iWork for iOS to bring enhanced Apple Pencil support next week

iWork, which is the name of Apple’s productivity suite for iPhone, iPad and Mac that encompasses the Pages word processor, the Numbers spreadsheet app and the Keynote presentation software, is about to get an update to make your Apple Pencil more useful.

This was briefly mentioned in today’s press release from Apple announcing the newly released 10.5-inch iPad Air and the 7.9-inch iPad mini 5 tablet models.

Apple today announced an upcoming update to iWork for iOS, available next week, with enhanced integration of Apple Pencil including new animation options in Keynote that let users draw an animation path for any object and an all-new user interface that enables easy implementation of build effects, including move, rotate and scale.

Apple has been updating Pages, Keynote and Numbers on a more or less consistent basis. An update in January brought basic Apple Pencil support to the Pages, Keynote and Numbers apps allowing you to select things and scroll with your stylus, but that’s about it.

UPDATE: The apps were refreshed on March 28 as follows.

Pages 5.0 for iOS

  • Use the new table of contents view to easily navigate your document or book.
  • Insert a table of contents onto a page in a word processing document.
  • Save custom shapes for use in other documents and access them on any device using iCloud.
  • Create templates to use as a model for new documents and access them on any device using iCloud.
  • Create image placeholders to easily replace images without affecting the formatting of your page.
  • Switch your document between word processing and page layout.
  • Improved performance while collaborating on documents.
  • Edit grouped objects while collaborating.
  • In Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages, you can now type vertically in your entire document or in an individual text box.

Numbers 5.0 for iOS

  • Make precise changes to table row and column counts and sizes with the format pane.
  • Performance and usability improvements to Smart Categories.
  • Save custom shapes for use in other spreadsheets, then access them on any device using iCloud.
  • Create templates to use as a model for new spreadsheets and access them on any device using iCloud.
  • Increased maximum zoom level to 400%.
  • Enhancements to Excel and comma separated value file import.
  • Create image placeholders to easily replace images without affecting the formatting of your spreadsheet.
  • Improved performance while collaborating on spreadsheets.
  • Edit grouped objects while collaborating.
  • Support for vertical text in shapes and text boxes in Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages.

Keynote 5.0 for iOS

  • Draw a path with your finger or Apple Pencil to animate an object across the slide.
  • Add emphasis to presentations with action build effects, including move, rotate and scale animations.
  • Create and share an animated GIF by exporting one or more slides.
  • Edit presenter notes while presenting or rehearsing a slideshow.
  • Save custom shapes for use in other presentations and access them on any device using iCloud.
  • Create themes to use as a model for new presentations and access them on any device using iCloud.
  • Slides with custom wider aspect ratios now display better in the slide navigator, light table and presenter display.Create image placeholders to easily replace images without affecting the formatting of your slide.
  • Improved performance while collaborating on presentations.
  • Edit grouped objects while collaborating.
  • Support for vertical text in shapes and text boxes in Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages.