Mark Gurman notes in his Power On Newsletter for November 17, that Apple has been developing a smart home command center that will rival products like the Amazon Echo Hub and Google Nest Hub. The idea is to build a beachhead in the home with a device that can take advantage of Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem and a new operating system called homeOS. It also will capitalize on Apple Intelligence and the revamped Siri digital assistant, which will be able to more precisely control software using the new App Intents feature. Gurman basically rehashes what he reported on early this week, with a few new factoids.

The product will run many of Apple’s core apps, like Safari, Notes and Calendar, but the interface will be centered on a customizable home screen with iOS-like widgets and smart home controls. Apple has been dropping hints for years that it was headed toward a new kind of home interface. The iPhone’s StandBy Mode — added in iOS 17 — offered a preview of this experience. And Apple overhauled Control Center with a HomeKit focus in iOS 18, making it easier to use the software to control smart home accessories such as lighting.

Like many other Apple products, the hardware will be available in silver and black. The device looks like a low-end iPad and will include a built-in battery, speakers and a FaceTime camera oriented for a horizontal landscape view.

The square device, which includes a roughly 6-inch screen, has sensors that let it change the interface depending on how far a user is from the screen. It will also have attachments for walls, plus a base with additional speakers so it can be placed on a table, nightstand or desk.

Apple envisions customers using the device as an intercom, with people FaceTiming each other from different rooms. They’ll also be able to pull up home security footage, control their lights, and videoconference with family while cooking in the kitchen. And it will control music throughout the home on HomePod speakers.

The device will work with hundreds of HomeKit-compatible items, a lineup that includes third-party switches, lights, fans and other accessories. But the company doesn’t plan to roll out a dedicated app store for the product. Given the lack of success with app marketplaces for the Vision Pro, Apple Watch and Apple TV, that’s not too surprising.

The success of this device is still far from assured. Apple’s recent track record pushing into new categories has been spotty, and its previous home products haven’t been major hits. The company also isn’t breaking a lot of ground here. Though the product will likely be more polished and feature-packed than its Amazon and Google counterparts, Apple is still playing catch-up. Moreover, you also could replicate much of the experience by just buying a $350 entry-level iPad and a home wall mount from Amazon.

If the product does catch on, it will help set the stage for more home devices. Apple is working on a high-end AI companion with a robotic arm and large display that could serve as a follow-up. The company could also put more resources into developing mobile robots, privacy-focused home cameras and speakers. It may even revisit the idea of making an Apple-branded TV set, something it’s evaluating. But if the first device fails, Apple may have to rethink its smart home ambitions once again.”

In 2020 when posting an Apple patent regarding Project Titan, I noted that one of the listed inventors included Martin Levihn. On his LinkedIn page header at the time, presented a massive robot in the background that he was working on at Apple as shown below.  In a way, it now makes sense if Apple’s robotics team is gaining steam.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

Lastly, it should be noted that in 2017 Apple acquired a BellSouth Patent Regarding Home Device Automation and Smart Interaction. They also acquired patents from “Lighthouse” regarding home security that they acquired in 2019. It’s to illustrate that Apple has had its eye on home automation for close to a decade. 

New AirTags

Another topic of this week’s Power On Newsletter was next-gen AirTags. Gurman noted that “Apple gears up to launch a new AirTag four years after the first model. In May, Gurman reported that Apple is working on a new AirTag — code-named B589 — for release around the middle of next year. That accessory has now progressed in manufacturing tests, and Apple is getting ready to bring it to market. I’m told the new version will look similar to the current model, but offer better range, bolster the onboard wireless chip and improve privacy.

That includes making it more difficult for someone to remove the speaker from the AirTag. Since the device launched in 2021, some people have unfortunately used the product as a tool for stalking — and removing the speaker makes it less likely for someone to discover a hidden AirTag. Apple is contending with lawsuits over the device, and it’s in everyone’s interest to make the new model more tamper-proof.

For more on this, read this week’s Power On Newsletter which spends a lot of time discussing how Apple’s CEO could possibly work at avoiding upcoming new tariffs on U.S. companies making their devices in China.