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Steve Jobs famously made fun of smartphone styluses during his introduction of the original iPhone in 2007, but when Apple unveiled its all-new iPhone Duo, it was confirmed that the foldable phone would be getting Apple Pencil support. With new ways to use iOS 27 that mixes the iPhone with the iPad and its combination of 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner screen, the use of Apple’s digital stylus made sense. However, even when the iPhone Duo becomes available next month starting at $1,999, Apple still says that Apple Pencil support will come “later this year.”
That means those using the iPhone Duo as a productivity device — for signing PDFs, marking notes, or even sketching — will have to wait before getting the features they desire. In other words, for a while, the iPhone Duo will feel like a somewhat incomplete device, just like the iPhone 16 release, when Apple announced it would support Apple Intelligence, but no Apple intelligence feature was made available until a month later. That said, the iPhone Duo feels the same way with the Apple Pencil support coming at an undetermined date.
Here’s how Apple Pencil might work with the iPhone Duo
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Like the base model iPad, the iPhone Duo will work with the basic USB-C Apple Pencil, but you won’t be able to use other iterations of this iPad accessory. The main reason is because the iPhone Duo doesn’t have an attachment system like the iPad mini, iPad Air, or iPad Pro, so users will have to connect a USB-C port to the Apple Pencil and then the iPhone to pair both devices.
Once they’re connected, it’s likely that users won’t have to keep redoing the pairing process all the time. Interestingly enough, while Apple could’ve gone with a solution where the Apple Pencil stays attached to the phone, it’s possible that the company decided to go for a freer experience to avoid the Apple Pencil following as people move the device around. At least, this is what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously said, as the company tested a specific Apple Pencil for the Duo, which was stubbier than the iPad versions. According to him, this pencil would magnetically attach and charge on the side of the iPhone. Ultimately, as we know, Apple decided to go with iPad’s current offering, even though it doesn’t mean the company couldn’t launch a newer iteration in the future.
Here’s what else is delayed with iOS 27
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Apple Pencil support for the iPhone Duo is not the only missing feature of iOS 27. By the time this foldable phone is released, Apple, most likely, will make available iOS 27.1, which should bring support for Siri AI in more languages. According to the company, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish will be supported in Siri AI in October, as the personal assistant that can get context, has on-screen awareness, and can tap into your personal information currently only works in English. That said, it’s unclear when Apple might drop the “Beta” label from Siri AI.
Besides that, iOS 27 also delays two features that have been tested during the beta period, but deleted in the latest builds ahead of the official release. For once, Suggestions in Messages, which would offer you an one-tap action once someone would request you a photo, a date for going on, and so on, will currently be released later this year, while the ability to automatically fix compromised passwords with a tap also need a second to be reworked.
Truth be told, during iOS 27 beta, I tried to fix passwords automatically, and I could never make it right. Turns out, it was a more general problem, as Apple is going to take a bit longer to ensure users have the best experience possible with this feature. Still, iOS 27 feels as one of the most completed updates in years.
