Key Takeaways
- Apple is developing a new $1,000 tabletop device that combines AI and robotics.
- There are signs that Apple may be expanding its robotics lineup with hiring and a failed car project.
- Apple’s robotic arm device could revolutionize smart home control and video calling.
It looks like Apple is getting into the world of robotics, which makes me think about some of the fun possibilities that could arise.
What would happen if the world’s largest technology company decided to combine its recent generative AI efforts with a team of robotics engineers reassembled from a failed self-driving car project? Of course, this would involve a big leap, but according to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has more than 100 staffers working on a new tabletop device, a robotic arm attached to an iPad display that can rotate 360 degrees and respond to voice commands using Siri.
The unnamed project is being led by Apple’s vice president of engineering, Kevin Lynch. The device will allow users to take part in video calls, manage home security and control smart home devices. Apple aims to launch it in 2026 for a price of around $1,000.
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Apple’s next big device: a desktop robot iPad that controls your smart home
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is developing a new tabletop device that combines an iPad-like display with a robotic arm that can tilt and rotate 360 degrees. The device is designed to be used for a variety of purposes, including controlling smart home accessories, monitoring security, and making video calls, all with voice commands from Siri or Apple Intelligence. Apple’s vice president of engineering Kevin Lynch is leading the project, and it could be released as early as 2026 or 2027, with a price tag of around $1,000. What features make this device a must-have for you?
Apple is fusing robotics with AI
iRobot
There are signs that Apple may be planning a bigger push into the robotics space. In addition to the robotics engineers and ML and AI employees Apple already has working on its new robotic arm project, the company is also hiring for a number of robotics-related roles. Apple may be working on more than just the iPad’s rotating stick, given the involvement of VP Kevin Lynch. Lynch was previously in charge of Project Titan, Apple’s electric self-driving car program.
Though the project was recently dropped, it was a real breakthrough for the company. As part of this shift, Lynch has begun work on Apple’s new desktop robotics product. Interestingly, he now reports to Apple’s head of AI, John Giannandrea. So is this the foundation for something even bigger, with Apple exploring how to build AI like Apple Intelligence into robots that consumers can buy?
Tabletop displays are not a success
Apple’s rumored tabletop robot is already being called the next big thing. iPhone sales are down 10%, the Vision Pro launch was a flop, and the company lowered its sales forecast for the next two years. Vision Pro is a big turnaround, and Apple’s tabletop device could be one of them. It could also fail. There have been examples of large tabletop tablet devices failing in the past. Look at the now-discontinued Facebook Portal, which could “follow” you around the room. The Echo Show is also not the all-purpose device Amazon is marketing it as. That means it has a lot more potential than it currently offers. I use the Echo Show as a kitchen timer so I know when to take my daughter’s chicken nuggets out of the oven, but that’s it. It’s not the best way to make video calls (laptops and phones are better). And Alexa’s AI capabilities are far behind the new generative AI era of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.
So can Apple’s robotic arm track you? This isn’t exactly groundbreaking technology. Right now, you can buy an automatic tracking stand for your phone on Amazon for $30. But it looks like Apple is trying to charge $1,000 for its robotic tablet arm. What’s the point?
What we really want from Apple’s robots
So far, we know that Apple’s new product is an iPad-style display mounted on a robotic arm. It can tilt up and down and rotate 360 degrees using actuators. The tabletop device can be used for a variety of purposes, including controlling your smart home, joining video conferences, and monitoring your home security. It can respond to commands using Siri and features within Apple Intelligence, such as “Look at me,” which tilts the screen to face you during a video call. Apple is currently testing models that run a “customized version” of iPadOS.
If Apple is going to blend AI with a robotic body, it immediately makes us think of our favorite movie robots. Is HAL 9000 finally here? I choose to look on the bright side. Giving a generative AI system, or even Apple Intelligence, a robotic body could bring us the personal assistants we’ve long dreamed of (or been promised every time a new speaker has a Siri or Alexa built into it). What all AI devices today have in common is that they will eventually end up sitting on a counter or bedside stand, gathering dust and serving a single purpose, like playing music in the garage, setting a kitchen timer, or waking you up in the morning.
A real functioning robot would rival or even surpass the iPhone. But that’s probably years away, with the only rumored robots currently being a Siri-enabled desktop iPad robot. But what if this is just the beginning? What if this first device is the start of something more ambitious, like the full-blown robots you see in your favorite sci-fi movies? If you’re wondering what this fictional robot of the future would do and look like, luckily there are plenty of great examples to watch on TV. So here are some famous robots that Apple should definitely take inspiration from as they enter the world of robotics.
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Damn Yi and You: Iron Man’s Robot Helpers
A robot arm equipped with AI. Just add an iPad-like display.
Wonder
If you’ve seen the Iron Man solo movie, you’re probably familiar with his robot helpers Dam-Yi and U. Dam-Yi plays a key role in the first Iron Man movie. He gives Tony Stark the arc reactor that was just out of reach, saving his life. So, we all know that Iron Man is all about these robots. MCU.
Of all the sci-fi movies, Iron Man’s simple robotic arm is probably the closest we’ve seen to a real-life use of Apple’s new tabletop robots, and what the company plans to do with the technology in the future. Stark uses the two robots, which are basically just long arms, as assistants to help him in his workshop as he builds Iron Man suits. He controls them with voice and gestures.
Of all the sci-fi movies, Iron Man’s simple robotic arm is probably the closest thing to the real-life use of Apple’s new tabletop robot…
Substitute Apple Intelligence for Stark’s AI assistant, plug an iPad into the Dum-E and U, and you’ve got something pretty similar. Imagine yourself as Tony Stark, pissed off that your robotic helper won’t position the screen the way you want it to, but expecting Apple’s device to save your life might be a bit too optimistic.
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C-3PO: The best (and most annoying) robot pal
Listen…imagine having a full-blown robot walking around
Star Wars
C-3PO isn’t the coolest droid in Star Wars. In fact, he might be the most annoying droid in Star Wars. Star Wars But that doesn’t mean he has no real role in your life – after all, the Rebel Alliance kept him around despite how obnoxious he is.
C-3PO is perhaps the closest we have to what a fully-fledged robot companion/assistant might look like in the future: He can walk, but his knees seem to be tied up, and he’s in constant danger of falling over. In many of the Star Wars movies, his body is often torn apart.
C-3PO is perhaps the closest we’ve come to seeing what a fully-fledged robot companion/assistant might look like in the future.
Nevertheless, he’s basically a moving repository of all human knowledge. He’s a friend and can do a little bit of everything: speak multiple languages, get any information you need, do quick calculations on the fly, and best of all, he can do physical tasks for you. Just don’t ask him to run, though.
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Rosie: The Ultimate Robot Servant
Let’s admit it, we all want multipurpose robot maids
The Jetsons
I’m an early adopter of most smart home devices. I have one in almost every room of my house. I also often find old devices discarded in boxes in my closet. What’s the difference between the devices I use almost every day and the ones that end up gathering dust? Because they’re usually specialized for one purpose. I have a Google Home Max in my garage that does very little except play music. Echo Dot In my bedroom, it’s actually just an alarm clock.
At $1,000, Apple’s new tabletop robot is probably too expensive to be seen as a single-purpose device. But that’s what modern smart home gadgets are often used for, after all. And that’s exactly what makes the combination of robotics and Apple Intelligence interesting. It’s the difference between having disposable electronics scattered around the house and having a robot do it all for us, like Rosie does for The Jetsons. The robot uses sensors to gather data about our habits and uses AI to make inferences and figure out what to do next.
Robots will use sensors to collect data about our habits and then use AI to make inferences and determine what to do next on our behalf.
Once you’ve mastered setting the kitchen timer, it’s easy to get your Apple robot to take out the trash, feed your pets, or fold your laundry – but it still needs a physical body to perform those tasks: a robotic arm.
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T-1000: Take your home security seriously
With Terminator, who needs a Ring video doorbell?
Terminator
Imagine this: a burglar is roaming your house and suddenly bumps into a wall in the middle of your dark living room. Except it’s not a wall, it’s your Apple iTerminator. It neutralizes the threat without waking you up. Or maybe you have an important Zoom meeting, but your kids want to go to the park. Don’t worry if they go outside to play, because your own personal Terminator is watching over them.
You don’t have to worry when they go out to play because your personal Terminator is watching over them.
Now, this might seem like I’m advocating a speed run. Skynet But we are already on that path with AI, let’s just hope Apple’s futuristic robot AI doesn’t come crashing down on us like we often see in the movies.
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