Apple could give its HomeView smart hub robotic arm and larger screen in 2027

Apple is developing a larger version of its HomeView smart home hub that moves on a robotic arm, and has explored a laundry-folding robot, according to a Nov. 2 report from The Information. Apple has not publicly confirmed the device, and the report by Aaron Tilley relies on unnamed sources.

The current HomeView, which Apple unveiled on October 13, starts at $299 in the US and launches Nov. 13, according to Apple.

The larger HomeView would have a 9-inch screen on a swiveling arm that turns it toward the user, compared with 7 inches on the current version, Apfelpatient said in its summary of the report. A camera and sensors would let it act on its own, according to The Information. One example is switching on lights when someone enters a room, The Independent said.

Hardware is ready, software is not

The hardware has been largely finished for about two years, The Information reported, but Apple staff disagree on which software features should ship in the first generation and which should wait for a second.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in mid-October that Apple planned a larger HomeView with a robotic arm, and Apfelpatient said the display size and timing match The Information’s account.

Apple reportedly aims to launch the device in the US in 2027 for around $1,000, Notebookcheck reported, but The Information said the launch could slip to 2028.

Apple has also reportedly explored a wheeled robot that follows people from room to room, an indoor flying device and a robot that folds laundry, according to The Independent‘s account of the report. The Independent reported there is no indication any of them will be released.

Autonomy is the main change from the current model, Apfelpatient said. Notebookcheck reported the sensors are also meant to keep the arm from hitting nearby objects.

What remains unconfirmed

Several points remain unconfirmed. Apple has not announced any of these products. Both The Information and Bloomberg have relied on unnamed sources, meaning the reported specifications and launch plans remain unconfirmed. An earlier January report from The Information described a robotic swiveling base for an Apple home device. The standard HomeView subsequently announced by apple has a stationary speaker base and a hinge that allows the screen to tilt.

The laundry, wheeled and flying robots are described only as explored concepts, and no timeline has been reported for them. The Independent also noted that Apple does not typically comment on unreleased products.

Large projects have been scrapped before. The Independent said Apple spent a decade on a self-driving electric car, reportedly at a cost of more than $10 billion, before canceling Project Titan in 2024. The Independent describes Daisy, unveiled in 2018, as one of several robots Apple has built for internal use only. It takes apart old iPhones at up to 200 devices per hour. Daisy succeeded Liam, Apple’s first iPhone disassembly robot, which consisted of 29 robots operating across 21 cells.

No date has been announced for the larger model. If the 2027 target holds, it would follow the standard HomeView, which launches Nov. 13.

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/apple-homeview-robot-arm-laundry