Credit: Ben Geskin

While it’s far from concrete evidence that Apple Pencil support is coming in this year’s Apple handsets, case maker Olixar is imagining that Apple will introduce a new twist on its stylus.

Smaller Apple Pencils?

As of Wednesday morning, case retailer Mobile Fun began stocking a so-called iPhone 11 Pro case made by Olixar with a mini Apple Pencil holder.

There isn’t much information to go off beside the description of the case, which is apparently slim and crafted from genuine leather. Notably, however, the product description also says that the case comes with “the added convenience of an Apple Pencil sleeve.”

But if you take a look at the renderings, you’ll notice that the apparent slot for the Apple Pencil seems way too small for current versions of the styli.

That suggests that Olixar is expecting Apple to debut a miniaturized version of the Apple Pencil specifically for its 2019 handsets — or, at the very least, for the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone XS Max successor.

Is This Legit?

Case makers have a strong incentive to be accurate with their offerings, and can sometimes source accurate insider information. But there there are several reasons to believe that the rumor is more of a publicity stunt than anything based on solid evidence.

For one, it’s not clear if the case depicted in the renderings is an actual physical product that Olixar has produced. Mocking up a render for a case is one thing. If Olixar actually had insider information, it would probably have started manufacturing these cases. And there’s no indication that it has done so.

It’s also worth noting that Olixar has done similar renderings in the past with no actual production follow up. Back in 2018, for example, the company produced renders for an iPhone SE 2 case. That product, of course, never materialized.

As such, it’s definitely worth taking this rumor with a hefty grain of salt.

Past Apple Pencil iPhone Rumors

Despite the overall sketchiness of this particular rumor, Apple Pencil support for iPhones is actually something that has predicted by reputable sources in the past.

Way back in 2017, The Korea Herald reported that an iPhone with Apple Pencil support could arrive “as early as 2019.” Importantly, The Korea Herald cited industry insiders in Apple’s supply chain.

And in 2018, well-connected TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that Apple Pencil support is a possibility for a future iPhone lineup. Kuo has a solid track record, but he hasn’t really followed up on that rumor since last year.

More recently, Citi Research listed Apple Pencil support as a prospective feature for the 2019 iPhone lineup.

In other words, Apple Pencil support on the 2019 iPhones isn’t that far-fetched of an idea. But creating another, smaller version of the Apple Pencil, specifically for iPhones, is less likely.

All will be revealed when the 2019 iPhones are launched next month, however. The top tier models, expected to debut on Tuesday, Sept. 10, are rumored to sport a triple-lens camera setup, two-way wireless charging and larger batteries.