WORLDTECHApple's next HomeView may gain a robotic arm, reportedly as early as 2027
Apple has announced its long-awaited HomeView smart home display at $299, and a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says a more capable successor with a robotic arm could follow in 2027 or 2028.
The HomeView and its new higher-end sibling
Apple has announced the HomeView, a smart home display that costs $299. The product has been in development for a long time, a delay that the report links to the difficulties in building a smarter Siri.
The HomeView will not replace the existing HomeView. Instead, it will sit above it in the lineup as a higher-end model.
A motorised arm to follow the speaker
Some buyers have raised a practical complaint: when the device stands on a table surrounded by several people, someone has to turn it by hand. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a fix in a version of the HomeView that could be called HomeView Pro.
The reported model, code-named J595, keeps the current design but would have a screen of roughly 9 inches, up from 7 inches, and a motorised robotic arm that lets the display swivel a full 360 degrees. Voice recognition would be used to identify who is speaking and turn the display towards that person, a capability the report compares with the Center Stage camera on some newer Apple products.
Timing remains uncertain
The report puts the release of this version in 2027 or 2028. The information comes from a single outlet, 9to5Mac, which attributes it to Bloomberg, and Apple has not confirmed the product or its timing in the material provided.
Open questions
- Will Apple release the robotic-arm model under the name HomeView Pro?
- Will the release arrive in 2027 or 2028 as reported?