Often backed by leaked signals discovered in Apple’s software upgrades, speculation around a smart home gadget from Apple with a touchscreen has been around for many years. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg recently released a report, however, that Apple’s ambitions could extend beyond just producing HomePods with displays affixed.
Apple, popularly known for its best security features that keep you alert regarding your security breach, is now creating a ‘tabletop robot’ that looks like an iPad mounted on a movable arm that can rotate and change its position to follow users within a room. This revolutionary gadget is meant to turn towards people conversing with it or those it aims to attract attention to. Along with adding an in-built camera for FaceTime calls, the prototypes make use of a 7-inch screen, which could be compared to an iPad mini in terms of size.
Reports suggest Apple wants to launch some version of this robot in 2027; however, like any unreleased Apple device, it might appear sooner, later, or not at all. Gurman stated in January that another smart home device, essentially a HomePod with a screen but without the robotic parts, was set for 2025; he has since revised that schedule to 2026. It seems both would run on the same software platform; thus, the robot could replace or be a more sophisticated, more expensive version of that gadget.
Furthermore claimed to be considering several home security devices, including smart doorbells with facial recognition technology and cameras. Apple may help to automate smart home features, such as unlocking doors, turning off lights, or playing music. Apple’s smart home efforts follow a route similar to some of Amazon’s recent experiments, especially the odd ideas such as the Astro robot and the several sizes of the Echo Show smart displays. Security cameras are also sold by Amazon under the Blink and Ring brands. Still, Amazon has recently reduced certain hardware projects, probably in response to difficulties in regaining its investments.
