Rumoured Apple Pencil update could save creatives a whole lot of trouble

Most digital artists who work on iPad have experienced the bone-chilling terror of losing their Apple Pencil. With any luck, it'll just be sitting at the bottom of your bag having detached from the device – but if new reports are to be believed, it could soon become a lot harder to misplace the accessory.

According to a new Apple patent filing, the company is working on ways to integrate Find My support, including the addition of 'acoustic resonators' inside the stylus. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best Apple Pencil deals available now.)

How to connect Apple Pencil 2 to iPad — The Apple Pencil could become a lot harder to lose (Image credit: Apple)

As spotted by Patently Apple, the filing specifies how a future version of the Apple Pencil could feature acoustic resonators that "can be formed at an end of the stylus opposite its tip, and can include portions of the stylus outer housing that are thinned down to an engineered thickness that has a particular resonant behaviour or frequency."

It's curious that Apple isn't planning to add the W1 chip, currently found in the likes of its AirPods, which is what usually gives devices their Find My power. Its possible that this is due to size concerns – Apple might not want to make the Apple Pencil any thicker than, you know, a pencil.

Time will tell what Apple has in store for its stylus, but one thing's for sure – the Apple Pencil is due an update. From VR capabilities to a rotating nib, we've heard plenty of rumours about the next iteration. And with WWDC around the corner, perhaps we'll find out sooner rather than later what's coming.

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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.