The rumored HomePod with a display, code-named J595, has become a major priority at Apple as part of its scramble to make AI-centric devices, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes in his latest “Power On” newsletter.
“The idea is to have a smart home display, sized like a small iPad, that can move around a person’s desk on the end of a robotic arm,” he writes. “Apple also plans to imbue the machine with a unique AI personality. The company wants to get this device to market as soon as possible, but there’s been a snag. A lower-end version — a smart screen code-named J490 that doesn’t have an arm — has been delayed due to problems with Siri.”
Gurman expects the J490 (which has been rumored to be called the “HomePad” or “Command Center”) to finally hit the market by the end of this year at the earliestwith the robotic version following a year or two later. To get the J595 ready faster, He says he’s been told that Apple has pulled some bolder features from the device that could reappear in subsequent models.
Here’s what a September report from 9to5Mac said about a HomePod with display:
° The device will be powered by an A18 processor.
° It has a squarish display rather than an iPad-ish rectangular design.
° It has a built-in camera that works for FaceTime and other video conferencing apps.
° The device uses the camera to identify hand gestures from a distance.
° The device can run apps and play media on its own, but it will also work as an AirPlay receiver.
This info from Gurman is from the free edition of “Power On”. If you like it, consider subscribing to Bloomberg.com—you’ll receive the newsletter earlier and get exclusive access to a Q&A section.
