Apple's Next iPhone Accessory Could Double as a Controller

Apple appears to be working on accessory iPhone cases that provide more than just good looks and protection, if a new rumor backed by patents is anything to go by.

A known Chinese leaker claims Apple is developing cases with integrated touch-sensitive layers, specifically for future iPhone Pro models. Apparently, the cases would double as secondary input surfaces that mimic the function of physical buttons.

The idea isn't entirely out of left field. Apple filed a patent in 2024 describing cases with capacitive or pressure-based sensors that can handle button functions. The patent details how the case would communicate with the iPhone through NFC, and potentially even support Touch ID authentication.

The concept is admittedly unusual, but the timing is interesting. Apple is rumored to be pursuing an all-screen design for its 20th anniversary iPhone, with displays that curve around all four edges. That would leave minimal space for physical buttons – and indeed Apple is rumored to be replacing them with solid-state, capacitive layers.

In theory, touch-enabled cases could augment the on-device layers by relocating volume and other controls to larger, more accessible surfaces. They could also potentially reduce accidental touches on an edge-to-edge display while providing the tactile feedback a normal case typically obstructs.

Whether this ties directly to the anniversary model remains unclear, but the pieces seem to fit together. We'll have to wait a couple of years though for confirmation – there's no word on when (or if) the special cases might arrive, but Apple's anniversary iPhone is expected in late 2027.