Ahead of the iPhone Duo launch, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was exploring a new Apple Pencil for the device, although it seemed unlikely the company would ultimately move forward with it. The iPhone Duo event arrived, however, and Apple announced support for the USB-C Apple Pencil. Here’s how that change came about.
Apple Pencil compatibility was reportedly part of iPhone Duo’s plans from the beginning, and the device was designed with that support in mind. Initially, though, Apple intended to create a dedicated Apple Pencil for the Duo that would be smaller and attach to the hinge side of the phone.
According to Bloomberg, that pencil encountered “technical problems” before mass production, leading Apple to cancel it and use the traditional USB-C Apple Pencil instead.
After the keynote, you may have noticed on Apple’s website that Apple Pencil support would not be available on iPhone Duo at launch. The delay stems from the fact that the product was not originally designed around the USB-C Apple Pencil, and Apple still needs to test it thoroughly.
Getting the iPad Pencils to work with the iPhone Duo is not as simple as enabling support with the press of a button. Apple must release new software to make the devices compatible and conduct extensive internal testing. That process is now underway at Apple, and as the company said during the Duo unveiling, it believes support will be ready by the end of the year. I would take that literally: it will likely be fairly late in 2026.
It remains unclear whether the technical problems involve the new Apple Pencil itself or the iPhone Duo’s ability to magnetically charge it. If it is the former, Apple could still introduce the accessory at a later date.
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