- Apple rumoured to have manufactured over a million units of an experimental new Apple Pen, but scrapped the project just before launch.
- Codenamed “Maker”, the styluses would reportedly have been much cheaper than the latest Apple Pencils, and would have been compatible with iPhones.
- If the rumour is true then Apple has thrown away millions of dollars on the failed project.
A new rumour has emerged indicating that Apple was working on a new, cheaper Apple Pencil similar to the Samsung S Pen, that would be priced at $49 (~R850). The project was apparently terminated before launch but not before the Cupertino, California company manufactured over a million units.
9To5Mac got wind of the rumour and explained that the source isn’t the most trustworthy, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the idea is interesting, and if true could be considered a significant blunder on the company’s part.
Intriguingly, the rumour detailed that the Pencil would be compatible with iPhones, which is a plan that has emerged a few times without fruition.
The rumour emerged from Chinese social media site Weibo (difficult to access without VPN) and was translated by Twitter user DuanRui. The Weibo post claims that the experimental stylus codenamed “Maker” was to be a no-battery needed, no pressure sensor, chip-powered pen, similar to Samsung devices.
At the Apple Event in September, Apple was originally going to release a new Apple Pencil code-named Maker, priced at about $49, with no pressure sensing and no battery needed, using a chip to power the stylus from the screen, similar to the Samsung S- Pen.（1/2）
— DuanRui (@duanrui1205) November 24, 2022
It would also have been considerably cheaper than currently available Apple Pencils retailing for around R850. In comparison, the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil goes for R2 799 in South Africa. No doubt the lack of battery and pressure sensor would have been responsible for this drop in pricing.
The rumour claims that Apple had developed a special chip for the pen that would be used to power the stylus through the screen of the device of choice.
Unlike available Apple Pencils, the experimental Maker pen would have been compatible with the latest iPhones. Currently, only iPad Pro and iPad Air devices can use Apple Pencils. Apple has never included styluses with its smartphones unlike its rival across the Pacific.
There was even a point where the stylus was a signature of Samsung smartphones, which may have been a reason why Apple initially chose to avoid mobile-linked styluses altogether as a means to distinguish their own smartphones.
Finally, the rumour claims that the project was terminated “closer to launch” and that Apple had amassed a stock of over a million units of the Maker pen. This is probably the least likely of the points included in the rumour.
If it is true then the company would have spent a considerable amount of money on a failed project in terms of manufacture, design and research and development. Costs upwards of millions of dollars. There is also no indication of why the products were scrapped, but it must have been a very good reason to flush all that time and money down the toilet.
That is of course if the rumour is actually true.
