Apple’s attempts to enter the smart home market have had mixed results so far. Although the HomePod smart speaker and the Apple TV set-top box have gained a certain number of fans, they have not been able to form a solid foundation on which the company could further develop the home devices business.
However, according to Bloomberg, Apple is looking to change this with a new aggressive strategy. It is expected that over the next two years, smart home devices will become a priority for the company. This initiative will include the development of a new homeOS operating system, a smart display, and a high-end robotic tabletop device.
Apple’s traditional approach to creating premium products within its closed ecosystem has not been as effective for the smart home, where consumers often prefer devices that integrate with a wide range of other products. To change this, Apple will be supporting Matter, a smart home protocol designed to ensure interoperability between devices from different manufacturers.
Another important element of Apple’s strategy is artificial intelligence. The company plans to use its new Apple Intelligence platform to provide home automation and precise control over devices, applications, and media. A key element of this AI advancement is the App Intents system, which allows Siri to more effectively control functions in apps.
AI will also play an important role in the functionality of Apple’s future home devices. For example, a future robotic desktop device will use AI to sense its surroundings, recognize who is looking at the screen, and even identify who is speaking.
The third pillar of Apple’s smart home push is software, starting with the new homeOS operating system, which will be built on top of tvOS, the operating system used in the Apple TV set-top box.
To accelerate these efforts, Apple is assembling a new Home Ecosystem team and has reassigned engineers from its defunct automotive project to work on home products.
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