Why Apple canceled stylus designed for iPhone Duo
What's the story
Apple has reportedly canceled a smaller version of the Apple Pencil, which was specifically designed for its new folding flagship, the iPhone Duo, while support for existing iPad Pencils is expected later this year. The decision comes after technical issues were encountered during development. The information was shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said that while Apple had planned to support the foldable with the new accessory, those plans have now been shelved.
Development hurdles
Technical issues halted production
The smaller Apple Pencil was supposed to be attached to the side of the hinge on the iPhone Duo.
However, it ran into several technical snags just before mass production.
Although Gurman did not specify what exactly went wrong, reports indicate that the problem could have been related to magnetic charging.
Future plans
Existing pencils could work with iPhone Duo
Getting existing iPad Pencils to work on the iPhone Duo isn't a simple task. Apple will have to release new software and conduct extensive internal tests for compatibility.
This process is already underway, with the company expecting that support will be ready by the end of this year.
However, Gurman cautioned that this timeline should be taken literally, meaning we could see Pencil support fairly late in 2026.