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TechQuiet 4d · day 4

Apple scrapped a slimmer Apple Pencil built for iPhone Duo over technical snags

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman details why Apple abandoned a hinge-mounted stylus for iPhone Duo, leaving Pencil support delayed until late 2026.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 4d ago11 pieces7 likes & upvotes MastodonNewswiresX

What to know

  • Apple originally designed a smaller, hinge-mounted Apple Pencil exclusive to the iPhone Duo, but scrapped it before mass production due to unspecified technical problems.
  • Apple pivoted to supporting the existing USB-C Apple Pencil instead, which it announced at the iPhone Duo keynote.
  • That support won't be available at launch because the device wasn't originally engineered for it; Apple says it will be ready by the end of 2026 after further software work and testing.
  • It remains unclear whether the scrapped design's problems were with the pencil itself or with magnetically charging it via iPhone Duo, leaving open the possibility Apple revives it later.

“But getting the iPad Pencils to work on the iPhone Duo isn’t as simple as hitting a button to enable support. Apple has to roll out new software to make them compatible and run loads of internal tests.”

9to5Mac, tech outlet · 9to5Mac ↗ · Sep 19

Mark Gurman Bloomberg reporterApple Manufacturer of iPhone Duo

Apple scrapped a slimmer Apple Pencil built for iPhone Duo over technical snags
9to5mac.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 10 pieces in one hour at Sep 20, 10 AM; 11 pieces over 4 days (8 articles · 3 posts) Sep 20, 10 AM — 10 pieces · 7 articles · 3 posts — Newswires 6, Mastodon 3, X 1Sep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quietToday, 11 AM — quietToday, 12 PM — quiet 1–2
Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 1:22 PM ET
  1. 2

    Gurman confirms the scrapped stylus and Apple's pivot

    Mark Gurman posted his own account of the story, saying a new stylus was originally planned and scrapped due to technical snags, prompting Apple to pivot to supporting the existing iPad Apple Pencils on iPhone Duo.

    “A new stylus was originally planned and scrapped due to technical snags, so Apple pivoted for supporting the iPad Apple Pencils.”
    — Mark Gurman
    1. 5 outlets Apple Scrapped a Shorter Apple Pencil for the Apple Duo, Report Says

      first by Tech Times, 4d ago · also iPhone in Canada, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, MacRumors Forums

      3 more headlines

    • Here's the story with the iPhone Duo Apple Pencil. A new stylus was originally planned and scrapped due to technical snags, so Apple pivoted for supporting the iPad Apple Pencils.

      @markgurmanX4d agoview on X ↗
  2. 1

    9to5Mac notes Pencil support won't ship at Duo launch

    Because the iPhone Duo wasn't originally engineered around the USB-C Apple Pencil, Apple must roll out new software and complete internal testing, with support expected to arrive late in 2026 rather than at launch.

    “technical problems…”
    — Bloomberg, news outlet, cited by 9to5Mac · source
    1. 1 outlet Here's why Apple scrapped its shorter Apple Pencil designed for iPhone Duo: report - 9to5Mac

      first by Mastodon, 4d ago

  3. background

    Bloomberg reveals Apple scrapped a custom Duo-only Apple Pencil — Reporting says Apple had designed a smaller Apple Pencil meant to attach to the hinge side of the iPhone Duo, but the accessory hit "technical problems" before mass production and was dropped in favor of supporting the existing USB-C Apple Pencil.