Force Touch is a pressure-sensing technology that Apple has added to its new MacBook trackpads as well as the Apple Watch's screen.
It allows you to trigger certain features when you press down harder, such as changing a watch face on the Apple Watch or adding a new calender event on your Mac. Kuo expects that this technology will appear in the larger iPad as well as Apple's next iPhone.
Apple will also release an optional stylus accessory that's designed to work with this Force Touch screen, Kuo writes in his note which 9to5Mac picked up. Here's an overview of what we learned about the so-called 12.9-inch iPad Pro from Kuo's latest observations:
- The iPad Pro will go into production between September and October.
- The stylus will be designed to take advantage of Force Touch, which is said to make it easier to navigate iPad's larger display.
- The stylus may also be compatible with older iPad models, but it depends on what version of iOS it's running.
- The Force Touch module in the iPad Pro will be the same as the one we're expected to see in the next iPhone's screen.
Apple has yet to confirm any plans to release a bigger iPad or a stylus, but sources previously told Business Insider that the company has been testing iPad prototypes with screens bigger than 12 inches and styluses means to work with the iPad for a few years.
It's also worth noting that Kuo is known for being pretty accurate when it comes to Apple - he nailed a ton of details about the iPhone 5, 5c, and 6 before they launched. Other than Force Touch support, the larger iPad Pro is expected to come with a 2,732 x 2,048 resolution screen and a more powerful processor.