Apple's next big thing is a smart home device packed with Apple Intelligence, according to a new Bloomberg report published on Tuesday.
According to the report, the device will look like a square iPad, the size of two iPhones side by side, and will be able to be mounted on a wall. It will have a 6-inch screen and function as a smart command center for the home, with control over locks, lights, sprinklers, speakers and other smart home devices.
Like the iPhone, which recently received an Apple Intelligence updatethe new home device will come with Siri and Apple Intelligence. Users will interact with the smart device with their voice and will be able to speak to Siri to ask questions and give commands. They will also have access to FaceTime, audio and video intercom, and Apple Music.
The Apple Siri logo on a smartphone with the Apple Intelligence logo in the background. Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“They (Apple) feel like they're going to sell a lot of these things, they feel like people are going to buy multiple versions of them for their homes,” Bloomberg chief correspondent Mark Gurman. DECLARING.
Apple could release the device as early as March, according to Bloomberg.
With the device, Apple is entering a crowded space. Amazon has led the way globally, commanding 28% of the market share compared to Google's 17.2% in the first quarter of 2022.
The smartphone that Apple is planning will have to compete with it Echo Show 8 from Amazon, which costs $150, and the Nest Hub Max from Google, which costs $230.
According to the report, Apple will try to differentiate itself with never-before-seen Apple Intelligence features.
For one, the display will use smart sensors and AI to automatically understand how close or far someone is to adjust what it shows accordingly. For example, it can show the room temperature if someone is further away and then show a thermostat if that person approaches to adjust the temperature.
Apple will competitively price its smart home offering, per Bloomberg, but will continue to play with Google and Amazon, which have an advantage for years ahead. Amazon released the first Echo show in the US in 2017 and Google came up with Nest Hub, then known as Home Hub, in 2018.
“They (Apple) are a serious laggard in the smart home market,” Gurman said.