Apple now sells ‘innovative’ game controller play pad and 20+ more accessories

9to5mac.com Nov 9, 2026

Apple now sells ‘innovative’ game controller play pad and 20+ more accessories

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Nov 9, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Apple has refreshed its third‑party accessories catalog for the holiday season, adding 24 items that span gaming, filmmaking, power, and everyday use. The headline product is the $199.95 GAMR Active Game Controller, a pressure‑sensitive play pad with nine Bluetooth‑connected zones that emulate directional sticks and A‑B‑X‑Y buttons across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and Vision Pro, and includes a free app with original titles. Apple also introduced the $169.95 ShiftCam ProRig Filmmaker Kit, a titanium‑finished frame with interchangeable iPhone‑specific mounts, Bluetooth shutter, cold‑shoe slots and accessory points for lights and microphones. Smaller additions include the $39.95 ShiftCam SnapPocket Light 2 magnetic ring light, two Belkin power banks (UltraCharge Pro 20K and BoostCharge Slim 5K), a MOFT MagSafe wallet‑stand, and various cases and bags for iPad, MacBook, and iPhone. The full lineup is available on Apple’s website.

💡 Why It Matters

· By bundling niche, high‑performance peripherals with Apple’s ecosystem, the company is turning its retail platform into a one‑stop shop for creators and gamers, driving accessory revenue and deepening device lock‑in.

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Leak reveals details for more iPhone 18 models launching early 2027

Apple is slated to launch three new iPhone models—iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2—in early 2027, according to a recent leak shared on Weibo by Fixed Focus Digital. The leak, verified by multiple sources, shows both the iPhone 18 and 18e will share a single battery, a cost‑saving measure that also benefits users. Both devices will be powered by the upcoming A20 chip, promising efficiency gains that allow larger batteries without increasing size. The iPhone 18e is expected to feature a 6.3‑inch display and replace the traditional notch with Apple’s Dynamic Island, marking the first time the company would pair that screen size with the new UI element. The models aim to address the AI‑driven memory crisis by using a common manufacturing process, keeping prices lower than flagship offerings.

💡 By unifying hardware across budget models, Apple can mitigate supply‑chain strain while expanding affordable options for consumers craving premium performance.

appleinsider.com · Nov 9

iPhone 18e will have the same larger battery as the iPhone 18

A leaker identified as Fixed Focus Digital posted a schematic that allegedly compares the internal layouts of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e. The diagram shows both models sharing a battery capacity range that tops out at 4,430 mAh, suggesting they may use the same battery pack. While the two phones differ in camera modules and display specs, the leaker also claims many components will be interchangeable, including the processor. The schematic lists a lower bound of 3,671 mAh for the iPhone 18 (“Taycan”) and 4,005 mAh for the iPhone 18e (“Nevera”), reflecting regional variations such as the presence of a physical SIM slot. The report reinforces earlier speculation that the iPhone 18 series will be more similar than distinct, though the leaker’s credibility remains mixed.

💡 Identical batteries could streamline production and reduce costs, giving Apple a pricing edge while offering consumers comparable endurance across the two models.

appleinsider.com · Nov 9

How a Mac mini powers a staggeringly capable robot without human training

Apple researchers have detailed a system that runs on an M4‑Pro Mac mini with 64 GB of RAM to control a Unitree G1 humanoid robot. The setup, named HALO (Humanoid Autonomy, Learned in Simulation, running Onboard), learns navigation and manipulation tasks in simulation before being deployed on the robot. In demonstrations, the robot autonomously maps unfamiliar rooms, crouches under tables, follows a person on command, and locates a chair when asked to sit. The paper, titled “Perceptive Humanoid Motion from Simulation,” includes video evidence of the robot analyzing environments and executing complex motions without human‑provided trajectories. Apple’s approach showcases the feasibility of using compact, consumer‑grade hardware for advanced robotic autonomy. The research highlights latency processing and efficiency achievable on the mini.

💡 By proving that a pocket‑sized Mac mini can drive a full‑size humanoid, Apple blurs the line between consumer computers and dedicated robotic controllers, opening pathways for rapid, cost‑effective deployment of intelligent machines.

9to5mac.com · Nov 9

Apple Music launches ‘Best of 2026’ content, reveals Artist of the Year

Apple Music has rolled out a “Best of 2026” suite of curated playlists across its New tab, updating flagship collections such as Rap Life, R&B Now, A‑List Pop and Today’s Country with year‑end selections. In tandem, the service announced Olivia Dean as its 2026 Artist of the Year, marking the first time a UK act has earned the honor. Dean’s rise was anchored by her 2025 album The Art of Loving and the single “Man I Need,” which has remained on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 since August 2025. Her achievements this year include a sold‑out global tour, a Grammy for Best New Artist, four BRIT Awards and high‑profile residencies in New York and London. Apple Music will accompany the accolade with a custom physical token featuring an Apple silicon wafer.

💡 Dean’s breakthrough spotlights Apple Music’s growing influence in elevating non‑US talent to global prominence.

appleinsider.com · Nov 9

Tablet as smart display, Cliq VS Bilresa buttons, & how to speed…

The Smart Home Insider podcast this week covered three main topics. First, it examined using a tablet as a dedicated smart‑home display, testing six dashboard apps, various mounting methods, and weighing pros and cons before issuing a verdict on practicality. Second, the show compared the Airversa Cliq remote with IKEA’s Bilresa button, noting that both use Thread but differ markedly in feature sets and price points. Third, it highlighted recent product and software updates: tvOS 27.2 now grants Siri AI access to users’ watchlist and Watch Next queue, a capability that will extend to legacy Apple TV 4K models when the new Apple TV 4K launches on November 13 with a Siri AI beta; and Australian firm Nuki released an indoor smart lock module, a white NFC keypad, and tamper‑detection software. The episode concluded with actionable tips for speeding up sluggish smart‑home devices, including network testing, hardware upgrades, and Home Hub adjustments.

💡 Enabling Siri AI on older Apple TV 4K units revives hardware that would otherwise be obsolete, while the tablet‑display deep‑dive shows consumers a low‑cost path to unified control.

9to5mac.com · Nov 9

Here’s how Webex adapts meetings and multitasking for iPhone Duo

Cisco’s Webex app has been updated to run natively on Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, leveraging the device’s dual‑screen design for enhanced meeting experiences. The app automatically adjusts to both displays, allowing users to view more participants, keep shared content visible, or collaborate on a whiteboard while the device is opened. It also supports Split View, enabling multitasking with other iOS apps. Cisco emphasizes its long‑standing partnership with Apple, citing prior integrations on iPad, CarPlay, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, and notes that Webex was built for the Duo from launch rather than as an afterthought. The updated Webex is already available on the App Store, joining over 100,000 apps that have been optimized for the new hardware.

💡 By exploiting the Duo’s foldable form factor, Webex offers a more immersive, multitask‑ready collaboration tool that could set a benchmark for how enterprise apps adapt to emerging hardware designs.