A device for everyone to rule. If the rumors are right, Apple is getting ready to release something like this. The company would be working on a kind of low-cost iPad to allow the user to control the smart devices of their home with a few taps on the screen.
Among these devices would be TVs, thermostats and lamps. But the product should also offer features linked to Apple’s ecosystem, such as conversations via FaceTime.
At least that’s what Bloomberg says. According to the vehicle, Apple plans to take on Google and Amazon in the increasingly hotly contested smart home market.
Not that the company no longer does not work in this segment. Apple TV and the newly announced second generation HomePod are proof of this. But compared to rivals, Tim Cook’s gang is right behind on home-screen devices.
Just remember the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show lines. Amazon even has a wall device. Echo Show 15 refers to a frame, but it’s a screen with Alexa and several functions, including control of other devices.
A cheap iPad?
iPad already has smart home functions. So what’s the point of launching a similar device? Apparently, the idea is to offer a low cost and specific screen for home use. The appliance may even have magnetic fasteners to allow it to be mounted on walls. That would make him a direct contestant on Echo Show 15.
The sources who spoke to Bloomberg also said that Apple discussed the idea of launching home devices with large screens. It just wasn’t clear if that “wall iPad” was included in this plan.
Apple TV was renovated in October 2022. The update took the A15 Bionic chip from iPhones and a usb-c remote control to the device. But it may not be enough.
To gain more market, Apple would also be working on a version of Apple TV equipped with an even faster chip (the A16 of the iPhone 14 Pro, perhaps?). This would make him able to work up with streaming in 8K, without losing the resourcefulness.
According to the buzzes, this version will be released in the second half of 2023.
