Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said that Apple could announce the device around March 2025 and position it as a home control center. The product, codenamed J490, is also equipped with Apple Intelligence AI features.

CEO Tim Cook is betting the product will make Apple a major force in the smarthome market, where the company is lagging behind rivals Google and Amazon.

As a priority for the engineering and design department, the device is being fast-tracked to market launch after more than three years of development.

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Amazon Echo Hub smart display at an Amazon event in 2023. Photo: Bloomberg

According to Bloomberg , the device uses a nearly 6-inch screen and resembles a square iPad, with thick bezels surrounding the screen, a camera on the top edge, a rechargeable battery and speakers, and is expected to come in black and silver.

The interface looks like a cross between the Apple Watch operating system and the iPhone's Standby mode, but the company predicts that most people will interact with the device by voice thanks to Siri and Apple Intelligence.

The hardware is designed around App Intents, a system that allows AI to precisely control applications and tasks.

The product will be marketed as a way to control home appliances, chat with Siri, and video conference via FaceTime. It comes with Apple apps, including a web browser, news feeds, and music streaming.

Users can also access notes and calendars or turn the device into a photo slideshow display.

The device will compete with Amazon's Echo Show and Echo Hub smart displays, and the Google Nest Hub. Prices are expected to be similar to those of its rivals. The Echo Show will cost $150, the Echo Hub will cost $180, and the Nest Hub Max will cost $230.

The product is designed to bring Siri and Apple Intelligence closer to users in a way that has never been done before, the source revealed. Last month, Apple launched a number of Apple Intelligence features for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Advanced features like AI imaging and OpenAI's ChatGPT integration will roll out in December.

The screen will include sensors to determine the distance from the person and then automatically adjust the features. For example, if the user is far away, the screen will display the temperature, when closer, it will switch to the control panel to change the temperature.

Security will be a focus for the new device, providing security alerts and displaying video from security cameras, including video from smart doorbells. It also acts as an intercom system between rooms in the home.

The product is a standalone device, meaning it operates almost completely autonomously. However, the iPhone is required for some tasks, including initial setup.

The project is a collaboration between different Apple teams, including the home hardware engineering team led by Matt Costello and the software engineering ecosystem team led by Arun Mathias.

Human interface and industrial design teams are also actively involved.

It seems that this is not the only new product that Apple is "incubating". According to veteran analyst Ming Chi Kuo, the iPhone maker is looking to enter the home security camera market and is expected to mass produce it by 2026.

According to Mr. Kuo, the camera will interact with other devices of the same company via wireless connection, creating an advantage over other camera manufacturers.

(According to Bloomberg, Digital Trends)