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Apple is mounting an ambitious, hardware-led comeback in artificial intelligence, building a slate of new consumer devices, headed by a tabletop “companion” robot, designed to put a far more capable, conversational Siri at the centre of the home and make its ecosystem stickier for users and developers.
The plans, first reported by Bloomberg, put robotics, a new smart display and battery-powered security cameras at the heart of Apple’s next product wave.
Tabletop Robot
The headline device is a tabletop robot (codename J595): an iPad-sized display mounted on a motorised arm that can swivel and follow people around a room. Targeted for a 2027 launch, the device is being positioned as a virtual companion and videoconferencing hub that can physically “look” at whoever is speaking and be partly controlled using an iPhone-as-joystick feature.
The project, led in part by Kevin Lynch, builds on Apple research into movable displays. Apple is planning a major revamp of Siri (projects Linwood and Glenwood) that will lean on large language models and give the assistant a visual, personality-driven interface (codename “Bubbles”).
The tabletop robot and a smaller smart display (codename J490), expected as early as mid-2026, will run a new multiuser OS dubbed Charismatic, emphasising voice-first interaction, widgets and personalised views for multiple household members.
Alongside the robot and smart display, Apple is developing battery-powered security cameras (J450) with facial recognition and infrared sensors, and has tested doorbell and other camera form factors to compete with Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest.
The devices are intended to automate household tasks and home-automation rules, for example, tying camera presence to lighting or media playback.
Strategic Aim
The effort signals Apple’s attempt to regain momentum after slow adoption of its Vision Pro headset and criticism that the company lagged in generative AI. Executives see hardware as a way to showcase an upgraded Siri and lock users deeper into Apple services, but timelines and features remain fluid, and the work depends on progress in underlying AI models and software.
Key milestones to watch are (1) whether the mid-2026 smart display ships with an upgraded Siri, (2) demonstrations of the Charismatic OS and multiuser capabilities, and (3) how Apple balances on-device privacy with the large-model requirements of Linwood and Glenwood.
If the robotics effort reaches the market by 2027, it would be one of the first major consumer robots from a mainstream tech giant and a clear signal of Apple’s intent to compete beyond phones and laptops.
