Apple's technology to control iPhone with thought — details

Apple has announced its partnership with Synchron to teach its iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro headset to recognise users' neural signals. The new solution can significantly expand the accessibility of Apple technology for people who have lost the use of their hands.

The Wall Street Journal writes about it.

How will thoughts work instead of touches?

Apple is taking its first steps in the field of "brain-computer" interfaces (BCI). The company is developing a standard that will allow its devices to receive commands without a physical gesture — it is enough to decode intentions from brain signals.

The partner is Synchron, whose Stentrode implant is inserted into a vein above the motor cortex. Through 16 electrodes, it reads neural activity and transmits it to iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS via the built-in Switch Control function. This way, the user can navigate the screen and select icons with just a thought.

An example of the application is Mark Jackson, the patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from Pittsburgh. By connecting the Stentrode to Vision Pro, he has "visited" the Swiss Alps and is training to use his iPhone and iPad, despite the fact that he cannot get out of his wheelchair. Jackson acknowledges that the speed of navigation is currently slower than with a mouse or touchscreen, but the technology is improving.

Synchron has implanted Stentrode in ten people since 2019. Its CEO, Tom Oxley, explains that for now, the system has to "trick" the computer by passing off brain impulses as mouse movements. Apple's own standard, which is due to be released later this year, will open up more opportunities for developers.

Competitors are also moving fast. Elon Musk's Neuralink has already demonstrated that the wearer of its N1 implant (more than 1,000 electrodes inside the brain) can move the cursor faster than some users with a mouse. Musk is convinced that such devices will help people compete with super-powerful AI.

According to Morgan Stanley, about 150,000 Americans with severe upper limb injuries may become the first customers of BCI systems. Analysts predict the first commercial certification by 2030, and Synchron hopes to get FDA approval earlier.

Apple's shares have already reacted with a 6.31% increase, which indicates the market's interest in the new direction. The company sees a time when regulatory-approved implants from Neuralink and other players will allow the iPhone to be controlled without any physical contact and make its ecosystem more accessible to people with serious illnesses and injuries.

As a reminder, one of the upcoming iOS 19 updates will introduce the new convenient feature: information for authentication to public Wi-Fi networks will be automatically synchronized between all Apple devices. It means that it is enough to authenticate on one gadget, and all the others will connect to the network automatically.

We also wrote that Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Services, Eddy Cue, stated during the court proceedings that by 2035, users may no longer need an iPhone. In his opinion, the rapid progress of AI can change the center of gravity in the tech world and open the door for new players.