Apple’s own Pencil for the iPhone Duo is not launching. The company built a shorter, magnetic stylus for its first foldable, but production problems pushed it to fall back on the Apple Pencil models already sold for the iPad.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman explained what happened in his latest Power On newsletter. He reported a few weeks before the iPhone Duo launch event that Apple was testing the accessory, and said at the time it was unlikely to be unveiled.
Apple Tested a Shorter Pencil That Attached to the iPhone Duo Hinge
The prototype was shorter than the iPad versions and magnetic, so it could attach to the hinge of the device. Gurman calls it a controversial move, since Steve Jobs famously said no one wanted to use a stylus with a phone. An earlier post covers how the iPhone Duo challenges that old rule.
Gurman says his call that the accessory would not be unveiled turned out to be correct. Apple instead designed the iPhone Duo to support the iPad’s Apple Pencil on both its external and interior screens.
Technical Problems Before Mass Production Pushed Apple Toward the iPad Apple Pencil
The original plan was to introduce a Pencil designed specifically for the iPhone Duo. A few months ago, the accessory ran into technical problems ahead of mass production, and Apple pivoted to supporting the iPad versions instead.
Apple has not designed the foldable for the Apple Pencil Pro, as an earlier post explains in detail on why the iPhone Duo will not work with the Apple Pencil Pro.
Apple Pencil Support for the iPhone Duo Should Arrive Late in 2026
Getting the iPad Apple Pencil models to work on the iPhone Duo is not a matter of flipping a switch. Apple has to roll out new software to make them compatible and run a large number of internal tests. Gurman says that process is underway now.
Apple said during the iPhone Duo unveiling that support would be ready by the end of the year, and Gurman says to take that literally. He expects it to land fairly late in 2026. Code found in iOS 27 also points to Apple Pencil hover support on the foldable.
Our Take
I think dropping the custom Pencil is the sensible call. A magnetic stylus on the hinge would have been one more accessory to design, produce and stock, and Apple already sells Apple Pencil models that iPad owners have in a drawer.
