iPad Pro could come with stylus, according to analyst

Apple’s upcoming 12.9in iPad Pro will have its own Apple-branded stylus, according to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

According to a report authored by Kuo and allegedly acquired by AppleInsider, a stylus could be attractive to potential iPad Pro buyers because “[it] can be more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases” as it’s more precise than a person’s fingers.

“Therefore, we believe Apple’s stylus will improve the user experience of the 12.9in iPad,” Kuo said.

Intriguingly, though, Kuo believes the stylus will be released before the iPad Pro as an optional accessory, probably in the second quarter of this year.

“High selling prices may turn consumers off if the 12.9-inch iPad is always bundled with [a stylus]. We therefore expect the stylus to be an optional accessory before sufficient user feedback is received,” Kuo said.

The peripheral will also be rather basic at first, if Kuo’s analysis is to be believed. Although the patent filing that he based his report on suggests the stylus would give haptic feedback, delivering the sensation of different textures, Kuo believes it won’t have this kind of feature, as the tech isn’t up to scratch yet. This also goes for another rumoured feature, 3D handwriting, which lets the user “write” in mid-air, with the stylus still picking up the input correctly and relaying it back to the tablet.

“Whilst this is a fantastic application for a stylus, we think the required software and hardware is not fully developerd yet, hence we don’t expect Apple’s stylus to support 3D writing in 2015,” he said.

Kuo also doesn’t expect the stylus (iPen?) to be particularly popular at first, forecasting shipments of just 2-2.5 million in the first year.

“But we believe that the stylus could improve the experience of users, however, and will likely help Apple develop specific customer groups such as the corporate sector and educational institutions,” he added.