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Apple scrapped smaller iPhone Duo Apple Pencil over technical problems, report says

Apple scrapped a smaller Apple Pencil for iPhone Duo after technical problems before mass production, opting for USB-C Apple Pencil support that won't be ready at launch, according to Bloomberg.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-21 00:40

Before the iPhone Duo launch, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was considering a new Apple Pencil for the device, though it was unlikely Apple would go forward with it. At the iPhone Duo keynote, Apple announced support for the USB-C Apple Pencil.

Apple Pencil support was reportedly always on the roadmap for iPhone Duo, and Apple designed the product to be compatible. The company initially planned to build a new Apple Pencil for the Duo that would have been smaller and attached to the hinge side of the iPhone Duo.

According to Bloomberg, that pencil ran into technical problems before mass production, so Apple scrapped it and opted for the traditional USB-C Apple Pencil.

After the keynote, Apple's website indicated that Apple Pencil support would not be available on iPhone Duo at launch. The delay stems from the fact that the product was not initially designed with the USB-C Apple Pencil in mind, and Apple still needs to test it thoroughly.

Making the iPad Pencils work on iPhone Duo is not as simple as enabling support with a button, according to the report. Apple has to roll out new software to make them compatible and run many internal tests. That process is underway inside Apple, and the company said during the Duo unveiling that it believes support will be ready by the end of the year. The report says that should be taken literally, meaning it will be fairly late in 2026.

It is not clear whether the technical problems with the new Apple Pencil design involved the Apple Pencil itself or the iPhone Duo's ability to magnetically charge it. If the problem was with the Apple Pencil, it remains possible that Apple will still debut the accessory at a later date, according to the report.