✏️ More on the iPhone Duo Pencil
In my previous post about the iPhone Duo I speculated that there was more to the Apple Pencil support story:
Regarding Apple Pencil support, I feel like we don't have the full story yet. Currently, Apple says iPhone Duo is compatible with only the USB-C Apple Pencil which has very few features compared to the Apple Pencil Pro. That's out of necessity; without the magnetic connection hardware, there's no way for the Apple Pencil Pro to pair or charge with iPhone Duo.
But why is Apple Pencil support for iPhone Duo coming later this year? And why weren't there any Apple Pencils at the hands-on event? Even if the feature is coming later this year, why not let at least some of the press use an early beta version?
Here's my wild theory: there's a new Apple Pencil coming in October alongside the rumored OLED iPad mini, and that new Apple Pencil will not just work with the iPhone Duo, but will clearly be the one best suited for it. What I'm hoping for is a slightly smaller (shorter, more pocketable) Apple Pencil with pressure sensitivity that works with some kind of inkwell-like USB-C charging/pairing base.
Wishful thinking? Maybe, but the iPhone Duo Apple Pencil vibes are off. This device would be a killer sketchbook with apps like Linea Sketch and Procreate, or even just Apple's Notes app, but it can only really excel with additional Pencil hardware features like pressure sensitivity. The USB-C Apple Pencil only supports tilt, and while that's better than nothing, but my gut tells me there's another shoe that hasn't dropped yet.
This morning Michael Burkhardt wrote this over at 9to5Mac:
[Apple] initially planned to build a new Apple Pencil for the Duo. It would’ve been smaller and attached to the hinge side of the iPhone Duo.
According to Bloomberg, that pencil ran into “technical problems” prior to mass production, so the company scrapped it and went with the traditional USB-C Apple Pencil.
After the keynote, you might’ve noticed on Apple’s website that Apple Pencil support won’t be available on iPhone Duo at launch. That delay is a result of the fact that the product wasn’t initially designed with the USB-C Apple Pencil in mind, and Apple still needs to test it thoroughly
If true, it sounds like my hopes and dreams of a new iPhone Duo-compatible Pencil dropping soon (alongside a new iPad mini) were, indeed, too optimistic.
It will be really interesting to see the iPhone Duo teardown and find out if there's any Pencil-related magnetic hardware inside.