Apple's retooled iWork suite includes Pencil support
You can also create digital books within Pages.
Today, Apple announced that it is releasing new versions of its iWork suite of apps -- Pages, Numbers and Keynote -- that supports Apple Pencil. A variety of new iPad apps (including the Microsoft Office Suite and Notability) will support the Pencil, many of which were previously only available on iPad Pro. The Pencil is intended to be used for note taking, illustration and other detail-oriented purposes. Advanced sensors within the Pencil measure pressure and tilt, which helps with accuracy.
Attendees of the Apple event today were treated to a demonstration of a new Pages feature called "Smart Annotation." This will allow you to handwrite notes using a Pencil in the margins of a document. The annotations will be tied to a specific word, so if you move around your paragraphs while editing, your notes will move right around with them. It's not exactly finished yet, but it's available now in beta if you're feeling adventurous.
Apple is also introducing digital book creation on the iPad. It's designed to be used collaboratively within Pages. There are quite a few templates to choose from that will allow you to include image galleries you can swipe through and use the built-in camera on the iPad to record.
These features definitely look interesting, but the question is will the price of the Apple Pencil come down? Our Senior Editor for Mobile, Chris Velazco, is attending the event, and he pointed out that the $99 price tag is almost a third of what these iPads cost, once you factor in an education discount.
Catch up on all of the news from Apple's education event right here!
