Apple has several new smart home products in development, and as rumors of the initially low-cost smart home control device have become increasingly popular in recent months, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has elaborated on a few new details in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter.
According to Gurman, the smart home device will launch sometime next year and will have a semi-circular base with a small screen angled on the base, making it resemble the iconic G4 iMac design from two decades ago.
Following on from previous rumors that the device will have a “square” screen, Gurman indicates that the screen and overall device could be smaller than many expected, with the screen being “about the size of two iPhones side by side.”
The small size is reportedly part of Apple’s efforts to keep prices low, allowing users to spread out multiple units in different rooms around the house.
The original iMac G4As previously described, the smart home device will run a number of iPad-like apps that make sense for its intended purpose, including FaceTime, Notes and Calendar, and also serve as a hub for smart home controls and the ability to display photos and videos. give. video slideshows. Gurman says it’s “possible” that there will be speakers in the base of the device, allowing it to double as a HomePod-like device.
In addition to this first smart home device, Gurman previously described a more ambitious product with a larger screen mounted on a robotic arm that could identify users and automatically track them as they move around a room. That more expensive product will likely retail for around $1,000 and won’t hit the market until 2026 at the earliest.
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