"Tabletop Robot" planned by Apple: Is it the "Next Big Thing"?
A manager from Apple's failed car project is now set to venture into home robotics: according to a report, the project is entering the hot phase.
Apple boss Tim Cook urgently needs new product categories.
(Image: Apple)
Apple has apparently given the green light internally to a project for a new product category. As the financial news agency Bloomberg writes, a "tabletop robot" is being planned, which could come onto the market as early as 2026. The idea has been circulating through the rumor mill since spring. It is said to be a combination of HomePod, iPad and robotic arm. The system could be based on similar devices from Amazon (Echo Show 10) or Meta (Portal, discontinued), but be geared towards the user.
"Go" from the executive floor
According to Bloomberg, the plan is for the as yet unnamed product to be able to rotate 360 degrees and flip the display up and down. The vision is a "smart home command center" that is also a "video conferencing machine" plus a remote-controlled home security tool (via the integrated camera). The code name is J595. It had already been decided internally that it would arrive in 2022, but the project has been in a "ramp-up" phase recently. CEO Tim Cook and hardware boss John Ternus favored the idea, even if the marketing team was initially unsure whether there was a market for such a product. In turn, the software team had to gather the necessary resources to develop the firmware.
According to Bloomberg, the project is being led by Kevin Lynch. The former Adobe manager had already been very successful with the Apple Watch software before he took over the Apple Car project as the new supervisor, but was unable to save it. Lynch's appointment is a sign that Apple supports the project. The Vice President of Technology has already recruited employees from the Apple Watch team to build the "Tabletop Robot". Lynch, in turn, is to report to Apple's head of AI, John Giannandrea.
Tabletop robot obeys the word
Apple is said to be considering a price category of around 1000 US dollars. If the 2026 launch date is no longer feasible, the device will be launched on the market in 2027. In terms of operation, it is planned that the device will listen to voice commands, such as "Look at me". The current prototypes are reportedly running a customized iPadOS. The hardware should be able to distinguish between different people. Apple is planning further robotics projects, including systems that move around the house.
Even humanoid systems have been discussed. These projects are to be led by a former Apple Car employee: Hanns Wolfram Tappeiner has a team of 100 people under him, according to Bloomberg. Apple is also looking for experts in robotics to develop "generalizable and reliable" robot systems based on new machine learning models. Apple's competitor Amazon recently decided to turn its own household robot Astro into a night watchman.
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