Apple Explores Brain Control for Devices

Apple is making a significant move into the brain-computer interface (BCI) field, developing technology that could enable users to control their iPhones and other devices using only their thoughts as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The initiative represents a potential revolution in human-computer interaction, shifting from physical touch and movement to interpreting neural signals directly.

The initial focus is on enhancing accessibility for individuals with severe physical disabilities who cannot use their hands, such as those with spinal cord injuries or conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). By allowing these users to interact with their devices through decoded brain activity, Apple aims to make its products more accessible to tens of thousands of people.

This push positions Apple as a key player in the burgeoning BCI landscape, joining companies like Neuralink and Synchron. The company is actively working with partners and developing a new standard to support future BCI devices, signaling a long-term commitment to integrating neural control into its ecosystem.

Advancing Neural Control with Synchron

Apple’s efforts include a collaboration with Synchron, a company that has developed a stent-like device called the Stentrode. This device is inserted through the jugular vein and delivered to blood vessels on the brain’s surface, a less invasive procedure than brain surgery.

An antenna for the Synchron device sits under the skin of the wearer’s chest. The Stentrode contains electrodes capable of reading brain signals, which are then translated to allow users to select icons on a screen.

An early tester of the Stentrode implant, Mark Jackson, who has ALS and cannot travel from his home, has been learning to control his iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro headset through the connection between his implant and Apple’s operating systems, writes The Wall Street Journal.

This is achieved by utilizing a feature within Apple’s operating system known as switch control, which can reroute control to alternative input devices, including a brain implant. Jackson noted the impact of using this enhanced reality.

While promising, the technology is still in its early stages, and navigation is currently slower compared to traditional device interaction. Apple plans to release the new standard developed in collaboration with Synchron later this year, making it available for other developers. 

Synchron Chief Executive Tom Oxley indicated that a standard built specifically for these implants could unlock greater possibilities. Synchron has also demonstrated its AI-enabled BCI, powered by the NVIDIA Holoscan platform, displayed on Apple Vision Pro at GTC 2025, allowing control of digital and physical environments.

Footage released by Synchron in March shows a BCI user named Rodney, living with ALS, controlling his smart home environment hands-free, voice-free, and touch-free using the Synchron BCI and Apple Vision Pro AssistiveTouch features. Synchron’s BCI can also control Amazon Alexa-powered smart home devices.

Competitive Landscape and Approaches

The BCI field features various approaches, notably the invasive methods pursued by companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Neuralink’s N1 chip, for instance, is implanted directly inside the brain and utilizes over 1,000 electrodes to capture neural activity. 

This allows for a higher volume of brain data capture compared to Synchron’s Stentrode, which has 16 electrodes placed on top of the brain. The N1 converts this neural data into inputs like mouse clicks or keyboard strokes. A recent achievement for Neuralink saw the first human recipient of the N1 chip successfully control a computer cursor with their thoughts after recovering from surgery.

Neuralink received FDA approval for its human trials in May 2023 and then commenced its PRIME Study, a six-year trial testing the N1 implant, R1 robot, and N1 User App on individuals with paralysis. The field has also seen other companies like Blackrock Microsystems conducting human trials.

In contrast to invasive implants, other research focuses on non-invasive techniques. Meta, for example, has developed an AI model called Brain2Qwerty that can decode brain activity into text using magnetoencephalography (MEG) a non-invasive method, which records magnetic fields generated by neuronal activity. 

While Meta’s researchers have achieved up to 80% accuracy in laboratory settings, the technology currently faces significant limitations, including the large size and high cost of MEG scanners and their sensitivity to movement.

Jean-Rémi King, the head of Meta’s Brain & AI team, stated earlier this year that their current focus is on fundamental neuroscience research to uncover “the principles of intelligence” rather than immediate commercial products, noting the difficulty in creating products with current non-invasive technology. “Our effort is not at all toward products. In fact, my message is always to say I don’t think there is a path for products because it’s too difficult,” he stated.

Meta’s researchers noted in their paper that while MEG outperforms EEG, current MEG systems are not wearable, though emerging optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) could offer a path to portable devices.

Market Potential and Regulatory Path

The potential market for BCI devices is substantial. Morgan Stanley has estimated that approximately 150,000 people in the U.S. with critical upper-limb impairments could be early candidates for such technology, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The path to widespread adoption involves navigating regulatory approvals, particularly from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S.. While Morgan Stanley anticipates the first commercial approval around 2030, Synchron’s CEO believes their device could receive approval sooner. 

Synchron has implanted its Stentrode device in 10 people since 2019, with at least six patients in the US. Synchron announced the results of its latest study at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, showing no serious adverse events related to the Stentrode in six patients over 12 months, a finding that means they will move to a larger study. 

Synchron’s founding CEO Tom Oxley stated that the next chapter for the Stentrode is about reliability, gathering more brain data, and making the device more powerful and intuitive. 

Future Outlook and Global Context

Globally, there is a push towards standardizing BCI technologies, with China establishing a specialized committee led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to create new standards for the field.

This move is part of China’s broader strategy to become a leader in cutting-edge technological field, although the country may be entering the BCI field later than other players and has a history of mixed outcomes in influencing international standards.