Unlikely to launch this year, analyst says

Mar 26, 2018 07:54 GMT  ·  By

Apple is reportedly working on a larger iPhone model with support for the Pencil, but according to an analyst, the debut of this device won’t happen this year.

KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who already has an impressive track on Apple scoops, says in a note to investors focused on the Pencil that Cupertino is very likely to bring stylus support to the iPhone with a bigger version of the device.

But as far as the launch of this model is concerned, it’s unlikely to take place this year, despite the company actually planning a bigger iPhone for 2018.

The new-generation iPhone coming in the fall will include three different versions, including a 6.5-inch Plus-sized variant of the iPhone X.

Pencil support remaining iPad-exclusive for 2018

And while Apple is holding back Pencil support for the iPhone, the company wants to make it available on more iPad models. The March 27 event this week is expected to include the unveiling of a new more affordable iPad, and Kuo says that Pencil support will be among its top features.

The 9.7-inch iPad could be specifically aimed at educators and students, so Pencil support certainly makes sense. This is a market that Microsoft and Google have previously invested in aggressively, with the first also bringing Surface Pen support to its devices in the education market for easy note-taking and drawing.

Apple is currently offering Pencil support on its iPad Pro models, and by bringing it to a more affordable model, the company could sell many more such accessories. Kuo says Apple Pencil sales could reach 10 million units this year, up from approximately 4.5 million units last year.

Apple will unveil full details regarding the new model this week, while a possible iPhone with Pencil support could only land in 2019 the earliest, though it remains to be seen how the company’s Plus-sized iPhone X launching in the fall sells in the first place.