M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air users are justifiably excited by Apple Pencil Pro’s fantastic and highly functional new features. But now they’re discovering a delightful feature Apple didn’t highlight at its recent “Let Loose” event. The stylus casts a shadow of the selected tool in use on the screen.
That feature may not equal the functional importance of the new squeeze gesture or haptic feedback, but judging by user reactions in the videos below, it’s pretty much the coolest thing ever.
Apple Pencil Pro casts shadow of the tool you’re using
The new Apple Pencil Pro unveiled at Apple’s “Let Loose” event is packed with cool features, but it looks quite similar to previous Apple Pencils. And yet when you hold it close to the screen, the shadow it casts is not just that of a white Pencil. It’s the shadow of whichever Apple Pencil tool you’ve selected, like a fountain pen.
New Apple Pencil Pro owners are discovering the feature on their own as they use the stylus with M4 iPad Pro or M2 iPad Air. And they’re delightedly posting on social media about it.
An artificial but dynamic shadow
Typically, a user might use the new squeeze gesture to throw the cool new tool palette on their screen. But as they go to select something from the palette, they notice the shadow looks like the tool they’ve selected. And not only that — the shadow moves as the Pencil does. It compacts and elongates with the movement of the stylus, and it even tilts and rotates like the Pencil (thanks at least in part to its built-in gyroscope).
Users are so excited by the dynamic shadow they’re posting videos to show it off. We found several, below, and we don’t doubt there are more.
As one user said when highlighting the first video below, “This is crazy! Apple Pencil Pro casts an artificial shadow of the tool you’re using on the display. AND it changes its length and shape based on the angle you’re holding the pencil. AND the shadow rotates as you rotate the pencil itself.”
See Apple Pencil Pro’s tool shadow in action:
Apple’s attention to detail is INSANE. You can’t watch this and not smile. pic.twitter.com/cbUknR2wQu
— Snazzy Labs (@SnazzyLabs) May 16, 2024
Check out another X post with a video below (and others here and here).
Apple shows a “digital shadow” of your Apple Pencil.
If you select a fountain pen ️ you will see the shadow of a fountain pen.
It gets better.
If you turn the Pencil, the rendering of the shadow turns as well. pic.twitter.com/B1scVwaqxw
— Jelle Prins (@jelleprins) May 16, 2024
MacBreak Weekly discovered the feature on air:
And be sure to check which Apple Pencil works with which iPad (four Apple styluses have been released to date, and the newest, Apple Pencil Pro, only works with M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air).
