Apple Postpones Smart Home Display Launch as It Waits for New AI and Siri
(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc.’s artificial intelligence struggles are spilling over into its product plans, forcing the company to delay its long-in-the-works smart home display to later this year, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The product, codenamed J490, was originally planned to be released in spring 2025 but was delayed to allow the company to finish work on a new Siri digital assistant that is an integral part of the device’s interface.
Apple plans to launch the screen this month, when it hopes the new Siri will be ready, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the conversations were private. With Siri being postponed again, Apple is now delaying its smart home device once again.
This situation underlines that Apple needs to catch up with artificial intelligence. Siri is at the center of the AI strategy, with many future products based on the technology. But Apple has withdrawn long-promised features, including those introduced to consumers nearly two years ago.
This created a mismatch between the tech giant’s software and hardware plans. The smart display itself has been completed for several months. But the company now plans to release it around September, when Apple estimates the new Siri will finally be completed.
A spokesman for Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple declined to comment.
The display, which resembles a square iPad that can be attached to a half-dome-shaped speaker base or wall, is designed to be a central AI hub for the home. The user interface includes a list of circular app icons with a similar arrangement to the Apple Watch’s home screen.
The standout feature is a facial recognition-based system that can recognize people when they walk towards the device. With this information, the product can display personalized data such as the user’s calendar appointments, reminders, notes, music and news preferences.
Apple is working on a number of new AI products, including pendants, camera-equipped AirPods and smart glasses. These devices are planned after the expected launch of Siri. This means it is unlikely to be affected unless there are further development problems.
Apple aims to have all the new Siri features ready when it launches the iPhone 18 Pro in September. The updated Siri will be able to tap users’ personal data to better fulfill queries. Apple is also revamping the interface and underlying AI models to make Siri a more modern chatbot.
User data features are particularly important for the new home device as it aims to deliver a personalized experience.
Apple is currently planning for the smart home display to launch with a version of tvOS 27, a version of its TV set-top box operating system that is scheduled to be released in September. Apple’s new home operating system is based on the core technology found in Apple TV.
Until recent delays from Siri, Apple was planning for its first home devices to run a variation of tvOS 26, the existing Apple TV software. John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, plays a central role in the smart home effort and sees it as central to the company’s future growth.
According to Bloomberg News, Apple had targeted all new Siri features to be ready for this year’s 26.4 software update, but is now testing them for versions 26.5 and 27.
The smart home display has a 7-inch display, a single USB-C port for power, and the classic Apple silver aluminum chassis. It will be the first of multiple Apple home devices. A version with a 9-inch screen attached to a robotic limb is planned for next year. There’s also a small home security sensor in the works.
Apple is also working on a new HomePod without a screen and an updated Apple TV set-top box, both of which rely on new AI features. Apple TV hardware hasn’t been updated since 2022, but its software got the new Liquid Glass interface last year.
The company’s smart home offering comes several years after similar products from Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and others. Still, Apple needs to be able to leverage its existing product ecosystem. The company said in January that its user base surpassed 2.5 billion.
In recent days, Apple has launched a slew of new products, including the iPhone 17e, low-cost MacBook Neo, iPad Air, external monitors, and refreshes to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. But he didn’t discuss any improvements to Siri, artificial intelligence or smart home work, which he previously aimed to make this month.
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