Rumors of an Apple Pencil designed for iPhones have circulated for a while, but remain yet to manifest in a released product. This may soon change after a post on Weibo suggested that Apple had planned to launch a $49 Apple Pencil in September of 2022. Reports claim that the company had mass-produced over one million units of the accessory, only to cancel the launch at a late stage due to unspecified reasons.
The Apple Pencil would have been a low-cost alternative to the current generation of Apple Pencils, lacking in pressure-sensing technology and a rechargeable battery and instead opting for a chip to power the stylus via an iPad or iPhone screen, similar to Samsung’s S-Pen stylus. The accessory would give users a first-party stylus experience with the iPhone, something never available before.
The unreleased Apple Pencil was suggested to accompany the tenth-generation iPad which comes with a USB-C port & requires a $9 Lightning dongle in order to pair with the 1st generation Apple Pencil. This suggests that the cheaper version of the Apple Pencil will have no charging functions, instead having to be connected to external power sources to retain functionality.
Apple Inc. is one of the world’s largest technology and design companies, regarded as a pioneering force in the industry, and responsible for the development of products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Watch. Founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976, Apple has grown from a small, originally garage-based startup to a global brand in the five decades which have followed.
Twitter user “DuanRui” is credited for sharing the post on the Chinese social site Weibo, suggesting the possibility of a $49 Apple Pencil. While the post does not mention DuanRui’s information, the rumors sparked from the post have been largely credited to his sharing. If the rumors are proven to be true and the launch ultimately succeeds, the product may cause a major shift in the tablet industry.
