The iPad Pro 2021 is here, and the Apple Pencil 3rd generation model may join it. This is the latest buzz leaked from a new leak that suggests both models will likely be unveiled at Apple's Spring Loaded event on April 20. And we have obtained a video that helps us understand which iPad the Apple Pencil 3 is for.

The leak comes from Weibo user UnclePan, who posted a photo of a leaked AirPods 3 design (much like the AirPods Pro) and in the caption mentions that the Apple Pencil 3 is coming soon. This user not only has a proven track record with leaks, but also corroborates recent reports.

The Twitter account @ileakeer shared a video of the Apple Pencil 3, which shows a glossy body and flat sides. As we explain below, this sort of proves that the Apple Pencil 3 is coming for the iPad Pro, since the iPad Pro is the only iPad with a flat charging surface for the Apple Pencil 3.

We hope all other iPads will have that magnetic charging edge, but a whole line redesign does not appear to be planned.

Last month, a new looking Apple Pencil with a shiny (not matte) shaft was leaked that had a removable tip and looked much larger than the current Apple Pencil tip.

There are rumors about what new features the Apple Pencil 3 will offer, dating back to 2020, when a patent revealed tactile feedback and a Touch Bar-like display. Other patents suggested that Apple was researching functional advanced modules for new sensors.

For example, a light sensor system built into the tip of the Apple Pencil could recognize the color of an object and use that color in an app. Sounds like the future to us.

Currently, Apple sells the original Apple Pencil for the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini, and the Apple Pencil for the iPad Pro (2nd generation). The second generation charges by attaching magnetically to the side of the iPad Pro, but Apple needs both because other iPads do not have such a surface for charging the Apple Pencil.

The new Apple Pencil 3 made for the iPad Pro makes a lot of sense, but we wondered what iPad it was for since the first leaked photo hid the flat side. Now it is easy to see that this is the replacement for the Apple Pencil 2nd generation