Apple to Launch Gaming Controllers Developed Under "Beats" Brand

After the announcement of the iPhone 18 series and the iPhone Duo, Apple is taking a step further by developing a new gaming accessory specifically for its phones and potentially other devices. According to the latest Power On newsletter from Bloomberg, Apple is in the process of creating game controllers, codenamed "T6502" and "T1057." These appeared in macOS 26.7 release candidate mentions and are reportedly dedicated to a handheld mobile experience first. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is designing game controllers for its iPhones, featuring all the usual elements such as thumbsticks, home buttons, triggers, shoulder buttons, and many more control options to make mobile gaming easier on the iPhone.

For the rollout, Apple plans to do it through its "Beats" brand, also known as "Beats by Dre." Since Apple owns the brand, the company will use it to launch non-traditional products like these gaming controllers, which don't necessarily fit the Apple brand. Launching this product also makes sense considering that mobile SoCs found in modern phones are equivalent to laptop or handheld consoles in raw CPU and GPU power, so turning the phone into a gaming handheld is a natural solution. For example, macOS 26.7 RC revealed that the T1057 gaming controller has accelerometer and gyroscope support, while the T6502 gaming controller does not. Read full story