Apple's Upcoming Home Hub Could Include 'Robotic Swiveling Base'

[MacRumors]

The home hub device that Apple plans to release as soon as this spring has a "robotic swiveling base," according to The Information's Wayne Ma. Ma mentioned the new detail in a piece outlining Apple's work on an AI pin.

Apple is also working on a home product featuring a small display, speakers and a robotic swiveling base, designed with a heavy emphasis on AI features. That device could be released as soon as this spring, according to two of the people.

We've heard a lot of rumors about the home hub because it was supposed to launch in 2025, but to date, no rumors have suggested that it will have a swiveling robotic base. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously said that Apple is developing two versions of the hub, one that's meant to be mounted on the wall and another that has a HomePod mini-like speaker base that can be placed on a desktop or countertop.

No prior descriptions of the home hub base have suggested that it will have any kind of swivel function or that it will be robotic. In fact, the wording sounds similar to how Gurman has described Apple's tabletop robot, which will be a 2027 follow up to the home hub.

Gurman said the tabletop robot will have an iPad-like display mounted on a thin robotic arm that allows the display to tilt up and down and rotate 360 degrees. The device will be able to reposition itself to face whoever is speaking, and it is said to have a "visual personality."

Ma did not go into detail on the purpose of the robotic swiveling base, or how it will work, but presumably it would be able to move to face people. The home hub is supposed to have an array of sensors that let it determine when someone is in the room.

We are expecting the home hub to launch in the coming months, right around the time that Apple debuts iOS 26.4 with the upgraded version of Siri.

Article Link: Apple's Upcoming Home Hub Could Include 'Robotic Swiveling Base'

 

[millerlite]

So tired of AI. This sounds fine, but I could do without the AI bloat. It’s so unnecessary

 

[Astuces iOS]

iMac G4 I see... no one will buy tho

 

[jdavid_rp]

I still think this should be just a base accessory for iPads, so you can get the “display” you want and let the base do the “AI things”. It could still work as a HomePod without screen and then just request an iPad when needing to show things.

Also it would lower the price and make it more interesting for people that already owns an iPad. But surely apple sales team knows better.

 

[DocMultimedia]

"In the coming months" = maybe in 2027

 

[J___o___h___n]

Sounds like it’ll be expensive.

A value option + a better version would be safer. Too expensive and it’s going to fail out the gate.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

iMac G4 I see... no one will buy tho

That would be a return to form for the iMac. One of the best product designs of all time, and now overheating is a solved problem.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

I still think this should be just a base accessory for iPads, so you can get the “display” you want and let the base do the “AI things”. It could still work as a HomePod without screen and then just request an iPad when needing to show things.

Also it would lower the price and make it more interesting for people that already owns an iPad. But surely apple sales team knows better.

This misses the point of the appliance nature of the device, and that no one in the house will walk off with your screen. Shouts up the stairs: “come down for your dinner and bring down my screen”

 

[kalsta]

I still think this should be just a base accessory for iPads, so you can get the “display” you want and let the base do the “AI things”.

Yeah, the way this is depicted in these rumoured pics makes me wonder why anyone would buy an iPad that you can’t actually hold or sit on your lap. I don’t get it.

Shouts up the stairs: “come down for your dinner and bring down my screen”

An AI bot that can’t cope without its screen? Sounds like most teenagers. 😄

 

[Zc456]

Gimme an Apple Silicon-based Mac in a G4 shell, then we'll talk.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Will it have AI? I only want it if it has AI. AI.

 

[splifingate]

Some will....

iMac G4 I see... no one will buy tho

 

[theinstructor]

They cannot even get the Home app functions to work well as it is, now they need this? No. They need to fix their crap.

 

[klasma]

robotic swiveling base

Sounds like a Roomba.

 

[klasma]

Yeah, the way this is depicted in these rumoured pics makes me wonder why anyone would buy an iPad that you can’t actually hold or sit on your lap. I don’t get it.

It’s the same product category as Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub.

 

[klasma]

Will it have AI? I only want it if it has AI. AI.

An audio interface would indeed be nice.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Home hub? Sure, why not.

But does it need to be motorized and robotic?

Seems like excess complications.

🤔

 

[mansplains]

This misses the point of the appliance nature of the device, and that no one in the house will walk off with your screen. Shouts up the stairs: “come down for your dinner and bring down my screen”

Push a button on the hub, a message takes over the screen remotely, “return home please”, and plays Eddie Money over the speakers

 

[mansplains]

They cannot even get the Home app functions to work well as it is, now they need this? No. They need to fix their crap.

The functions themselves have been fine for me, it’s the UI/UX I can’t stand. Pairing a new home device shouldn’t render the iPhone/iPad unusable for several minutes. Now if third party devices didn’t need routine troubleshooting, pairing wouldn’t be as annoying.

 

[kalsta]

It’s the same product category as Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub.

Ah, you're highlighting my ignorance of other brands. 🙈😄

Okay, that makes sense now. Wait, no it doesn't. Why would someone want a ‘hub’ that is basically an iPad locked to a big paperweight? I remember when the Mac was Apple’s ‘Digital Hub’—but then iCloud eventually stole that honour.

 

[Wx_Man]

The swivel action in the base will only be available via an Apple Subscription.

 

[roklanhavok]

I hope there is something robotic. Once Apple takes that first step we're on a fast track to a serious working robot.

 

[Plutonius]

A swiveling base ?

And people claim that Apple can't innovate /S .

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Yeah, the way this is depicted in these rumoured pics makes me wonder why anyone would buy an iPad that you can’t actually hold or sit on your lap. I don’t get it.



An AI bot that can’t cope without its screen? Sounds like most teenagers. 😄

It could, but its image-based features would be missing when they walk off with your screen. Such as FaceTime calls and images and the option to type and tap and not talk. Just as a TV is an appliance and a radio is an appliance, a HomePod is (trying) an appliance and this too would be a type of appliance—not an iPad speaker. An iPad dock speaker thing could possibly exist too, but I don’t think that’s the goal here, they’re going the stationary appliance route. Just as an iPad is a computer for a person, this would be a computer for the house itself, like how the TV is.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Push a button on the hub, a message takes over the screen remotely, “return home please”, and plays Eddie Money over the speakers

“this iPad will self-destruct in 30 seconds. To save your family you’ve 25 seconds to re-dock”