Steve Jobs mocked 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 get Apple Pencil support. With new ways to use iOS 27 that mixes the iPhone with the iPad and its combination of a 5.4-inch exterior screen and a 7.6-inch interior display, using Apple’s digital pen made sense. However, even when the iPhone Duo becomes available next month starting at $1,999, Apple still says support for the Apple Pencil will arrive “later this year.”
That means those who use the iPhone Duo as a productivity device — for signing PDFs, marking up notes, or even drawing — will have to wait to get the features they want. In other words, for a while, the iPhone Duo will feel like a somewhat incomplete device, just like the iPhone 16 version, when Apple announced that it would support Apple Intelligence, but no Apple Intelligence features were available until a month later. That said, the iPhone Duo feels the same way with support for the Apple Pencil at an undetermined date.
Here’s how the Apple Pencil could work with the iPhone Duo
Like the base model iPad, the iPhone Duo will work with the base Apple Pencil USB-C, but you won’t be able to use other iterations of this iPad accessory. The main reason is that the iPhone Duo doesn’t have a docking system like the iPad mini, iPad Air, or iPad Pro, so users will need to connect a USB-C port to the Apple Pencil and then to the iPhone to pair the two devices.
Once connected, it is likely that users will not have to go through the pairing process again at any time. Interestingly enough, while Apple could have opted for a solution where the Apple Pencil remains attached to the phone, it’s possible that the company decided to go for a freer experience to avoid the Apple Pencil tracking when people move the device. At least that’s what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said, as the company tested a specific Apple Pencil for the Duo, which was chunkier than the iPad versions. According to him, this pencil would attach magnetically and charge on the side of the iPhone. Ultimately, as we know, Apple decided to keep the current iPad offering, although that doesn’t mean the company couldn’t launch a new iteration in the future.
Here’s what’s delayed with iOS 27
Apple Pencil support for the iPhone Duo isn’t the only feature missing from iOS 27. By the time this foldable phone launches, Apple will most likely make iOS 27.1 available, which should bring Siri AI support to more languages. According to the company, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish will be supported in Siri AI in October, as the personal assistant capable of obtaining context, detecting the screen and accessing your personal information currently only works in English. That said, it’s unclear when Apple might drop the Siri AI “beta” label.
On top of that, iOS 27 also delays two features that were tested during the beta period but removed in the latest builds before the official release. For once, the suggestions in messages, which would offer you a one-click action once someone asks you for a photo, a date to continue, etc., will currently be released later this year, while the ability to automatically repair compromised passwords with a single click also requires a second to rework.
Truth be told, during the iOS 27 beta, I tried to auto-correct passwords and was never able to get it right. It turns out that this was a more general issue, as Apple is going to take a little more time to ensure users have the best possible experience with this feature. Still, iOS 27 looks to be one of the most comprehensive updates in years.
