Apple, looking to catch up to competitors in the smart home market, is close to launching a new product category: a wall-mounted display that can control home appliances, manage video conferencing and use artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate apps.
The company is preparing to announce the device as early as March and aims to position it as a command center for the home, according to sources with knowledge of the project. The product, codenamed “J490,” will also highlight the new Apple Intelligence AI platform, said the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the confidential nature of the work.
CEO Tim Cook believes the product could make Apple a force in the smart home space, where the company has lagged behind Alphabet and Amazon in recent years. He has made the device a priority for the company’s engineering and design departments and is pushing for it to reach the market after more than three years of development.
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A representative for Apple, based in Cupertino, California, declined to comment.
The device has an approximately 6-inch screen and resembles a square iPad. It’s the size of two iPhones side by side, with a thick border around the display. There’s also a camera on the top front, a built-in rechargeable battery, and internal speakers. Apple plans to offer it in silver and black options.
The product has a touch interface that looks like a mix between the Apple Watch’s operating system and the iPhone’s recently released StandBy mode. However, the company expects most people to interact with the device via voice, using the Siri digital assistant and Apple Intelligence. The hardware is designed around App Intents, a system that allows AI to precisely control apps and tasks, which is expected to be released in the coming months.
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The product will be marketed as a way to control home appliances, talk to Siri and make calls through Apple’s FaceTime software. It will also be loaded with Apple apps, including those for browsing the web, listening to news updates, and playing music. Users will be able to access their notes and calendar information, and the device can transform into a slideshow display for their photos.
A milestone for Apple, the device will compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and Echo Hub smart displays, as well as Google’s Nest Hub. It also resembles Portal da Meta, an unsuccessful video conferencing device. Apple is already planning a more expensive follow-up version with a robotic arm that can move the screen. Apple intends to market this technology as a home companion with an AI personality.
The high-end product can have a price tag of up to $1,000, depending on the components used, sources said. The device with a single display will cost much less, approaching the price of competing products. The Echo Show 8 retails for $150, while the Echo Hub costs $180. The Nest Hub Max is priced at $230.
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Apple has designed different accessories for the device, including options that attach screens to walls like a classic home security panel. There will be bases with additional speakers that can be placed in the kitchen, on bedside tables or on office desks. Apple imagines that the FaceTime feature will be used when preparing meals or for videoconferencing at work meetings.
A person familiar with the development said the product was designed to bring Siri and Apple Intelligence to life in a way that hasn’t happened before. Last month, the company released a limited set of Apple Intelligence features for iPhones, iPads and Macs. More advanced features — like generative AI for images and an integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT — are expected in December.
The screened device, which runs a new operating system codenamed Pebble, will include sensors to determine a person’s proximity. It will then automatically adjust its functionality depending on the distance. For example, if users are several feet away, it can show the temperature. As they get closer, the interface can change to a panel for adjusting the house’s thermostat.
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The new operating system will also include a customizable home screen, where users will be able to run widgets to check stock quotes, weather and appointments. Or they can configure the screen to highlight the main home controls. There will also be a dock for quickly launching favorite apps and a grid of software icons similar to the iPhone’s home screen.
During development, Apple discussed launching an app store as part of the device, but recently decided to exclude this feature — at least in the initial version.
The product will utilize Apple’s long-running smart home framework, HomeKit, which can control thermostats, lights, locks, security cameras, sensors, sprinklers, fans and other third-party equipment. Apple supports hundreds of accessories with HomeKit and offers iCloud online storage plans for home security recordings.
Security will be a particular focus for the new device. It will provide security alerts and display camera footage, including videos from smart doorbells. It will also serve as an intercom system between rooms in homes with multiple Apple displays.
Apple is also exploring building its own line of smart home accessories, including an indoor security camera that could double as a baby monitor. The idea would be to emphasize privacy controls, one of Apple’s trademarks. If the smart home display is successful, the company could prioritize plans to bring these accessories to market.
Apple is also working on a system that will allow the home device to detect how many people are nearby. This approach relies in part on external sensors that could be placed in outlets near the device, but these accessories could be rolled out later or canceled altogether.
The product will be an autonomous device, meaning it can operate almost entirely on its own. However, it will require an iPhone for some tasks, including parts of the initial setup. It will also work with Apple’s Handoff feature, which allows users to trigger a function on a device and continue on their iPhone after walking away.
The project is a collaboration between several teams at Apple, including the home hardware engineering group, led by executive Matt Costello, and the software engineering group, led by Arun Mathias. Costello and Mathias are known as the “executive sponsors” responsible for product development. Apple’s industrial design and human interface teams are also heavily involved.
Ultimately, Apple hopes to sell multiple units of the device to consumers, who will place them around their home and use them multiple times a day.
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.
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