Imagine seeing a colour you like and literally picking up an object, placing it said shade, and then snatching it for use in your own images. If all goes well for Apple, you could soon be able to do this using its Pencil stylus.

The company has been working on providing the sharpest Pencil in tech for a while now. The device was launched alongside the iPad Pro in 2015. It introduced ways for digital artists to design by integrating physical gestures with Apple’s tech.

In 2019, the company applied for a related patent that would include “an on-board display”. Back then, the company planned for users to be able to see the shade currently applied to the Pencil on its little display. It seems that idea has evolved a little in the last couple of years.

Pencil it in

A new patent application covering an “Electronic Device With Optical Sensor For Sampling Surfaces” suggests that the Pencil’s tip is likely to gain the ability to sense colours. Apple users might soon be able to press their stylus on a variety of surfaces and clone the colour underneath.

“Texture measurements and/or other measurements on the appearance of the object may also be made,” Apple explains.

Apple says when sampling colours, users may also adjust them on the Pencil.

“The color sensor may have a color sensing light detector having a plurality of photodetectors each of which measures light for a different respective color channel,” says the application.

Apple constantly applies for patents. However, this does not guarantee that it’ll make the device or tech described available for sale. This one might be further out of reach than most. The company has not yet been granted the patent which, according to the 12,000-word patent application, it plans to apply on a “cylindrical housing… [or] pencil-shaped” device.

Source: Apple Insider