The US Patent & Trademark Office has published a recently-granted update to Apple’s long-held iPhone trademark. Tantalizingly, the revised trademark suggests that Apple could be preparing to make future iPhones that will be compatible with its stylus-like Apple Pencil accessory.
While Patently Apple observes that the iPhone trademark has been primarily updated to cover areas relating to repair and after sales service, the update has also led to the smartphone’s fresh classification as an “electronic notepad”. Of course, the iPhone has long come with a preinstalled Notes app, but Patently Apple speculates that Apple could be preparing to expand the gadget’s note-taking abilities…
To be more exact, the site suggests that Apple could be “covering the iPhone should it be able to work with their new Apple Pencil for note-taking.” While the Apple Pencil is currently only compatible – and marketed for use – with its iPad Pro tablets, Patently Apple also hints that Apple Pencil support could feature in a new “Pro” model of iPhone.
While a “Pro” iPhone that would presumably sit above the Plus line in functionality was rumored earlier this year, most leaks suggest that Apple will stick to the usual standard and Plus variants for this fall’s handsets at least. Nonetheless, Pencil support would be an obvious feature for inclusion in later iPhones.
