Apple explores tabletop robot for home

Bloomberg reports Apple is exploring a follow-me tabletop robot along with screen devices for the smart home.

Apple eyes a tabletop robot and smarter home devices

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple is exploring a touchscreen smart home device and a tabletop robot. The robot is described as an iPad-like tablet on a movable limb that can swivel to follow people and engage via a built-in camera for FaceTime. Prototypes use a 7-inch display and a camera, and Apple targets a 2027 launch for some version, with a separate HomePod-like device with a screen expected to arrive earlier, around 2026.

The plan would have both devices run the same software and be part of a broader push to deepen Apple’s smart home presence, though the company has not publicly confirmed any of the details or timelines. The project appears to sit alongside other hardware experiments, reflecting Apple’s willingness to try new form factors as it expands beyond phones and laptops.

This move signals Apple aims to blend hardware whimsy with privacy-minded software in a new kind of home gadget. If successful, the tabletop robot could redefine how people interact with devices in the living room and push home ecosystems toward more personal, camera-enabled assistance. But the idea also raises questions about cost, privacy, and how much data control Apple will give users. The two-track approach—a moving robot plus a screen-focused speaker—could test consumer appetite for premium, multi-device experiences tied to a single software layer. Expect competitors to watch closely given the crowded smart home market and rising scrutiny of data handling in interactive devices.

Highlights

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