Don’t hold your breath waiting for Apple robots: in an X post, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says we’re not likely to see them for at least another three years.
“Apple is exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem, and these products are still in the early proof-of-concept (POC) stage internally,” he writes. “While the industry debates the merits of humanoid vs. non-humanoid designs, supply chain checks indicate Apple cares more about how users build perception with robots than their physical appearance (so Apple uses anthropomorphic instead of humanoid), implying sensing hardware and software serve as the core technologies.
Kuo says the timeline from proof-of-concept (POC) to formal kick-off varies. Given current progress and typical development cycles, Apple’s robot mass production likely won’t start until 2028 or later, he adds.
“Essentially, POC is Apple’s testing ground, verifying whether product ideas and core technologies are viable before formal kick-off. Apple’s rumored foldable phone is currently in the POC stage,” Kuo writes ” However, many projects never progress beyond POC—the Apple Car is probably the most notable example of a project that got stuck at this stage.”
Apple has long-range plans for a full line of robots, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his latest “Power On” newsletter.
Apple is still in the early stages of figuring out the best way to use robotics. Gurman says the test case will be a tabletop device codenamed J595 that brings together a large, iPad-like display with cameras and a base that features a robotic actuator. He says that product likely will arrive around 2026 or 2027, followed by mobile robots and possibly even humanoid models in the next decade.
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