Apple HomePod with iPad-like display, AI features to launch in 2025: report

iPad 10th generation, HomePod and HomePod mini

2 minutes of reading Last update: September 30, 2024 | 10:37 IST

Apple’s next significant venture into the smart home category could begin with the launch of two brand new devices next year. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is developing a home tabletop device with a robotic arm and an iPad-like display. At the same time, work is underway on a low-end version of the same device. Both devices are expected to run on a newly developed operating system, potentially called homeOS.

The top-of-the-range smart home device, internally codenamed J595, will feature an iPad-like screen coupled with a robotic limb capable of moving and repositioning the display. The actuators will most likely allow the display to tilt and rotate 360 degrees.

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It is expected to respond to voice commands such as “Look at me,” which will adjust the display’s orientation toward the speaker. The cheaper device, codenamed J490, is expected to feature a display that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a desk. This device can be used as a control center for other home devices and supports FaceTime.

Apple’s existing home device lineup includes Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod Mini.

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple Intelligence will be an integral part of these new home devices, which will run on a new operating system that will likely be called homeOS. While Apple already uses tvOS for Apple TV, homeOS is expected to draw elements from macOS or iOS, integrated with tvOS functionalities. The cheaper smart display is reportedly said to support apps such as Calendar, Notes and Home, and also provide an optimized interface for managing home devices.

The report suggests that Apple could potentially launch a cheaper smart home device as soon as next year, positioning it as a complement to a more advanced robotic home device expected to arrive later.

First publication: September 30, 2024 | 10:37 IST