all they want, so they can say it's more sophisticated than their competitors.

This wasn't an issue in the old days, because the people who made Apple products also used them, so they could see flaws in basic functionality.
The sp4 pencil is also not as good as the iPad Pro pencil.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theluggage Avatar
122 months ago
This is the Apple that addressed the competition "Yuck"?
This is the sort of competition that Jobs was deriding:



...you needed the telescopic toothpick because the icons on screen were too small for fingers - especially with the rubbish resistive touchscreen.

That said, I'm not sure what Jobs would have made of an Apple Pencil sticking at right angles out of an iPad to charge, with the cap and female-female lightning adapter long lost down the back of the sofa of time...

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iTom17 Avatar
122 months ago
Can't innovate anymore, my ass
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
122 months ago
15 seconds only gives you 30 mins charge - what if you want to fully charge it and haven't got the fiddly adapter to use it with a lightning cable... or what if you're taking a break and want to top up your iPad at the same time?


Maybe - it terms of performance - but where's the traditional Apple attention to detail?

Plug on the end makes it hyper-vulnerable when plugged in (even 15 seconds is 15 seconds of an accident waiting to happen) and rules out an "eraser" function.
Cap to lose and f-f lightning adapter to lose (why couldn't the adapter built into the cap?)
Even the Apple-made cases don't seem to feature pen storage.
Oh, yes, and its round so it can roll off tables (e.g. when its been put down on a table because there was nowhere else to store it). Even a regular pen clip would (a) stop it rolling and (b) let you store it in a shirt/jacket pocket.
Why weren't the Pencil and Smart Connector designed to be compatible - directly or via an optional pen-holder - so you could store & charge?
It's 15 seconds for a 30 minute charge, and for that is pretty cool. Don't want to use the to use that port them don't. I see no down side or hyper vulnerability.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Another Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support

Tuesday October 28, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or...