Oh No, Apple Could Be Prepping An iPhone With a Stylus
Say it isn’t so, Tim. An iPhone stylus could be in our future.
Apple engineers have reportedly been working on a new iPhone that will support a stylus. The news, which was first reported by Korean publication The Investor, says the handset could launch in 2019.
The report says Apple’s been in talks with “a couple of stylus makers for a partnership.” The goal is to introduce a product that uses “a supercapacitor stylus type for price benefits.” By contrast, Samsung’s Note smartphone series uses electromagnetic resonance technology which requires additional panels under the screen, sources say.
By contrast, Samsung’s Note smartphone series uses electromagnetic resonance technology which requires additional panels under the screen, sources say.
“A supercapacitor type is cheaper to make compared to the EMR stylus. It also offers a more pen-like feel,” another source said.
I’m not sure how I feel about this.
On one hand, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise for Apple CEO Tim Cook and company to go down this path. After all, the iPad Pro lineup has supported the Apple Pencil stylus since 2016. Plus, Samsung has been doing this somewhat successfully with its Note device lineup for years.
Nonetheless, I can’t wrap myself around the idea of needing a stylus with my iPhone. It sounds very retro, and not in a good way.
As the late Steve Jobs explained when introducing the first iPhone in 2007:
Who wants a stylus? Tou have to get ’em, put ’em away, you lose ’em. Yuck! Nobody wants a stylus. So let’s not use a stylus.
Have our needs changed all that much in the past 10 years? I’m thinking not.
What do you think? Should Apple introduce an iPhone capable of using a stylus? Let us know below.