Apple Has Worked on Docking Accessory to Turn iPad Into a Smart Home Display

[ignatius345]

Do you really think someone (significant number of population) buys a Mac and an iPad because the later doesn’t have multi-user support?

Macs and iPads share some common ground when it comes to use cases, but they’re still two very different devices — to me, that makes way more sense when it comes to thinking why they don’t implement certain features.

What I said was that not allowing multi user support makes it impractical for people to share an iPad, and that benefits Apple.

The rest is stuff you added.

 

[AppleEnthusiast1995]

If I can attach my iPad Air 4 to this, I’m interested.

 

[Xano]

price will be the main issue here.

 

[trhoffmann]

An iPad docking accessory could allow users to use their iPad to control different functions of their home through the Home app, make FaceTime calls using the iPad's front camera with Center Stage, and more.

I don’t understand why a “docking accessory“ is required to provide this functionality. Isn’t this what the Home app is for? I’m not a big HomeKit user having 3 HomePods and 1 Smart TV as my only “home“ accessories, so maybe I’m missing things larger scale HomeKit users would find useful.

 

[GregoriusM]

While I agree that some permutation of an iPad docking station could’ve been released a while ago, we won’t actually know why they’ve waited until it’s released why they held for so long’. Maybe there’s an unknown feature/function that needed further technological advancement, BOM costs reduction realzad via economies of scale, or something else before Apple felt it was good enough to release it to their consumers. We will (seemingly) find out soon enough.

Also, I heard about the iPad dock rumors long before Google announced their product. Google’s dock isn’t coming until an undisclosed date in 2023. I wouldn’t be surprised if Google learned that Apple was working on a dock and essentially rushed to announce a dock so they can claim that they ‘announced it first’.

Apple’s ecosystem is much tighter and more established than Google’s. I’d expect t whatever functionality Apple’s dock has to show off features that take advantage of the ecosystem. If it’s merely just a dock with a speaker for your iPad, I’ll be disappointed.

This is a far too reasoned reply. 😊

 

[darthbane2k]

This either needs to be a stand-alone product (no separate iPad required) or support iPad Air. If this is going to be a new model iPad Pro only thing then it will be disastrous. No one is going to leave their ‘pro’ device constantly docked in the kitchen.

 

[pauloregan]

Very silly product.

 

[dmtworld]

I will never forget the Sunflower iMac

 

[johnediii]

Apple has worked on a docking accessory for the iPad that would allow customers to transform the device into a smart home display, similar to Google's approach with the Pixel Tablet.

During Google's last event, it announced it would offer a charging speaker dock that magnetically attaches to the back of the upcoming Pixel Tablet, essentially turning it into a smart home display like the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. Gurman today said that he expects Apple to bring similar functionality to the iPad next year through a docking accessory that would be sold separately, while the company works on a standalone product for the home that combines a display and a smart speaker.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said:
An iPad docking accessory could allow users to use their iPad to control different functions of their home through the Home app, make FaceTime calls using the iPad's front camera with Center Stage, and more.

Compared to Google and Amazon, Apple has maintained a low profile with products for the home, releasing just the HomePod mini in October 2020 before discontinuing the original HomePod in March 2021. A new full-sized HomePod is one of several products Apple is expected to release in 2023. According to rumors, the new full-sized HomePod will keep the same design as the original smart speaker but feature faster performance and possibly a new display.

Article Link: Apple Has Worked on Docking Accessory That Would Turn the iPad Into a Smart Home Display

I've already got an iMac G4. Runs really fast with an SSD on MacOS 9.2.2.

 

[lkalliance]

Is it just me, or does that look like the old iMac G4?

Actually, I can't tell if you look like the old iMac G4.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I've already got an iMac G4. Runs really fast with an SSD on MacOS 9.2.2.

No kidding? I wasn't aware an SSD worked ok in those and on MacOS 9

 

[TheWatchfulOne]

Is it just me, or does that look like the old iMac G4?

I'm not in the market to purchase one regardless of what it looks like, but I would love it if that's what they make it look like.

 

[Powerbooky]

That mockup isn't a bad idea. The only thing is that it wouldn't survive for long on some people's nightstand after a couple slams on the snooze button.

Here’s an idea: a 75” iPad that docks to your living room wall…

A real Apple TV 8K with quality speakers! OLED or something better... Yeah, for a reasonable price I'm in.

That "desklamp" iMac was my first Apple computer, and it was a gem. I came to it after going a little nuts trying to keep a windows machine going.
As for me, when I bought that Apple computer, we were allowed to dual boot, into either OS9 or OS10, as some software wasn't ready for OS 10. I wish, and I know I am in the minority here, we could dual boot into the new iPad pro, either iOS or macOS.
Hugh

A triple boot option for all the M2+ Mac's? MacOS 9, X and maybe Windoze too. That would be nice.
Although I must say, while I have tried dual boot with my Intel Macs back in the day, emulation and virtualisation turned out to be better option for me. Worked years with the old Classic Environment, Virtual PC and now Virtualbox.

Too bad they didn’t see the importance of this back when they had iTunes and iDVD, iPhoto, etc… all integrated into Front row with the magic remote… instead they listened to the wall street parasites they have let infiltrate their C-Suite… and moved the crap products like Apple Music, etc.... what a joke and another boat Apple missed at being the leader and innovator of the smart home media and entertainment and automation standards… the fools!

You're right about Wallstreet parasites in a way. So many great idea's have been delayed, blocked or damaged by CEO's, CFO's, greedy shareholders and other visionless types. But in my experience, the hardware and internet infrastructure wasn't quite ready yet. Plus the fact that it took almost a decade to change the big labels en production companies to change their restricted ways to sell their content.

Have you ever noticed how with Apple, every feature or product that we all know should and could have already been released, is always rumored to be coming a few years out?

...

I should just follow Samsung, google, Microsoft news, and for anything they do that is really successful, I can add on 2-3 years and know that’s about when Apple will do their version.

In fact, did we ever consider that’s where these sources have been getting their “leaks” all along???!

Honestly... I think many people expect too much. Strictly in numbers, between 2000 and 2010 Apple didn't release all much hardware and software features. There weren't that much of leaks and media/people making a fuss about Apple's products either.

Now Apple has more employees and contractors, so more chance that something will be leaked. A signed NDA isn't a full guarantee that everyone will be silent. And in the last 5-10 years so many Youtube shows/channels about tech stuff came online, many with self-proclaimed experts, all speculating over and over about the same stuff. It doesn't need much time to let some speculation or rumour become an huge expectation to many viewers, no matter what it is.