Apple’s iPhone Duo hit stores (in limited numbers) tomorrow and on the doorsteps of those lucky enough to get their pre-orders in early, but users will have to wait awhile for some of the new foldable’s features to be available. Perhaps the more awaited is Apple Pencil support.
When Apple unveiled the Duo last month, it caused a bit of a stir when it was announced that owners would be able to use it with a the Apple Pencil (USB-C version only). Apple also made it clear that the feature would be “coming later this year.” (Meaning not at launch.)
Well, the bad news is iPhone Duo users will have to wait to use their Apple Pencil with theie new precious, but the good news is that they won’t have to wait very long.
While the iPhone Duo ships with iOS 27.1 installed, it won’t hang around long, as Apple is expected to release iOS 27.2 early next week. Apple has already pushed out the iOS 27.2 release candidate build, and as noted by iDropNews, early iPhone Duo reviewers that have installed the RC confirm that Apple Pencil compatibility comes along for the ride with the update.
Apple Pencil support is with iOS 27.2 btw
iOS 27.2 RC rolled out Monday, and it works pic.twitter.com/tt3QQbjkZv
— Max Weinbach (@mweinbach) October 21, 2026
This all means that if you receive your iPhone Duo tomorrow and don’t want to wait for a pit of Apple Pencil fun, until Monday, you’ll need to enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program so you can get the RC build.
Remember, the iPhone Duo exclusively supports the Apple Pencil (USB-C), which is Apple’s most affordable stylus (Amazon sells it for $69 which is $10 less than Apple’s price). But unfortunately for iPad Air and iPad Pro owners that already have the Apple Pencil Pro, you will need to purchase the USB-C version stylus for the iPhone Duo.
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