(Credit: recep-bg/Getty Images)
Apple's Siri troubles are also affecting its foray into smart home devices.
As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports, Apple had hoped to announce its smart home control device this month but has been forced to postpone it since some of the device’s features rely on advanced Siri capabilities that aren’t ready yet.
Apple’s rumored smart home hub could rival Amazon’s Echo Hub and Google’s Nest Hub. It is tipped to have a wall-mountable iPad-like display, a front camera, a built-in rechargeable battery, and speakers. In addition to controlling smart home appliances, the device will be capable of handling video calls and launching apps.
Apple has begun testing the device with select employees. They are allowed to take it home and provide frequent feedback, Gurman says.
The report about the product’s delay comes just a week after Apple admitted that its Siri upgrade, first previewed at WWDC 2024 as part of iOS 18, is taking longer than expected.
“We’ve also been working on a more personalized Siri, giving it more awareness of your personal context, as well as the ability to take action for you within and across your apps. It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year,” an Apple spokesperson told Daring Fireball.
According to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook is betting big on the smart home hub and believes that it can make Apple “a force in the smart home segment.”
Alongside the central hub, Apple is also rumored to be working on a smart home robot. That device will also get an iPad-like display, but it will be mounted on top of a thin robotic arm capable of tilting and rotating it. It could cost around $1,000 but isn’t expected until 2026 or 2027.