Apple is reportedly working on new smart home products to expand its presence in the smart home market, according to Bloomberg.
Smart Display
According to the report, Apple is developing a smart display product, similar to a low-end iPad, that can control home appliances and show video content. It can also handle FaceTime chats and can be mounted on walls or other surfaces using magnetic fasteners, positioning it as a home gadget rather than a regular iPad.
The report also states that Apple has struggled in the smart home market and has been left behind by its rivals. Its current devices are limited in their functionality, and its Siri voice-control service has not been as successful as Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant.
The new devices, along with upcoming changes to Siri, are intended to improve Apple’s performance in this market. The company has also reportedly considered the idea of creating larger smart-home displays.
New speaker and TV box
In addition to the future smart displays and new speaker, Apple is also working on upgrading its Apple TV box. According to sources, a new version with faster processing power is being developed and is expected to be released in the first half of next year.
In addition, the company has redesigned its Home app to support the popular smart home protocol Matter, which enables products from different brands to work together. However, these new smart home products are not expected to be available for purchase until at least next year, as per insider sources. The introduction of these new products will help Apple to compete in the smart home market that is currently dominated by Amazon and Google.
This week Apple launched its new HomePod speaker, which is priced at Rs. 32900 ($299 in the US). This includes smart home features such as Sound Recognition, which can detect smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification directly to the user’s iPhone if a sound is identified. Additionally, it has a built-in temperature and humidity sensor that can measure indoor environments.