Apple is developing a tabletop robot that pairs a 9-inch display with a motorized, swiveling arm, a device that could cost around $1,000 and arrive in 2027 or 2028, according to a report published November 2 by The Information.
The device, which carries the internal codename J595, would be Apple’s first true robot and a premium sibling to the $299 HomeView smart display the company announced in October. Citing people familiar with the project, The Information’s Aaron Tilley reports that the hardware has been essentially finished for about two years, but software disagreements inside Apple have pushed the launch window from 2027 toward 2028.
What the report describes
The Apple tabletop robot is a motorized evolution of the HomeView smart display. A working prototype features a roughly 9-inch, iPad-like touchscreen mounted on a thin robotic limb with a swiveling base. The screen can rotate a full 360 degrees, and an array of sensors, facial recognition and voice tracking let it automatically turn to face whoever is speaking, so video calls and kitchen timers work without anyone repositioning the device.
The design reportedly draws on Apple’s own history: sources describe a silhouette that echoes the hemispherical iMac G4 and the hopping desk lamp made famous by Pixar’s Luxo Jr. Former employees have floated names such as “HomeView Ultra”, “HomeView Max” and “HomeView 360”, though Apple has not announced the product and the final branding is unconfirmed.
Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, is said to be pushing the company to take robotics seriously. The report says Ternus wants Apple to ship more ambitious hardware faster, and the robot is the most visible test of that mandate.
Software is the bottleneck
The physical device may be done, but the software is not. The Information reports internal disagreements over which capabilities should ship on day one. Engineers have reportedly scaled the first version back to basics such as FaceTime and home automation, holding more complex autonomous features for a second generation that is already under early discussion.
More ambitious behaviors remain on the roadmap. The prototype can reportedly act on its own in simple ways, such as turning on room lights when someone enters or shooing a cat off a table. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had previously reported the same 2027 or 2028 window and described the rotating arm as the device’s defining feature.
Why it matters
The robot would mark Apple’s entry into personal robotics, a category where Amazon’s Astro and a wave of AI-powered companions have so far failed to break through. At around $1,000, more than three times the price of the standard HomeView, the device is clearly positioned as a premium flagship rather than a mass-market speaker.
It also fits a broader robotics push inside Apple. The Information notes that the company is working on other robots, including a mobile robot on wheels that follows users around the home, a smart home drone and a robot that can fold laundry, though it is unclear if or when any of those will reach market.
The timing matters for another reason: the standard HomeView, a 7-inch smart display powered by Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, goes on sale November 13 for $299, according to Apple’s October announcement. Strong early demand for that device would give Apple a reason to double down on the home; a weak reception would make a $1,000 robot an even harder sell.
