Apple's First Folding iPhone Goes On Sale With Stylus Support
Apple's iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, went on sale at Apple Store locations worldwide on Friday, October 23. It costs $2,000. It is also the first iPhone that works with the Apple Pencil.
Apple first unveiled the iPhone Duo on September 9, 2026, in a newsroom post. Pre-orders opened on Friday, October 16. The day before, on October 15, Apple published an update titled "Open up to new possibilities with iPhone Duo." That update set up the pre-order window ahead of the retail launch.
The stylus is the most unusual part of the phone. According to The Verge's hands-on review, the iPhone Duo works with the USB-C Apple Pencil. That Pencil does not sense pressure.
Think of a felt-tip marker. It draws the same line whether you press lightly or hard. The Pencil works the same way on this phone. Apple added Pencil support with iOS 27.2.
Much of the stylus experience comes from software. Scribble turns handwriting into text in apps including Messages and Safari. In Notes, an auto-refine feature tidies up handwriting while keeping the writer's own letter shapes, according to the same review.
In my view, the missing pressure sensitivity sets the limits of the Pencil on this phone. Artists, and anyone who relies on thick and thin strokes, will likely find it falls short. For taking notes, filling in forms, and sending quick replies, the handwriting-to-text features matter more. That is where Apple has focused its work on this device.
The broader context here is the screen. A foldable display gives the stylus more room to write than a regular iPhone screen. That moves the device toward a job that tablets and paper notebooks have usually done. Whether people see the iPhone Duo as a phone that accepts handwriting or as a pocket notebook will depend on how Notes and Scribble perform in everyday use.
At $2,000, the phone costs far more than the standard iPhone lineup. It is aimed at buyers who already consider premium foldables and large-screen devices. Its stylus support is a feature Apple has not offered on any iPhone before.
Developers face a practical question. Apple's Scribble and Notes features set a starting point, and third-party apps will need to decide how closely to follow it. iOS 27.2 is the software that brings this support, so its behavior on the device is the reference for anyone building apps that depend heavily on input.
The launch makes a new combination possible. The phone folds, accepts stylus input, and turns handwriting into text on the device itself, as part of the operating system. The Pencil's lack of pressure sensitivity narrows what it can do, but the software gives the device a clear and specific job.
