Apple has entered multiple new product categories in recent years, and among the next few debuts might be a gaming controller for iPhones.
After a MacRumors reader found references to two unreleased iPhone gaming controllers in iOS 26.7 code last week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple has been working on those controllers for nearly a year and could release them under the Beats brand.
Apple acquired Beats for $3 billion in 2014 and has since used the brand to sell iPhone cases and USB-C cables alongside its range of independent audio products. Going forward, Gurman says Apple could use Beats for more products that don’t get Apple’s premium materials, design language, or pricing, making gaming controllers a natural fit for the subsidiary brand.
According to MacRumors, the two gaming controllers are codenamed T6502 and T1057. They have different haptic designs but pack all standard controller components, such as the D-pad, dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons, home and menu buttons, and analog triggers. The T1057 controller also has accelerometer and gyroscope support, the report added.
Potential release timelines for the two products are currently unclear, but Apple already sells mobile gaming controllers from SteelSeries and Backbone on its online store. The company “sees this as a growing market and wants in,” Gurman says.
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Gurman also shared thoughts on why Apple might have gone with the “Duo” moniker, instead of Ultra, for its first-ever foldable phone. Not only does it match the existing three-letter Air and Pro naming schemes, but it also leaves room for a future range of foldables, including the Duo Max, Duo SE, or Duo mini, the reporter says.
Preorders for the iPhone Duo, starting at $1,999, begin on Oct. 16, with availability beginning on Oct. 23.
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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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