Apple has received a series of patents from the USPTO today, including one for a convex screen, but also a very interesting one for an “Apple Pencil”. This one has to do with a future iPad and iPhone input method.
The new document covers styli that are capable of “receiving stimulation and force signals” and generate stylus stimulation signals. The stylus can come with a force sensor, that’s able to detect the amount of force applied to a tip of the stylus. An exemplary “personal device 1200” is listed in the patent documents, a tablet from what it seems, plus an examplary “personal device 1300”, like a mobile phone.
The granted patent was originally filed in Q3 2012 and only today published by the USPTO. Since many considered the iPad Pro and its stylus a bit of a blasphemy, especially compared to Steve Jobs’ approach, imagine the reaction of people to an iPhone 7 Plus with a special dedicated stylus. That would be one step away from the Galaxy Note that Apple criticized so much.
