The Android Backbone One controller already supports your new USB-C iPhone 15

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Backbone's ahead of the game.

Backbone One controller with iPhone
(Image credit: Backbone/Future)
iPHONE 15: What you need to know

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(Image credit: Apple)

- Apple Event - LIVE updates
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro /iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2
- iOS 17
- watchOS 10

The Backbone One is one of the best iPhone game controllers around but it has one problem — it has a Lightning connector and the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have USB-C ports on the bottom.

That obviously poses a problem, and while owners of existing Lightning Backbone One controllers are going to need to buy new models, the good news is that those models already exist — because they're built for Android phones.

That's right, all of Backbone's existing USB-C Backbone One controllers, designed for Android phones, already work with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. That means we don't have to wait for a new model to ship before we can start playing those fancy new A17 Pro-powered games.

USB-C for all

The news comes as the iPhone-owning world gets ready for a new USB-C future. In a statement to iMore, Backbone confirmed that all Backbone One units bought from here on out will automatically work with the new iPhones. Those who already own Android versions of the Backbone one will need to install a new firmware update, however.

"For existing customers, Backbone USB-C controllers will automatically receive an update via the Backbone app, allowing their devices to work with the iPhone 15 series models," Backbone says. "The Backbone app must be installed to get the latest update and ensure compatibility with upcoming versions of iOS and Android."

Now, which game are we going to play first? Probably Assassin's Creed Mirage...

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.