Apple’s long-rumoured smart home hub may debut as early as late 2025, with a more advanced robotic version following within two years, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The project, first reportedly approved in 2022, has faced development delays primarily due to challenges with upgrading Siri and integrating Apple Intelligence features.
Gurman previously reported in March that Apple had postponed the product’s announcement because of these technical issues.
The initial model will reportedly feature a seven-inch display, run on a new operating system called homeOS, and include a dashboard similar to the iPhone’s StandBy mode.
The design is said to draw inspiration from both the HomePod and iPad form factors.
A more sophisticated version equipped with a robotic arm capable of moving around a user’s desk is described as “a major priority at Apple” and could launch one to two years after the basic model.
However, Apple may scale back some ambitious features for the robotic version to meet development timelines, potentially saving them for future iterations.
The robotic arm model is rumoured to carry a starting price of around US$1,000, positioning it as a premium offering in the smart home market.
Apple will face competition from established products, including Amazon’s Echo lineup and Google’s Nest Hub devices.
The smart home hub represents Apple’s attempt to expand its presence in the connected home market, leveraging its ecosystem of devices and services.
The company has not officially commented on the product’s development or release timeline.
Gurman noted that Apple is prioritising the lower-end version for initial release to establish market presence before introducing more advanced features.
