Apple's tabletop robot turns to face you

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that Apple is developing a higher-end version of its new HomeView smart-home display, code-named J595, planned for 2027 or 2028. The reported model has a roughly 9-inch screen, up from 7 inches on the current $299 HomeView, mounted on a motorized robotic arm that can swivel a full 360 degrees.

Using voice recognition, the device is designed to identify who is speaking and automatically turn to face that person, instead of requiring users to pass or reposition the display by hand. Gurman presented it as a premium addition to the lineup rather than a replacement for the current model, with possible names such as HomeView Max, Ultra or 360 still speculative and unconfirmed by Apple.