Apple has enlisted a team of hundreds of employees to work on a new AI-powered smart home device, according to a Wednesday Bloomberg report citing insiders.
The device would allow users to make video calls, command smart home fixtures like plugs and light bulbs, and control home security. It would be a tabletop robotic device, with a robotic arm moving a central screen. The price of the gadget would be about $1,000 and its release would be in 2026 or 2027.
Apple has moved key engineers from the Apple Watch and scrapped self-driving Apple Car teams to the project and has been putting more emphasis on it in recent months, per Bloomberg.
Related: Apple Cancels Its 10-Year Electric Car Project, Moves Some Employees to AI Division
The home device would bring AI features to the home by applying Apple Intelligence, Apple’s take on AI, to a new use case outside of iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Apple recently announced it will bring AI to Siri and give the voice assistant direct access to ChatGPT.
Like Amazon Echo devices can be controlled with Alexa-directed voice commands, Apple’s secret home hub could be controlled with Siri voice interactions.
For example, if a user tells the device “Look at me,” it could position itself to where the person is in the room. It may also be able to tell apart one person’s voice from another using AI.
Related: Apple Is Reportedly Eyeing the Home Robot Space After Scrapping Its 10-Year Electric Car Project
Apple has previously tried to tap into the smart home market with HomePods speakers, which had 21% of the U.S. smart speaker market in January 2023 compared to Amazon Echo’s 67%.
