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Apple will enable Apple Pencil compatibility on the iPhone Duo with iOS 27.2, which is set to launch publicly around October 26. The feature was confirmed working in the iOS 27.2 release candidate by Max Weinbach, and only the USB-C Apple Pencil model is supported, not the Pro or standard versions. Apple had previously said Pencil support would arrive 'later this year' without specifying a date.
Apple's first folding iPhone, the Duo, has a 7.6-inch unfolding screen, and within a week several major apps including Instagram, Threads, Slack and Google updated to properly support its larger display and vertical layout. Full compatibility requires developers to target the iOS 27.1 SDK. The device launches seven years after Samsung's original Galaxy Fold, with an IP68 rating and a largely concealed crease thanks to its display design and matte nanotexture screen.
Apple confirmed to CNET that the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, will ship on Oct. 23 running iOS 27.1 instead of the base iOS 27 version used on other iPhones. Apple says iOS 27.1 retains the iOS 27 foundation but adds features built specifically for the foldable design, while all iPhones will later receive iOS 27.2, whose release candidate arrived Oct. 19.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 includes an orange action button near the speaker grille that lets users trigger a single assigned command instantly, bypassing menus other Apple Watch models require. The button can also activate an emergency siren to help attract attention in dangerous situations, and it supports a range of assignable commands that pair with new automation features in watchOS 27 and iOS 27.
Apple's new foldable iPhone Duo lacks a telephoto lens, has a lower-resolution front camera than recent iPhones, and drops the variable aperture found on the iPhone 18 Pro. It also uses Touch ID on the side button instead of Face ID and omits the Action Button, while many third-party apps have yet to be updated for its foldable screen at launch.
Apple is preparing to release iOS 27.2 next week with updates to six built-in apps. Highlights include a revived 'Suggested Actions' feature in Messages, a new user-profile selector for the Apple TV app on iPhone and iPad, Group FaceTime support for Dual Capture's simultaneous front-and-rear camera feeds, and new smart-lock controls in the Home app including a 'Lock After Closing' option.
Apple released the iOS 27.2 release candidate on Oct. 19, over a month after iOS 27 launched. The build expands Siri AI beyond English into French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, adds a FaceTime feature letting users run front and rear cameras simultaneously, and introduces a new Apple Music color scheme. Apple previously said the foldable iPhone Duo will launch Oct. 23 on iOS 27.1, with other devices able to update to 27.2 afterward.
Apple's upcoming iOS 27.2 and HomePod 27.2 software update introduces a 'Lock Controls' setting in the Home app that disables touch input on the device's top cap. The feature, spotted by leaker pdfu in a release candidate build, will work across all HomePod models, including the original 2018 version. Even with controls locked, Intercom, timers, alarms, Check In, and FaceTime calls will still respond to touch.
Apple has shipped the release candidate build of iOS 27.2, typically the final version before a wide public release. The beta cycle added Group FaceTime Dual Capture, additional Siri AI languages, Apple TV app profiles, reorganized Podcasts episodes, and a redesigned Apple Music icon with a new blue accent color.
Verizon confirmed it will support Apple's new iPhone Handoff feature in iOS 27, charging $10 a month once the service rolls out. The feature lets users switch calls, texts, voicemail and Find My location between two iPhones simply by unlocking the device they want active. T-Mobile already offers the same feature for $5 a month, while AT&T has not committed to supporting it.
Apple's Phone app now includes Hold Assist, which detects when a caller has put you on hold and notifies you when they return, and Call Screening, which questions unsaved numbers before letting them ring through and displays their response on the Lock Screen. Both features arrived with iOS 26 and are toggled on in Settings under Apps > Phone. A third feature, Call Context, is planned for iOS 27 and will use Apple Intelligence to surface relevant information automatically when calling a business.
A tech reviewer testing Apple Watch Series 12 alongside Apple's redesigned Health app says the software lacks a feature found on WHOOP: measuring a 'day' from sleep cycle to sleep cycle rather than the standard midnight-to-midnight clock. The new Health app, which includes features like Readiness and Health Age, briefly appeared in an iOS 27.2 beta before being pulled, with Apple saying it will return in a later beta ahead of a full release this year.