M3 OLED iPad Pro, iPad Air 6 might not be Apple's only tablet upgrades in March — Apple Pencil 3 tipped again for release this month

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If you were less than pleased with the USB-C Apple Pencil refresh last year, you may just be in luck.

As spotted by MacRumors and attributed to “Instant Digital” on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, a new Apple Pencil is reportedly on the way and could coincide with the potential launch of a new iPad range. As the report notes, this story corroborates Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who earlier this week also claimed the Apple Pencil 3 would be on the way soon.

It’s possible this will accompany the launch of the OLED iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 range. Given the new M3 MacBook Air was announced with a press release, rather than a more eye-catching event, it seems likely the iPad and Apple Pencil will get the same treatment. Currently, we are expecting both new iPads to launch at the end of March or the start of April so we anticipate the same release window for the Apple Pencil 3.

What could be new?

I bought myself an iPad Air 5 and an Apple Pencil 2 during Black Friday and, whilst I see value in an iPad upgrade, I’m going to need a lot of convincing to upgrade my current Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil 2 charges magnetically, has super low latency use, and the double tap function allows me to swap between brushes instantly.

However, we have received some very interesting reports over the last few years that suggest a new Apple Pencil could come with the ability to detect surfaces for different brush types. As well as this, dedicated Find My support could mean never losing your brand-new Apple Pencil 3. These would be great upgrades for someone looking to buy their first Apple Pencil but might not be enough to swap your old one out. With the current Apple Pencil 2 on sale for just $79 at Amazon, it will take a lot to convince the Apple Pencil 3 is worth the full price.

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James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person.

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer.

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.