Apple to Launch New AI-Integrated Smart Home Device in March

Apple is reportedly preparing to introduce a new smart home device in March, marking a new product category that merges artificial intelligence, app integration, and home management capabilities. According to Bloomberg, the device — internally codenamed J490 — will feature a six-inch screen, camera, rechargeable battery, and internal speakers, and can be wall-mounted or placed on a surface. It will also integrate Siri and Apple Intelligence alongside a touch interface, allowing users to control various home functions through AI-driven interactions.

The initial version of the device will enable users to control home appliances, hold FaceTime calls, access news, play music, view photos, and monitor security feeds. A future version is expected to incorporate a robotic arm that allows the screen to move, potentially enhancing user interaction. The device aims to compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, with a display-only version priced similarly and a more advanced model potentially reaching $1,000.

The new product aligns with Apple’s reported goal of introducing a smart home device that combines iPad, Apple TV, and HomePod capabilities by 2025, with a likely launch of a device powered by Apple’s A18 chip to support advanced AI features. Bloomberg’s sources suggest that Apple hopes customers will buy multiple units for different rooms, offering a networked intercom system across the home.

In a related development, Apple has reportedly begun exploring a smart glasses project, conducting internal studies and gathering employee feedback on current market offerings. Additional focus groups for this potential new category will be overseen by Apple’s Product Systems Quality team, part of the hardware engineering department.