There have been much talk about the Apple smart display with a robotic arm, codenamed J595, which includes a possible release window of 2026 or 2027. Though it looks like there will be a version of the thing that may be ready as soon as next year, though it will be making do without its most talked-about feature.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg writes in his weekly Power On newsletter that Apple is working on a lower end model of the smart display, this time codenamed J490. It is described as both “low-end smart display for using FaceTime and controlling home appliances” as well as “the lower-end companion to the robotic device”.
Difference between the two aside, both products are noted to have Apple Intelligence tools as a pretty core feature. As such, they will also run a new operating system called homeOS, based off of tvOS. This corroborates prior reports on the product, but contradicts another which claims that it would be a modified iPadOS instead.
Incidentally, the report also notes that the pricier Apple smart display with the robotic arm would cost US$1,000 (~RM4,102). No mention of a potential price for the lower end device, though one would imagine it costing more than the average iPad, considering its nature.
(Source: Bloomberg)
