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TechApple

Apple has reportedly been working on this iPad accessory for years

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
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By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 7, 2015, 5:00 PM ET
File photo of a woman holding up an iPad with the iTunes U app after a news conference introducing a digital textbook service in New York
A woman holds up an iPad with the iTunes U app after a news conference introducing a digital textbook service in New York in this January 19, 2012, file photo. The U.S. Justice Department has warned Apple and five major U.S. publishers that it plans to sue them, accusing them of colluding to raise the prices of electronic books, a person familiar with the probe said on March 8, 2012. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Files (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY EDUCATION SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS) - RTR2Z1Q3Photograph by Shannon Stapleton — Reuters

Apple has apparently been working on a stylus for its iPads for a while. In fact, Business Insider reported that the tech company has developed multiple prototypes for the iPad accessory, although one has never been sold.

The article cited a former Apple employee as knowledgeable of the accessory. The item has apparently been worked on over the last four years, according to the engineer.

If the item did ever come to market, it’s likely that the device would become more useful on the job, according to analysts.

Per Mashable:

This is the latest in a long string of rumors that Apple is producing a stylus to make the iPad handier for work. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a strong record predicting the company’s moves, has long said Apple would deliver a stylus to go with a larger screened iPad focused on productivity.

One potential reason for why Apple has yet to produce the item? The late CEO Steve Jobs hated them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YY3MSaUqMg

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
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Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

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