New Apple HomeOS Devices Tipped

Apple is believed to be making a fresh attempt to establish itself in the smart home market with a rumoured smart display which it may release next year.

The display will use a new operating system, called homeOS, based on the Apple TV’s tvOS (much like the software that drives HomePods now), according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The display will run Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and Apple has reportedly tested prototypes with magnets for wall-mounting.

It will support Apple Intelligence too — something Apple’s HomePods don’t currently do. Apple Intelligence will be available in Australia from December.

Rumours of such a device have been present for a while, with form factors ranging from a HomePod with a screen to a display attached to a robotic arm that swivels to face you during a video call.

As ChannelNews reported this week, Apple is also believed to have hundreds of people working on a device, “which uses a thin robotic arm to move around a large screen”, according to Gurman. “The product, which relies on actuators to tilt the display up and down and make it spin 360 degrees, would offer a twist on home products like Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo Show 10 and Meta Platforms Inc.’s discontinued Portal.”

Another rumour suggested that a square-shaped “HomeAccessory” device would be coming soon, and that users might be able to use hand gestures from a distance to control it.

Codenamed J490, the device will be powered by the A18 chip, and the camera on it will even identify the user in front of the device to enable Personal Requests, similar to how HomePod identifies different voices to enable such requests.

Media reports suggest that the device is expected to launch next year.