Apple’s iPhone Duo will gain support for the USB-C Apple Pencil on both its cover display and its 7.6-inch foldable inner screen later this year. The feature gives Apple’s first foldable phone an optional precision-input tool that Samsung’s current Galaxy Z Fold8 does not offer.
The Apple Pencil will be sold separately and charged independently. On the larger internal display, Apple positions it for note-taking, sketching and document annotation, with iOS 27 multitasking intended to make the Duo operate more like a compact tablet when unfolded.
Stylus compatibility is not required for operating the iPhone Duo, which remains designed for finger-based touch controls. That distinction matters against the long-standing context of Steve Jobs’ “Who wants a stylus?” line at the original iPhone introduction in 2007: Apple Pencil is being presented as a precision accessory rather than a substitute for navigating the interface.
Samsung previously made S Pen support part of its foldable strategy, starting with the Galaxy Z Fold3 and continuing through the Galaxy Z Fold6. The company dropped the necessary digitizer layer with the thinner, lighter Galaxy Z Fold7, and the Galaxy Z Fold8 also lacks S Pen compatibility.
The comparison comes with a hardware trade-off. The iPhone Duo is thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold8, suggesting Apple accepted some additional bulk to accommodate Pencil support. Samsung has considered bringing S Pen support back to future Fold models, but Fold8 arrived without it. Apple’s move could increase pressure for Samsung to restore the feature in a later generation.
Apple has positioned the iPhone Duo as a niche device, with European pricing starting at €2,299. Preorders are set to open September 12, followed by deliveries beginning September 18; availability and pricing in other markets have not been confirmed here.
