Apple's Rumored Home Robot Slips to 2027 or Later, Report Says
The device's hardware has reportedly been ready for two years, but Apple's software team keeps pushing back the launch.
Apple's long-rumored smart home robot won't be showing up anytime soon. According to The Information, the company has pushed the launch back to sometime next year at the earliest, with 2028 also on the table.
The holdup isn't the hardware. The Information reports that the robot's physical design "has been finished for around two years." The problem is the software, which still isn't ready for release. Apple's software team has reportedly been the one pushing for the delay, and has also tried to scale back what the device actually does, focusing it on a narrower set of features tied to FaceTime and basic home automation, like turning on a light.
That's a notable shift if accurate. Early rumors painted the robot as a more ambitious piece of hardware, but the reported retreat to simpler, more reliable functions suggests Apple is prioritizing getting something that works over getting something flashy.
Internally, the device is codenamed J595, per The Information. Former Apple employees quoted in the report believe it will eventually launch as the "HomeView Ultra," a nod to the HomeView smart display Apple released last month. Unlike that display, though, this won't be cheap: The Information puts the expected price around $1,000, and possibly higher depending on rising costs for RAM and other components.
Design details have shifted some over time. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported back in 2024 that the robot would have a stationary, tabletop form factor, drawing comparisons to Pixar's animated desk lamp mascot. The Information's more recent reporting describes something a bit more dynamic: a nine-inch display mounted on a robotic arm that can swivel, paired with cameras and sensors that let it do things like track you around a room during a FaceTime call.
That kind of feature points to what Apple seems to be betting on with this category: a device that's less a traditional smart speaker and more a presence in the room, one that can follow a conversation or keep an eye on a task without a person touching it. Whether that's a $1,000 compelling case for most households remains to be seen, especially with the launch window still so unsettled.
For now, the HomeView Ultra joins the growing list of Apple products known mostly for being delayed. Hardware's been sitting finished for two years; it's the software that has to catch up before Apple is willing to ship it.
