For a long time various reports and rumors about Apple’s foldable iPhone have been circulating, and many analysts believe that when opened this device will resemble an iPad mini in terms of size and user experience. This raises the question of whether Apple intends to add Apple Pencil support to its foldable iPhone as well.
Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg reporter, has given a fairly clear answer to this question. According to his report, Apple not only considered offering a dedicated pen for the foldable iPhone, but also developed a prototype of such a product for internal testing.
This matters because offering a pen for the iPhone would significantly differ from Steve Jobs’s famous view on using a pen with smartphones. However, the increased display area of a foldable iPhone could enable new uses for a smart pen.
Apple’s prototype pen for the foldable iPhone
According to Gurman, Apple at one point considered releasing a version of the Apple Pencil for the foldable iPhone. It is said the prototype of this pen was smaller than the models designed for iPad; a detail that makes sense given the different dimensions of the foldable iPhone.
According to Digital Trends, Apple also explored having the pen attach magnetically to the body of the foldable iPhone; similar to the way the Apple Pencil attaches to and charges on some iPad models.
However, apparently this plan ultimately faced challenges and Apple decided to forgo including a pen with the first generation of its foldable iPhone for now.
Why did Apple abandon offering a pen for the foldable iPhone?
According to Mark Gurman’s report, one of the main concerns related to how the pen would attach to the phone’s body. Having the pen attach magnetically beside a foldable phone could make the process of opening and closing the device more difficult.
The more significant challenge also relates to the structure of foldable displays. The top layers of these displays are generally more sensitive compared to regular displays, and using a pen with a relatively hard tip could increase the risk of damaging the display surface.
On the other hand, pressure from a pen on a foldable display may leave visible marks similar to indentations caused by nail pressure; an issue that could conflict with the premium, high-quality user experience Apple envisions for its future product.
Possibility of the pen returning in later generations
Despite discarding the idea for the first generation of the foldable iPhone, the possibility of offering a pen for future models cannot be completely ruled out. If foldable display technology becomes more durable in the future or Apple can develop a pen with a softer tip compatible with these displays, the company may revisit such a product.
At present, reports indicate that offering a dedicated pen for Apple’s first-generation foldable iPhone is unlikely. However, testing a prototype of such a product shows that Apple at least considered using a pen with foldable iPhones and the idea may be reconsidered in future generations.