Attack on Amazon and Google
Apple is expected to unveil a completely new device in March
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According to a very specific report, Apple will unveil an AI display next March with which it aims to break the smart home dominance of Google and Amazon. The square device should be able to be mounted on the wall and serve as a command center in the networked household.
Smart displays are anything but new. Amazon introduced the first Echo Show in 2017, and Google followed suit two years later with the Nest Hub. Among other things, the devices display current information such as the weather forecast, you can use them to conduct video chats and use AI assistants, and they serve as a command center in the smart home. According to a report from “Bloomberg”, Apple will now also enter this product category. The device with the project name “J490” is scheduled to be brought onto the market in March.
Three years of preparation
Author Mark Gurman writes that, according to his informants, the smart display has been in development for three years and Apple boss Tim Cook has made it a priority. His company is not completely inexperienced in this segment with the HomeKit platform, but compared to its competitors it has little success here. The CEO hopes to catch up with the smart display and make Apple a smart home power, according to the “Bloomberg” article.
“J490” is said to have a six-inch screen and looks like a square iPad with a thick bezel around the display. A front camera, speakers and a battery are also on board, writes Gurman. The touchscreen interface is said to be like a mix between the Apple Watch's watchOS and the standby mode that iPhones can display when charging while standing in landscape mode. The operating system will be called Pebble.
According to the information, the device works independently, but supports “Handoff”. This means it can take over tasks from another Apple device and continue them. This currently works between iPhones, iPads and Macs with the Safari browser, Mail, Notes, Maps and Facetime as well as customized third-party apps.
Apple Intelligence takes center stage
The focus of the upcoming smart display is Apple Intelligence and the digital assistant Siri, with which, in the company's opinion, users will interact primarily via voice input. According to Gurman, the announced App Intents feature is used. This allows you to use voice commands to have customized apps carry out functions without having to open them. For example, you could ask Siri to book a taxi using a specific app.
According to Gurman's sources, the smart Apple display will be used, among other things, to control devices in the networked home, conduct video chats, check messages, surf the Internet or listen to music. It should also be possible to check and create calendar entries or notes. And of course you will be able to watch videos on the screen or use it in standby for slide shows of photos.
Cheap starter, expensive successor
According to the “Bloomberg” article, the smart display should be as cheap as current competitors’ devices. Amazon's Echo Hub, for example, costs around 200 euros, a Google Nest Hub costs just under 100 euros. However, Apple is already planning a much more expensive successor, which, according to Gurman's sources, could cost around 1,000 euros.
Apple is said to be developing various accessories for this. This should include a wall mount or base with additional speakers so that the smart tablet can be placed on a table or other furniture.
According to Gurman, Apple's smart display has sensors that allow it to detect how close a person is. It should display different suggestions depending on the distance. For example, the room temperature can be seen from a greater distance, while up close you have the option of controlling the heating, he writes.
Paving the way for new security devices
Users should be able to determine which widgets or smart home controls are shown on the display. In addition, apps are arranged in a grid similar to iPhones and you have the option of quickly starting applications from a bar (dock).
The informants told Gurman that the smart display should also pave the way for Apple to develop other devices. This is specifically about indoor and outdoor security cameras. Apple could use its expertise in terms of privacy and data protection as a trump card here, said Gurman. If the smart display is a success, Apple could prioritize bringing such devices onto the market.
