What happened
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in Power On that Apple has been developing two first-party iPhone controllers for more than a year, with references to T6502 and T1057 found in macOS 26.7 beta code.
Apple is reportedly building its first own controllers for iPhone, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, as covered by The Verge on September 13, 2026.
The report says development has run for more than a year on at least two models, with codenames T6502 and T1057 surfaced in macOS 26.7 beta code.
Those code strings point to a standard modern layout — D-pad, dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons and haptic motors — plus possible accelerometer and gyroscope for motion controls.
Gurman says the effort is led by Beats executives and is expected to launch under the Beats brand to keep costs down and reach more gamers.
Apple already sells third-party pads like Backbone One and SteelSeries Nimbus+ through its store, but these would be its first first-party controllers. No release date or price has been shared yet.
What is confirmed
Gurman reported via Power On on Sep 13 that Apple has been working on two iPhone controllers for over a year. References to T6502 and T1057 in macOS 26.7 beta point to D-pad, dual sticks, shoulder buttons, haptics, and possible motion sensors. Beats executives are said to be leading the work, with a Beats-branded launch expected. Four independent outlets corroborated the same Gurman report.
What is still unclear
No release date, pricing, final design, battery life, or iPhone attachment mechanism has been disclosed. Whether the controllers will also officially support iPad or Apple TV 4K at launch is not yet detailed by Apple. Official confirmation from Apple is still pending.
Why it matters for me
If they launch under Beats, iPhone and Apple TV gamers could get a first-party option with proper controls and haptics without paying Apple-premium materials pricing.
Daily Life
Gaming Enthusiasts · Apple Ecosystem Users
iPhone gamers could get a proper first-party controller with haptics and motion controls instead of relying on third-party pads.
Work
Tech Enthusiasts
A Beats-branded controller at a lower price could make AAA gaming on iOS, Mac and Apple TV 4K more accessible.
Money
Apple Ecosystem Users
More first-party option may put pressure on third-party controller pricing in the Apple Store.
What to remember
Apple's first real gamepad may come as a Beats controller for iPhone.
Apple's first iPhone game controllers reportedly in the works — two Beats-branded pads with dual sticks and haptics.
Verified sources (4)
Apple is reportedly working on iPhone game controllers
↗Apple's Rumored Gaming Controller For iPhone Could Feature Beats Branding
↗Apple is designing its own game controllers for iPhone, could be Beats branded
↗Apple's New iPhone Game Controller Could Launch Under Beats Brand
↗Claims and linked sources
6 claimsBloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that Apple has been developing at least two game controllers for the iPhone for more than a year.
Two unreleased first-party controllers with internal identifiers T6502 and T1057 were found referenced in macOS 26.7 beta code.
Code findings indicated the controllers feature a D-pad, dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons, and haptic motors, with possible accelerometer and gyroscope for motion controls.
The controllers are expected to launch under the Beats brand, with product engineering and conception led by Beats executives.
Apple may use the Beats brand to offer more affordable controllers by skipping premium Apple-branded materials and to reach a broader gaming audience.
No release timeline or pricing has been disclosed; Gurman did not provide a launch window.