The question: “Is Apple Pencil coming to the iPhone?” looks like a reasonable question, and yet, no one seems to have a definite answer. Well, of course, Tim Cook knows it all and prefers to stay mum about it.
For those who are aliens to the Apple world, Apple Pencil is the most exquisite and artistic pressure-sensitive implement that combines the skill of elementary writing and creative drawing into one. This magic wand is intended for everyone, from amateur artists to professionals, as it lets them utilise the Pencil with as much ease and freedom as that of a real pencil. Actually, more.
The biggest, and perhaps the only downside to the Apple Pencil is that it is only compatible with the 12.9-inch and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. So, if you’re dreaming of an Apple Pencil, make sure you have a fat wallet – to afford the iPad Pro. Yes, the Apple Pencil is the best companion to an iPad Pro, but the question that lingers on is – Will it ever be compatible with the iPhone?
The Apple Pencil is like a cursed product that seems haunted by an infamous quote by Steve Jobs back in 2010 – “If you see a stylus, they blew it.” This has led to a common misconception that Steve Jobs detested the idea of Apple making a stylus.
What he actually meant was that the idea of a pen-like device to write or draw on a digital screen meant that Apple’s touch technology was flawed, if it couldn’t let the user operate the device with only their fingertips. This could have been the reason the Apple Pencil was designed to be more than just a stylus. And Even Cook does not like to call the Pencil a stylus as he believes there is a ‘big difference’ between the capabilities of an Apple Pencil and a traditional stylus. Tim Cook believes that even Steve Jobs would have liked the Apple Pencil.
Though it may not be easy for anyone to exactly pinpoint as to why Apple has not yet made the Pencil compatible with the iPhone, all we can do is take an educated guess. One could be that the touch technology used in large screen devices and small screen devices are wired differently – 3D touch as in iPhone 6S and 6S Plus and the unique pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil on iPad Pro. Also, the size of the Pencil indicates that it is currently designed for iPad Pro only.
Earlier this year, in May, Cook hinted that the Apple Pencil won’t always be exclusively compatible with iPad Pro. He said, “If you’ve ever seen what can be created with that pencil on an iPad or iPhone, it’s really unbelievable.” You could call it a slip of the tongue to use ‘iPhone’ along with ‘iPad’, but I see it as a likelihood of Apple exploring the possibilities of making the Pencil compatible with the iPhone.
But for what it’s worth, I don’t think a tool so humanly responsive has ever been designed and I am excited at the prospect of it coming to iPhones as well. Fingers crossed with hopes on the rooftops.
