Apple plans to launch an innovative smart home display next year, designed similarly to the iPad. This new device aims to enhance the smart home experience by providing seamless integration for managing various home devices, making video calls, and accessing entertainment. With this addition, Apple continues to expand its ecosystem, focusing on user-friendly technology that enhances everyday living in connected homes.
A new smart display from Apple next year could run a tvOS-based ‘homeOS.’
Apple is gearing up to make a new attempt in the smart home market, starting with a rumored smart display expected to launch next year. This information comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who shared in his Power On newsletter that the display will operate on a new system called homeOS, which is based on the tvOS used by Apple TV (similar to the software powering HomePods currently).
According to Gurman, the display will support Apple applications like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and prototypes have been tested with magnets for wall-mounting capabilities. Additionally, it will integrate Apple Intelligence, a feature currently absent in HomePods.
Rumors about this device have circulated for some time, suggesting various designs from a HomePod with a screen to a display attached to a robotic arm that can pivot during video calls. However, recent developments make these products seem more plausible.
Another recent rumor indicated that a new "HomeAccessory" device is in the works, which may feature a square shape and allow users to control it with hand gestures from a distance, as reported by 9to5Mac earlier this week. MacRumors has also noted code references to this device and homeOS.
This new display concept appears more practical than Apple’s robotic screen idea and could prove to be simpler and more affordable than using an iPad as a dedicated smart home controller (which has proven to be an unsatisfactory experience!). We will learn more about its launch timeline soon, which doesn’t seem too far off.
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Source: theverge