Rendering of a HomePod with a display performed by an artist
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Apple is reportedly considering future products that will make it easier to consolidate information from other smart home devices and an in-room assistant that can constantly point at you screen as you move around the space.
Apple still has big ambitions to launch new products in the smart home category, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. One fairly obvious future idea would be an updated Apple TV with a built-in camera for video conferencing.
Another is said to be a lightweight “smart display” that will collect data from home devices, making it easier for users to carry around and dock with charging stations around the home. The device is said to be similar to a budget iPad.
Apple has allegedly begun small-scale testing of the project. However, like any rumor, it may or may not ever appear.
Another idea that has been rumored for some time, similar to the one proposed in Sunday's report, is a HomePod with a connected screen. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has been a proponent of the idea, but recently abandoned predictions that such a device would appear this year.
The company will also likely develop new product ideas based on technology repurposed from the abandoned Apple Car project. CarPlay 2, for example, has integration with car controls, which could lead to expanded smart home control via iPhone and iPad.
And artificial intelligence and machine learning developed for the car can be easily transferred to mobile robots.
Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is also considering getting into robotics. The report mentions a desktop product that could use a robotic arm to move the display to follow the user, perhaps similar to the iMac G4's arm — just automated. This could provide more freedom to go beyond what the Center Stage camera feature currently allows.
The hand and display can also be used as characters for Apple Vision Pro users, with the display itself moving to simulate a nod or shake of the head. Both products are reported to be under consideration and undergoing early feasibility studies, but no final decisions have been made yet.
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