With both the monumental launch of Apple Vision Pro this year and the now-canceled Apple Car, the company has proven it wants to build a wide range of products. If the latest rumors are true, we could be getting something much bolder in the future.
As originally reported by Bloomberg’s reputable Apple insider Mark Gurman Apple is currently researching a “mobile robot that can follow users around their homes.” As well as this, Apple is also reportedly working on a home device with a screen that moves around, thanks to robotics.
Though we don’t know the specifics of this new tabletop device, it could be similar to Amazon’s Echo Show 10 or Amazon’s Astro, a smart assistant with a display that can point in your direction when you call it. Astra launched in 2021 for $1,599 and, if you’re like me, you may not have thought about it since then. However, Apple could be the company to make this more mainstream. The price point of the Apple Vision Pro at $3,499 seemed astronomical yet it managed to sell pretty well.
Mark Gurman says the Apple robot “would also have features to precisely lock on to a single person among a crowd during a video call.” It could make for more intuitive group calls, though we aren’t sure how it would interact with Apple Vision Pro’s Persona feature. This device could be a good move for Apple as Apple AI takes shape, which could make Siri a much better assistant and this device a nifty AI-powered companion. We’ll know more about Apple AI in just a few months at WWDC 2024.
The early stages
It’s important to note that this is just in early development right now and could be canceled or postponed at any time, just like Apple Car. As pointed out in the report, Apple told “its top executives that the company’s future revolved around three areas: automotive, the home and mixed reality.” With the Apple Vision Pro out in the world now and the Apple Car project finished, the home is the last major place Apple is focusing its efforts for future success.
Apple is currently hiring for many “robotics-related roles, indicating that it’s trying to expand the teams working on the project.” If done right, this could be Apple’s next major innovation.
