Can the iPhone Duo Use the Apple Pencil?

In a groundbreaking moment on January 9, 2007, Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone at Macworld 2007. During his presentation, Jobs famously questioned the need for a stylus, stating, “Who wants a stylus?”

Jobs emphatically answered his own question by declaring, “Yuck! Who wants a stylus? You have to get ’em, put ’em away and you lose them. Nobody wants a stylus! We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world. We’re going to use a pointing device that we’re all born with. We’re born with ten of them, we’re going to use our fingers. We’re going to touch this with our fingers.”

Jobs’ dismissal of styluses can be understood in the context of revolutionizing smartphone user interaction. At the time, users were accustomed to styluses from popular PDAs like Palm and Windows. Apple itself had previously released a PDA with a stylus, the Newton, which was not successful. Therefore, Jobs’ aversion to styluses was justified.

Fast forward to the present day, Apple has embraced the idea of using a stylus with the iPhone, now referred to as the Apple Pencil. The recent unveiling of the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable iPhone, revealed that limited support for the Apple Pencil will be available.

During the presentation, Apple’s marketing chief Greg “Joz” Joswiak announced that the iPhone Duo will allow the use of the Apple Pencil with USB-C for tasks such as note-taking, sketching, and document markup. This marks a significant shift in Apple’s stance on stylus use.

Apple confirmed that the Apple Pencil will be compatible with both the inner and outer displays of the iPhone Duo. However, existing Apple Pencil users may need to purchase the Apple Pencil with USB-C as the Pro version may not be supported.

The decision not to support the Apple Pencil Pro is logical, as the charging mechanism of the Pro stylus is incompatible with the iPhone Duo. The Apple Pencil with USB-C features a hidden charging port behind a sliding cap, allowing users to charge it directly from the iPhone Duo’s USB-C port.

Although Apple considered developing a special Apple Pencil for the iPhone Duo, it ultimately decided to allow existing Apple Pencil users access to the device. The Apple Pencil with USB-C lacks some features of the Pro model but offers tilt sensitivity at a lower price point.

Apple Pencil support for the iPhone Duo will be available later this year, with pre-orders starting on October 16 and availability in stores and online on October 23. Users can expect a seamless integration of the Apple Pencil with the innovative foldable design of the iPhone Duo.