Rumors about the foldable iPhone Ultra are reaching a crescendo ahead of the September 9 premiere, which is far from surprising. After all, getting a device with a new form factor from Apple happens rarely enough to make everyone very excited.
The issue is that rumors about this particular phone have been all over the place. Alongside the claims of a large battery and great performance, we’ve been hearing of production issues and questionable design decisions. While all this has made me cautiously optimistic about the iPhone Ultra, the most recent rumor feels like the most disturbing yet.
Seriously, Apple, attaching a stylus to a phone?
Apple insider Mark Gurman said in the latest issue of his newsletter that the company has been testing a digital pen for the iPhone Ultra. The stylus is reportedly very different from the Apple Pencil you can use with an iPad, and there’s a very high chance it won’t be launched alongside the foldable.
What makes things truly baffling is that Apple’s prototype was reportedly a stubbier version of the iPad versions of the Pencil, and it was designed to attach to the side of the phone. Again, similar to the iPad model, that’s how it would get charged and stored.
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This is such an obviously horrible idea that I’m baffled it even lived long enough to enter a prototype phase. Phones usually go inside pockets when you don’t use them, and I can’t imagine the magnet necessary to keep a stylus attached to a phone inside my pocket.
I also can't imagine how uncomfortable such a combo would be in daily life. It would also defeat the purpose of the smaller external display and overall footprint when the phone is folded. I don’t even want to mention the potential damage to the more delicate foldable screen, even though that should be an even more important concern.
Steve Jobs said nobody wanted a stylus, Samsung proved he was right
Galaxy Z Fold 8 is selling like hotcakes. No stylus support. | Image by PhoneArena
When he unveiled the original iPhone in 2007, Steve Jobs famously said that “yuck, nobody wants a stylus,” and his point stands strong even today. While Samsung famously sells the Galaxy S26 Ultra with an integrated S Pen, the company has proven Jobs’ words with its foldables.
For years, every Galaxy Z Fold came with S Pen support, and Samsung was selling special versions of the stylus that would protect the soft inner display. That was until last year when the company decided it was more important to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 thinner and removed the digitizer layer necessary for the S Pen from the display.
What do you think about the iPhone Ultra coming with a stylus?
Some people complained about it online, but many others confessed they used the stylus only occasionally. Meanwhile, sales skyrocketed, and the Z Fold 7 quickly turned into a record-breaking success for Samsung. A year later, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is breaking records again, and the S Pen is only mentioned in passing.
Some redditors hoped for the Z Fold 7 to flop. It didn't. | Image by Reddit (screenshot
I’m sure many people would love to have a stylus with their foldable, but the overwhelming majority of smartphone users couldn’t care less about it. Samsung has proven it with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which remains the only major phone offering such a feature, and the Galaxy Z Fold series, which is thriving since removing the S Pen.
Can we focus on the important things
Apple Pencil support is something I wouldn’t mind having on the iPhone Ultra, but I’d prefer Apple to focus elsewhere. Excellent specs, attractive design, long-lasting battery, top-tier camera performance, and impeccable software integration are the very basic things that matter way more than a stylus.
Samsung figured most of this out with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and we can only hope Apple will deliver a proper answer to it. My doubt about it grows by the day, but I can’t wait for September 9 to be proven wrong.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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