Apple may launch its first smart display with new HomeOS next year

Apple has a talent for changing any category it enters, but there’s one glaring gap in its product line: smart displays. with Amazon Echo and Google Nest It seemed like only a matter of time before Apple, which dominated living rooms, threw its hat into the ring.

That time may finally be approaching, with new reports hinting that Apple may be releasing not one but two. smart home devices It’s powered by a brand new operating system called “HomeOS” coming early next year.

Accordingly BloombergAccording to Mark Gurman, Apple is currently working on two smart displays, each designed to bring Apple’s artificial intelligence into your home. The first of these is the product coded J595, the product we have heard a lot about in the last few months. Reportedly, it’s a high-end product that combines a large screen like the iPad with a robotic arm. Our guess is that the device will allow the device to move or rotate its screen to track a user’s voice or keep them in the camera frame.

The second device, codenamed J490, is reportedly a lower-cost smart display designed primarily for FaceTime calls and controlling smart home devices. Gurman suggests that this device could launch early next year, potentially serving as an entry-level companion to the more advanced J595, which is expected to cost over $1,000.

Both devices will reportedly run on Apple’s new “HomeOS” operating system, which is said to be built on the foundation of tvOS, the software that currently powers Apple TV devices.

Unlike current-generation Apple TV and HomePod devices, which lack the necessary hardware for on-board AI processing, these new smart displays will reportedly be able to run AI models natively, allowing them to run some or all of Apple Intelligence features.

Another Apple smart device similar to Gurman’s J490 smart display description also appeared in a photo. separate report few days ago. It will reportedly be designed as a hub for daily tasks and featured apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, with an interface specifically designed for quick smart home control. Apple is also reportedly working on the idea of ​​making the device magnetic so it can attach to walls.

If you’re dreaming of something like a sleeker version of the Amazon Echo Show, you’re probably on the right track; but don’t expect it to be cheap. Apple is known for breaking into new categories in its own way, often with premium features and affordable price tags, so it will be interesting to see how these devices fare against the competition.

For now, all signs point to 2025, the year Apple will finally get into the smart display game.