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HomeView with an arm? Apple reportedly plans $1,000 swiveling smart panel
The HomeView Ultra is expected to feature a robotic arm and 9-inch display. Shades of Amazon's discontinued Echo Show 10?
The Apple HomeView is the company’s first dedicated smart home display, and new reports of how Apple plans to improve the product are already circulating. Apple is reportedly planning to announce a HomeView with a robotic arm as early as next year. The dynamic display is expected to cost up to $1,000.
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The HomeView isn’t even on the market yet — it will be available for purchase next week, starting at $299. This 7-inch smart panel features a speaker that doubles as a stand, and Apple will also sell a wall-mounted option.
As a smart home device, the HomeView is designed to serve as a platform for interacting with your Apple ecosystem, including Apple Home and Siri. It’s a smart dashboard that lets you view all your smart home devices and security cameras, as well as your calendar, messages, and other integrated apps.
The Information reported that Apple is rumored to be working on a higher-end smart display for 2027, with shipments starting in 2028. The new device, codenamed J595, may be branded HomeView Ultra and feature a robotic arm and a 9-inch display.
The new HomeView’s screen would be mounted on an articulated mechanical arm to swivel the display, tracking users during FaceTime calls to keep them on-screen. The device could feature proactive smart home automations, such as turning on devices or triggering a room scene when someone walks into the room.
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The same report indicates that the hardware has been complete for a couple of years, but launch delays are attributed to software development issues. Integrating advanced AI features and proactive automation has, according to The Information, been a challenge for Apple.
A swiveling smart home display isn’t entirely new. Amazon used to sell an Echo Show 10 with a display that tracked users to keep them in the camera’s view during video calls, though this model has been discontinued.