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CarPlay has picked up its fifth major AI chatbot app with the addition of Claude. Anthropic’s iPhone app adding CarPlay is the second AI chatbot app to be updated with support this week. more…
Anthropic added CarPlay integration to the Claude iOS app, which means Claude users can talk to Claude through their in-car infotainment systems. Apple added support for third-party chatbots in ‌CarPlay‌ in iOS 26.4 . Chatbot apps with ‌CarPlay‌ integration need to add support for a voice control screen, use Apple's designated ‌CarPlay‌ template, and get an entitlement from Apple. Claude can answer voice-based questions hands-free, but the chatbot won't be able to control vehicle or iPhone functions. Users also need to open the Claude app from the ‌CarPlay‌ interface because there is no support for third-party wake words. The Claude app on ‌CarPlay‌ opens with a "Start a hands-free conversation" screen, with options to start a new chat or access recent chats. There are in-app controls for muting and unmuting and ending and resuming conversations, plus visual cues for when Claude is listening or talking. ‌CarPlay‌ has long supported third-party apps, but Apple has limited the kinds of apps that are available to prevent driving distractions. OpenAI added ‌CarPlay‌ support to the ChatGPT app earlier this year . Update: This article was updated to note that the Claude ‌CarPlay‌ integration is live. Related Roundup: CarPlay Tag: Anthropic Related Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology This article, " Anthropic's Claude Comes to CarPlay " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
References to two unreleased controllers that identify as Apple hardware in code were spotted in the macOS 26.7 release candidate by MacRumors reader Pdfu. Apple's first macOS 26.7 release candidate came out in mid-August, and it was full of references to unreleased Apple devices, from iPhones and Macs to new home accessories. Pdfu has continued to dig into the RC, finding new details that were previously overlooked. There are GameController profiles for two hardware devices identified as T6502 and T1057, which Pdfu suggests could be Apple gaming controllers in development. The two controllers have different haptic designs and standard controller components, like a D-pad, dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons, Home and Menu buttons, and analog triggers. T1057 also has accelerometer and gyroscope support, while T6502 doesn't. The code includes dedicated hardware plug-ins for each device as well, which suggests these are actual devices instead of placeholder code. There have been rumors about a possible Apple game controller over the years, but nothing has ever materialized. The code found in the first macOS Tahoe 26.7 RC could point to an Apple controller in the works, but it could also be referencing internal test hardware Apple uses for testing game controller code and support. Apple removed the code in the second ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 RC. Apple has had multiple opportunities to release a game controller. The company could have launched one alongside any version of the Apple TV , when Apple Arcade came out, or when the Vision Pro launched, but it didn't. Instead, Apple focused on building extensive support for third-party controllers. In 2015, Apple required ‌Apple TV‌ games to support the Siri Remote as a gaming controller, but gave that up in a matter of months. With the Vision Pro, it partnered with Sony to add Vision Pro support to the PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers instead of designing its own controller. Console makers have mastered the controller, and many people already have Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo controllers. There's little improvement to be made on controller ergonomics, but if Apple is working on a controller, features like Find My and instant cross-device pairing could set it apart from competitors. All of the references can be found in blacktop/ipsw-diffs on GitHub, with Pdfu's highlights available in the forum post . This article, " macOS 26.7 Code Hints at Two Unreleased Apple Game Controllers " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
While the long-awaited foldable iPhone has often been referred to as the iPhone Ultra or the iPhone Fold in rumors, another name making the rounds is iPhone Duo. There is no actual evidence that Apple will use the iPhone Duo name, but it is certainly a possibility. Apple has used Duo branding in the past, for its PowerBook Duo line of laptops in the 1990s and for its MagSafe Duo Charger in the early 2020s. In this case, Duo would refer to the foldable iPhone's dual screens. Microsoft released a dual-screen Android smartphone called the Surface Duo in 2020 that has since been discontinued, and Intel had its popular lines of Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors in the 2000s, so perhaps Apple will want to avoid using Duo branding due to that history. However, competing companies have devices with Ultra and Fold branding too, such as Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8. In April, former Macworld reporter Filipe Espósito cited a source familiar with Apple's plans who said the foldable iPhone will be named iPhone Ultra . Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said many Apple employees refer to the device as the iPhone Ultra within the company, but he has never firmly reported that it will be the official name. Apple has used Ultra branding for the Apple Watch Ultra, CarPlay Ultra, and its M1 Ultra, M2 Ultra, M3 Ultra, and M5 Ultra chips. Apple is expected to unveil its foldable iPhone during its event next week , so we will soon find out whether the device is named iPhone Ultra, iPhone Fold, iPhone Duo, or something else. Share your own guesses in the comments section. Tag: iPhone Ultra This article, " iPhone Duo? " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
