Once upon a time, the stylus was to Apple what disease was to humans, and although the two had no direct interest, Apple did not want to have anything to do with the stylus.
Apple's aversion to the stylus during the Steve Jobs era was so well known that he made the classic phrase "Who wants a stylus?" at the launch of the original iPhone. After all these years, Cook has never had the idea of a stylus in the iPhone, despite the launch of the Apple Pencil, the best companion for the iPad Pro in 2015.
Interestingly, 17 years later, it seems that Apple is really going to equip the iPhone with a stylus.
According to the list recently published by the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple has obtained a patent for Apple Pencil technology, which can be applied not only to iPhone, but also to augmented reality/virtual reality/mixed reality applications, which is what we often hear about AR/VR/MR technology.
Source: Apple
As soon as the news came out, many loyal Jobs fans were boiling, what made Apple make this decision to "go against the ancestors", is it really a cold person?
In fact, Apple's relationship with the stylus is not shallow to a long time, and even the iPhone was born thanks in part to Jobs's dissatisfaction with Microsoft's tablet with the pen.
In 1979, Apple released an Apple Graphics Tablet that came with a wired stylus. In the following ten years, Apple has successively designed and produced a number of prototypes close to tablet PCs, from bashful, to PenLite, to Newton, Apple is getting closer and closer to the real tablet iPad.
Coincidentally, these products are ultimately inseparable from that magic stylus. Now Apple's technology patent for Apple Pencil suggests that the iPhone may also support the use of stylus like the Samsung Note series and Huawei Mate series in the future.
脱离屏幕，就能完全解放Apple Pencil？
Some friends may be curious about what kind of new patents will achieve a technological breakthrough 10 years after the launch of the Apple Pencil and be applied to the iPhone and AR/VR/MR.
Don't worry, Xiao Lei will take you through this mysterious "Patently Apple".
Let's take a look at the official description of the patent, where the new Apple Pencil is equipped with an optical sensor that allows the Apple Pencil to interact on surfaces that do not have touch capabilities. The optical sensor includes an optical flow sensor, a laser speckle flow sensor, etc., and estimates the motion trajectory of the input device by detecting the brightness changes of spatial and temporal images (such as the brightness changes between frames).
To put it simply, the Apple Pencil uses an optical sensor to determine the movement of the pen, rather than having to rely on a screen with touch function to recognize it. Of course, the Apple Pencil also comes with several other sensors that sense the force exerted by the input device.
In Xiaolei's view, "off the screen" is the soul of this technology, which means that users no longer need to write and draw in the traditional mode when using Apple Pencil, as long as it is within the recognition range, even if the air operation can achieve the original effect.
图源：Patently Apple
As for how to use it, Figure 1A of Apple's patent shows an example of a smartphone (iPhone #136). The phone is equipped with a touch screen #124, which allows users to accept input from an active stylus via a touchscreen surface #124 or a non-touch screen surface.
The official showed us one of the uses, but it is clear that the scope of this patent is much more than we imagined. Before the prediction, Xiaolei believes that it is still necessary to popularize the current basic situation of the smart stylus industry with everyone.
At present, the smart pen is roughly divided into two forms in terms of product attributes: built-in and external, the former is regarded as the same subject as the smart device, and can be pulled out of the smart device when used, and automatically charged when placed;
In terms of material, it is divided into two categories: electromagnetic pen and capacitive pen, and the specific subdivision category will not be discussed in detail, and Apple Pencil belongs to the active capacitive pen.
Combined with the currently known iPhone 16 series leaks, even if the next iPhone products support Apple Pencil, they will not sacrifice the limited internal space of the phone for this function. Therefore, there is a high probability that it will be externalized, so that for the originally relatively niche stylus smartphone group, the threshold for use will be further improved.
Not being able to integrate with the phone at all times means that users need to spend energy thinking about how to carry it. And with the blessing of factors such as easy loss and unsightly, even users who intend to use a stylus are easy to be dissuaded. Not to mention the stylus, which has been regarded as a backward product in the current stage of smartphone development.
Today's touch screen technology has long been beyond the imagination of the Jobs era, and most of the daily use needs can be solved with both hands.
Source: Apple
Therefore, Xiaolei predicts that this technology is likely to be applied to Apple's upcoming Vision Pro.
Recently, Apple has obtained a number of patents for headsets, and blogger @M1Astra has also exposed the Vision Pro's settings interface and other important information. This disruptive product, which Apple has high hopes for, is not far from being truly launched. Although we have received very good reviews from many media people who have experienced the headset, there are also questions about weight, battery life and other issues.
I believe that the above doubts still have to wait for the Vision Pro to be launched in order to give you a clear answer. However, just from the new patented air touch of Apple Pencil, coupled with the eye tracking technology of Vision Pro, it will surely bring users more choices of touch experience.
The Apple Pencil may become another form of sensing device, supporting the use of native apps on the headset, or it may be transformed into a device similar to a VR controller. Of course, all of this will have to wait for the physical product to hit the market before we know how Apple will use this patent.
Reuse old bottles or take a long-term view?
「Apple Pencil≠Stylus（手写笔）」
This is perhaps Cook's best reply to Jobs, and the Apple Pencil is named after Stylus, which Stylus used to taunt wildly.
There is no disrespect for Steve Jobs, and it is undeniable that the tech and digital industry is always moving forward. Many of the statements that were held true today may be reduced to laughter, as Steve Jobs once said, "3.5 inches is the golden size of a mobile phone, and a bigger screen is stupid." Something like that. Facts have proved that the trend of large mobile phone screens has been the wealth password of manufacturers' sales for a long time.
Source: Apple
It can only be said that in that era, Jobs insisted more on perfecting the product itself, firmly believing that smart devices could do most of the work alone. For example, iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc. are independent individuals, and they can realize intelligent linkage between devices while completing independent work.
And now, with the development of the times, Apple's pursuit has also changed. Accessories such as stylus, keyboards, and MagSafe plug-ins have emerged, improving the user's experience of using smart devices and making them easier to use.
From the company's point of view, accessories and peripheral products have also brought Apple a lot of revenue, as for whether the official original products are worth it, it is up to everyone.
The two eras of Apple are better or worse, and no one has yet been able to give an answer to convince the public. Focusing on the product itself and adding more accessories are not in conflict, and it remains to be seen whether this trend is in line with the future development of the technology industry.
CES (Las Vegas International Consumer Electronics Show) 2024 is about to be grandly opened, and Lei Technology will send a reporting team led by "One Tianming" to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA CES 2024 on-site reporting, so stay tuned.