Steve Would Not Approve, Apple's Rumored 12.9-Inch iPad Pro To Launch With Optional Stylus

The late Steve Jobs once said in regards to tablets that "if you see a stylus, they blew it," plain and simple as that. He also raged against large size smartphone models and smaller size slates, yet his successor, Tim Cook, has been more willing to embrace these things. This is why the iPhone 6 Plus is so much bigger than any of the models Jobs had a hand in designing (or approving), and why the 7.9-inch iPad mini exists. It's also why the rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" might also come with a stylus.

While Jobs made it clear that a stylus has no place in a tablet world, it looks as though the next iPad will have one anyway. So says a KGI Securities report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that was obtained by AppleInsider. The report points to several stylus-related patents along with Kuo's own research, all of which point to a stylus being a part of the iPad Pro experience.

"Given that it's more precise than a person's fingers, a stylus can be more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases," Kuo wrote. "Therefore, we believe Apple's stylus will improve the user experience of 12.9-inch iPad."

It's worth noting that Kuo has a generally favorable history when it comes to unreleased and unannounced Apple products. In addition, he didn't point to any source or rumor other than Apple's own patent filings, one of which shows a drawing of a stylus being used on an iPad tablet.

Kuo sees the stylus being an optional add-on, surmising that the majority of people won't need it. But for those who do, like graphics artists and anyone else who can benefit from more precise input, it will serve as a logical extension of the iPad, and one that will gradually see new features being added to it, like 3D handwriting.