Apple May Launch First iPad-Like Smart Home Accessory Next Year

Apple could release an iPad-like smart home accessory based on its homeOS platform as early as next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that the display will run Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and will feature an interface "optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information."

Apple's existing Apple TV and HomePod lineup already offer home hub functionality, but crucially lack the hardware to run AI models. In contrast, Apple Intelligence will be central to the new home accessory, which is actually a "lower-end companion" to a $1,000+ robotic device for the home, writes Gurman.

Similar devices have been rumored for some time. Prototype designs are said to have resembled a HomePod with a screen (magnetically attaching to walls or sitting atop a desk), and an iPad-like display mounted on a robotic arm. Both accessories are said to be collaborations between Apple's AI and home device hardware engineering groups.

Backend code discovered by MacRumors in January suggested that Apple was continuing work on a homeOS platform, as a variant of tvOS. Another code reference finding in June subsequently confirmed the existence of at least one unreleased home accessory.

More recently, 9to5Mac has claimed that the lower-end smart home device features a "squarish display", an A18 chip, and a built-in camera for FaceTime. The device apparently supports AirPlay, is able to identify hand gestures from afar, and can tell one person apart from another for personalized requests‌. 9to5Mac says Apple could release the home product as early as next spring.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...

Top Rated Comments

gusping Avatar
26 weeks ago
Which will cost far too much, sell 100 units and be binned shortly thereafter. Apple can’t even get a simple smart speaker to sell well. Focus on that first.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iToph Avatar
26 weeks ago
another useless device. "Hey Siri, turn on the light" "Sorry I can't find a song named turn on the light"
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bLackjackj Avatar
26 weeks ago
Why,..oh why. So just a dumbed down iPad mini on a rotating base? ?‍♂️...what happened Apple?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lusty Avatar
26 weeks ago

...what happened Apple?
That one is simple, the mission went from "make things work" to "Make things subscription".

The iPhone was a success because it did things we all wanted to do. Many of those things are actually harder today because Apple wedged a subscription between us and doing something.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tenthousandthings Avatar
26 weeks ago

another useless device. "Hey Siri, turn on the light" "Sorry I can't find a song named turn on the light"
[MEDIA=applemusic]us/song/573715583[/MEDIA]
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Churchman Avatar
26 weeks ago
My patellar reflex to this article is - to me… I repeat, to me - that Apple feels like it is in the initial stages of becoming like Steve Ballmer’s MSFT.

Half baked vision goggles… half baked Apple Intelligence that is being released in .1 /.2 /.3 phases through 2025 rather than all at once because Apple has not finished baking it - and this is supposed to replace Siri after 13 years of being lacking as an AI assistant…. An iPhone 16 that analysts are saying will sell fewer units than 15…. A guy above saying his home pod does not recognize his voice half the time…. Apple is about to release an M4 chip into Macs (yay!!!) while some Macs are still being sold with just M2 chips today (boo!)…

That’s the kind of stuff that feels very MSFT / Steve Ballmer.

What is Apple’s corporate vision now for consumers products? It’s beginning to feel more and more like the vision and product strategy are becoming “let’s just release X though it’s not done and though it’s not awesome. Let’s see if the customers will bite. Then we’ll release whatever widget is on that table there, unless the tech wind blows a different way tomorrow.”

I am hoping that the Ballmer philosophy at MSFT that gave us the memorable MSFT phone (what was it called) and the Zune is not beginning to infect Apple and Tim Cook.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)