Apple Inc., a company renowned for its history of revolutionary products like the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, has been relatively quiet on the innovation front in recent years. While products like the Apple Watch and AirPods have seen success, they haven’t been the life-changing devices that previous Apple innovations were. The company’s recent foray into virtual reality with the Vision Pro, though groundbreaking, is priced too high to become a mainstream success. Now, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is setting its sights on an entirely new frontier: robotics.
According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is developing a revolutionary tabletop device that combines an iPad-like display with a robotic arm.
According to Gurman’s sources, Apple has assembled a team of several hundred people to work on this innovative device, codenamed J595. Bloomberg reports that the product features a thin robotic arm that can move a large screen around, tilting it up and down and allowing for a full 360-degree rotation.
Gurman’s report suggests that Apple envisions this device as a multifunctional hub for the smart home. Bloomberg’s sources indicate that the company sees it serving as a command center, a videoconferencing machine, and even a remote-controlled home security tool.
Interestingly, this isn’t a sudden development. Bloomberg reveals that Apple’s industrial design team has been exploring tabletop robotic concepts for years. However, Gurman reports that there was an internal debate about whether to proceed, with concerns ranging from consumer willingness to pay for such a device to the resources required for software development.
According to Bloomberg, the project finally got the website green light from Apple’s executive team in 2022, with CEO Tim Cook and hardware engineering chief John Ternus reportedly being strong proponents. While Apple is aiming for a price point of around $1,000, Gurman reports that the device isn’t expected to hit the market until 2026 or 2027 at the earliest. Bloomberg’s sources suggest that this timeline indicates Apple is taking a careful, measured approach to development.
Gurman’s report highlights that the development of this robotic home device is part of a broader push into AI and robotics at Apple. Bloomberg reveals that the company is also exploring robots that can move around the home and has even discussed the idea of a humanoid robot. As Bloomberg notes, if successful, this device could represent a significant leap forward in home automation and AI integration. However, Gurman’s report also raises questions about consumer adoption and practical utility.
In addition to the tabletop robot, Apple is reportedly working on other exciting products. One such innovation is a gigantic foldable iPad with a 21-inch screen. In an interview on Bloomberg TV, Gurman described this device as potentially the coolest thing Apple has done in a decade, though it will likely come with a hefty price tag of $2,000 to $3,000.
Apple is apparently also exploring the possibility of entering the smart glasses market. Unlike the long-rumored AR glasses, these would be more akin to Amazon Echo Frames or Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, offering features similar to AirPods but in the form of glasses. Given the popularity of Meta’s smart glasses, this could be a lucrative new category for Apple, even if it’s not as groundbreaking as other products in their pipeline.