A third-generation Apple Pencil could be launching at Apple's upcoming Spring Forward event, that is, if a new rumor is to be believed. There have been two versions of the Apple Pencil to date, with the first-gen model launching in 2015 and the Apple Pencil 2 hitting store shelves in 2018. Now that it's 2021, many people think the time is right for the Apple Pencil 3 to make its debut.

The Apple Spring Forward event is taking place on April 20 at 10:00 AM PDT, and leading up to it, there's already been a lot of chatter about what new products will be shown off. According to the latest rumors, Apple will unveil new iPad Pros, a completely redesigned iMac, a long-awaited Apple TV refresh, and finally launch its AirTag trackers. As if that wasn't enough, it now seems that the Apple Pencil 3 will also be in attendance.

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As spotted by 9to5Mac, a reliable Apple leaker recently said that the third-generation Apple Pencil will be announced at the Spring Forward event. The report comes from Weibo user UnclePan, which 9to5Mac says has been "pretty accurate" with previous Apple leaks. There's not much else to go with this latest leak, just that the Apple Pencil 3 should be announced this coming Tuesday.

Apple Pencil 3 Expected Features

Apple Pencil third-generation leak

This isn't the first time there's been talk of the Apple Pencil 3. At the beginning of last month, the upcoming accessory was reportedly revealed in hands-on images (seen above) — providing an early look at what it could bring to the table. The main difference with the Apple Pencil 3 appears to be a redesign of how the tip is inserted in the stylus body, with the actual stylus components now housed in the removable portion rather than being built into the main casing. It's unclear what benefits this may or may not have in daily use, but it's still a change worth noting.

There have also been rumors that the Apple Pencil 3 could introduce never-before-seen features when used with the new iPad Pro that'll also be announced. Some have even suggested that the Spring Forward name of the event is Apple's way of teasing that the Apple Pencil 3 will have some kind of spring mechanism, but there's been nothing so far to suggest that's true.

Either way, the fact that a new Apple Pencil is (hopefully) coming soon is pretty exciting. The Apple Pencil 2 introduced considerable upgrades over the first-gen model, including a more comfortable design, vastly improved charging, and new gestures. It's unclear if Apple Pencil 3 will be as substantial of an upgrade, but there's bound to be something worth getting excited about if Apple has new hardware on the way.

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Source: 9to5MacUnlePan (Weibo)