According to reports, Apple is getting ready to debut multiple smart home products between late 2025 and 2027.
These products, including robots, a lifelike version of Siri, a smart speaker with a display, and home-security cameras, will reportedly not be mere iterations of its existing devices, but rather entirely new product categories designed to integrate deeply with Apple’s ecosystem.
The centerpiece of Apple’s AI strategy
It has been confirmed that Apple is plotting its artificial intelligence comeback with an ambitious slate of new devices. Most notable may be the iPad-like device mounted on a robotic arm.
This tabletop robot, slated for 2027, is expected to serve as a virtual companion and has been tagged the centerpiece of the company’s AI strategy, according to people familiar with the proceedings.
Like a human head, the robot will be able to turn toward a person speaking to or summoning it, and even try to draw the attention of someone not facing it.
The device has been tagged as an entirely new version of the Siri voice assistant that can insert itself into conversations between multiple people. It is expected to have the ability to engage with users throughout the day and more easily recall information.
Apple plans to put Siri at the center of the device operating system and give it a visual personality and a lifelike feel. Some people familiar with the product have called it the “Pixar Lamp,” a nod to the animated film company’s famous logo.
While fans look forward to the launch in 2027, they can enjoy a similar device, code-named J490, which is a stripped-down variant of the robot, lacking the arm and conversational Siri set to launch mid next year.
Apple’s ambitious plans depend on Siri getting better
One of the biggest reasons Apple has delayed launching new smart home devices is the current state of Siri, whose performance lags behind Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. However, Apple is working to fix that.
Not only is Siri being rebuilt to include on-device AI processing, but it is expected to play a central role in Apple’s smart home vision, playing middleman between HomeKit devices, Apple Intelligence, and user habits.
Apple’s engineers are also developing a version of the voice assistant code-named Linwood with an entirely new brain built around large language models. They aim to tap into personal data to fulfill queries, an ability that was delayed due to issues with the current version.
The new software, known internally as LLM Siri, is scheduled for release next spring. Craig
Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, spoke about the Siri revamp: “The work we’ve done on this end-to-end revamp of Siri has given us the results we needed,” he said, before adding that “this has put us in a position to not just deliver what we announced, but to deliver a much bigger upgrade than we envisioned.”
Linwood is based on technology developed by the Apple Foundation Models team, but the company also has a similar project dubbed Glenwood that would power Siri with outside technology.
A final decision is yet to be made on which models will be used, but reports claim Anthropic PBC’s Claude is being tested for this purpose.
Apple is still in the early stages of turning around its AI software, but executives see the upcoming releases as part of a key piece of its resurgence, which could help it challenge Samsung Electronics Co., Meta Platforms Inc., and other rivals in new categories.
Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook spoke about the upcoming releases in an all-hands meeting this month: “The product pipeline — which I can’t talk about — it’s amazing, guys. It’s amazing,” Cook said. “Some of it you’ll see soon. Some of it will come later. But there’s a lot to see.”
Beyond the home devices, Apple also plans to release thinner and redesigned iPhones this year. And further down the line, it aims to introduce smart glasses, a foldable phone, a 20-year anniversary iPhone, and a revamped headset dubbed N100. There are also plans for a large foldable device that melds a MacBook and an iPad and a camera, code-named J450, designed for home security, which can detect people and automate tasks.
