News

iControlPad creator ditches dock connector for Bluetooth, promises Android support

Bite the hands that feeds you

iControlPad creator ditches dock connector for Bluetooth, promises Android support
|

To help skirt around some tricky licensing issues, upcoming iPhone gamepad peripheral iControlPad has ditched the Apple dock connector before heading into production.

"Something we kept secret: the iControlpad has a BT chip in it," creator Craig Rothwell tweeted, "To avoid the Apple connector".

The decision came after SanHo Corporation, an iPod accessory creator that makes unofficial Apple add-ons under the name ‘HyperMac’, was sued by Apple for using the dock connector without permission.

So the iControlPad now uses Bluetooth instead. The team is currently looking out for talented developers who know a thing or two about Bluetooth support on iOS. If that's you, hit up the forums.

As well as avoiding Apple’s judicial might, it means the device could also work on other phones in the future. In fact, the creator has already promised Android support down the road.

The team is now working on getting its collective head around Apple's Bluetooth rules, so it can begin shipping the iControlPad out to customers.

Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer