Apple Ramps Up Hiring for Work on Home Robotics Devices

[HobeSoundDarryl]

...or a monitor stand for $1,000 or 4 tiny little wheels for a computer for $700 or $20 handkerchiefs... and on and on.

Assuming they built in 8TB for internal storage, Apple would be charging $2200 for just that SSD. If a monitor stand costs $1K, how much would the much more complicated tire jack cost? Wiper blades? Wiper fluid? Brake pads? Presumably LOTS of RAM inside? All those cameras? Etc.

 

[citysnaps]

So nothing to do with years and years of supposed development, rumoured total lack of direction of the project, no product to show, billions wasted, endless staff including high profile ones leaving, and no manufacture agreeing a manufacturing deal with Apple.
I think that was far more likely why it was pulled than tariffs applied, plenty of European and American manufacturers. It of course Apple would t be able to nit its 30% profit margin then.

No doubt Apple invested a ton of money in their car. Which is expected. Still, in the end, a 100% import tariff, killed it.

Sure... After the 100% tariff was announced, Apple at that point could invest billions (and years) creating its own manufacturing facility in the US, but that's a non-starter. Ditto with finding a US manufacturer who could quickly ramp up to Apple's expected volumes. Which would cost Apple far more than manufacturing in China who already has the massive EV manufacturing infrastructure in place.

 

[citysnaps]

Definitely not ... not the company that releases a VR headset at a basically untenable price of $3500

Yet 300,000 to 400,000 were sold in the first year. You might not be aware the first gen AVP was never meant to have iPhone-like sales volumes.

Rather, it was more a technology demonstrator to get devices into customer and developer hands early. The next gen AVP with real AR capabilities and less weight, and at much lower price, is what's going to sell in larger volumes.

 

[neuropsychguy]

How about “iHaveNoFriends”?

Aren't we all friends?

 

[cardfan]

Ignore the negative. I'm looking forward to what these Apple teams can produce. And I hope at least a couple projects are moonshots -- some truly advanced robot that could reduce or eliminate a mundane task, be flawless at it, and be affordable.

Also, would rather Apple work on something like this, instead of burning tens of billions on an LLM. Look how that worked out for some of the Mag 7.

Yep, because apparently a product like this doesn't need AI or anything. Oh wait, there's Siri...lol

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yet 300,000 to 400,000 were sold in the first year. You might not be aware the first gen AVP was never meant to have iPhone-like sales volumes.

Rather, it was more a technology demonstrator to get devices into customer and developer hands early. The next gen AVP with real AR capabilities and less weight, and at much lower price, is what's going to sell in larger volumes.

I'm not aware of Apple's internal projections, expectations or feelings about the results to this point

Where are you sourcing this information from?
Do you have good sourcing on this or are you speculating?

I've seen many reports of folks claiming it's well below expectations, but it's all unverifiable information to my knowledge.

Source

Source

 

[rp2011]

I completely disagree

I do not believe a giant headset will every become somewhat mainstream

augemented reality will have get down to near normal eyeglass size to ever get serious uptake

spatial computing interfaces, meanwhile, will be projected rather than worn on the face

That's a diffrent type of product.

 

[nathansz]

That's a diffrent type of product.

I thought AVP was an augmented reality/spatial computing product.

If not that then what type of product is it?

 

[Pezimak]

...or a monitor stand for $1,000 or 4 tiny little wheels for a computer for $700 or $20 handkerchiefs... and on and on.

Assuming they built in 8TB for internal storage, Apple would be charging $2200 for just that SSD. If a monitor stand costs $1K, how much would the much more complicated tire jack cost? Wiper blades? Wiper fluid? Brake pads? Presumably LOTS of RAM inside? All those cameras? Etc.

Well you can max out a Mac Pro for the price of a decent new Tesla. At least robotics is more in line with what Apple does.

 

[nathansz]

Well you can max out a Mac Pro for the price of a decent new Tesla. At least robotics is more in line with what Apple does.

how is robotics more in line with what apple does?

apple designs nothing with moving parts other than laptop hinges, monitor stands, and whathaveyou

robotics is all about controlling moving parts, even more so than a car

 

[rp2011]

I thought AVP was an augmented reality/spatial computing product.

If not that then what type of product is it?

What you were originally describing was more AR, like Google Glass. The tech is not there yet and as with Facebook glasses and no one wants to look like a glass-hole. I don't think that's a mass market item. That's more a nerdom product.

 

[nathansz]

What you were originally describing was more AR, like Google Glass. The tech is not there yet and as with Facebook glasses and no one wants to look like a glass-hole. I don't think that's a mass market item. That's more a nerdom product.

But you think avp is a mass market product?!?!

 

[Lurker-Monkey]

Sorry Apple. I have enough of your devices that Siri gets my search queries and commands wrong on. I don’t need another one.

 

[rp2011]

But you think avp is a mass market product?!?!

I said AVP will eventually become somewhat mainstream. I truly believe that. Yes.

 

[svish]

Interesting to read about the developments and the upcoming new products from Apple. But the actual device is a few years away and might get even further delayed and change a lot

 

[Pezimak]

how is robotics more in line with what apple does?

apple designs nothing with moving parts other than laptop hinges, monitor stands, and whathaveyou

robotics is all about controlling moving parts, even more so than a car

Because it's electronics. It isn't an entirely new industry with entirely new laws and regulations and licenses like manufacturing a car would be.

 

[nathansz]

Because it's electronics. It isn't an entirely new industry with entirely new laws and regulations and licenses like manufacturing a car would be.

designing robotics is an entirely different thing than designing computers

robots have moving parts that need to be controlled. It is actually more like designing a car than it is like what they do now

As far as laws and regulations and licenses being the difference, they never got anywhere near that stage with a car. So really a non issue

 

[thebart]

Problem: Siri is dumb and annoys people

Solution: let's anthropomorphize Siri to make her dumb but cute