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First Plans for Apple's Tabletop Robot Spotted in Supply Chain
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Where did you get $1000 from? Gurman? Spaghetti on the wall? It's pure speculation.
That is how rumors are perpetuated. Next thing you know, people here will be ranting and raving about the ridiculous price Apple is going to charge for what remains mostly a unknown beyond the good old rumor mill and "sources" claiming certain parts are being made.
I don't doubt there is some kind of similar to the rumors product underway, but the truth is no one knows anything, especially about price. In forums, unknowns have been known to exponentially grow from a gram to a kilogram in the blink of an eye.
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What makes it a "robot?" And isn't it really just a HomePod with a screen? And do you want that thing watching everything you do, the way Siri listens to everything you say?
Hell, in my house, we've always taped over the webcams on all our devices except the iPhones, which are either charging or in pocket or purse when not making/taking calls. We don't have an iMac. When we started getting those emails telling us our cameras had been hacked, and threatening to show all our contacts what perverts we are unless we sent money, we just felt sorry for the saps who fell for it.
Hell, in my house, we've always taped over the webcams on all our devices except the iPhones, which are either charging or in pocket or purse when not making/taking calls. We don't have an iMac. When we started getting those emails telling us our cameras had been hacked, and threatening to show all our contacts what perverts we are unless we sent money, we just felt sorry for the saps who fell for it.
It that case it destined to be a failure. Why? Because Apple services are the problem with Apple's growth in services, not accessibility.
I use mine every single day, so I wouldn’t say that.All iPads are substantially underutilized
Not necessarily, if there’s voice commands built-in it would function just as the HomePod does today when the iPad is disconnected.
Don’t I?
The descriptions of the product are literally… iPad screen on a robotic arm connected to a HomePod.
Not much imagination needed.
The screen is supposed to have a useful function for the device’s primary use. It would be annoying if half of the time you find it is missing when you want to use it.
One thing is for sure… if Apple produces this robot in China, Huawei or other Chinese manufacturers will beat Apple by months with the same product at less than 10% the price Apple charge.
Why not set up a factory in the USA or Europe to built next generation devices?
Won’t be long before China produces all the tech and nobody will be able to keep up.
Thought Timmy wants to produce more domestic??? Oh wait… Timmy will earn less when doing so.
Why not set up a factory in the USA or Europe to built next generation devices?
Won’t be long before China produces all the tech and nobody will be able to keep up.
Thought Timmy wants to produce more domestic??? Oh wait… Timmy will earn less when doing so.
I agree with you. This is just like calling Apple’s “AI” Apple Intelligence. 🙄
It might not be in the article, but it is in the original report, which is what this article is based off of.
From the original report:
Apple Pushes Ahead With Tabletop Robot in Search of New Revenue
Apple Inc., seeking new sources of revenue, is moving forward with development of a pricey tabletop home device that combines an iPad-like display with a robotic limb.
www.bloomberg.com
FYI, Gurman was also one of the first to report the Vision Pro’s $3000+ price tag (which everyone called impossible) so…
It’s only focused on what Timmy wants these days. Get as much of your money as possible for the minimal effort Apple has to put in.
On the other hand, exactly how often do you need a screen that’s only 10-13 inches… restricted to being on a tabletop? And plugged into the wall?
It’s amazing how off base I feel people are with this. It’s not a robot in a traditional sense, it’s gonna be a robotic articulating arm at the end of a screen so that it’s always facing you as you move around a space. This is basically a domesticated, stationary, connected device. If you have a FaceTime call, but are moving around the kitchen. It will constantly be facing you, and move around to adjust for your positioning. If you’re watching a video it’ll always be facing forward. If you’re using a recipe to cook you can always see it clearly. If you’re using a tutorial while working in the shop, you can always see what’s happening, and use your voice to play pause and rewind the video while doing it.
This isn’t a robot that will get you a beer, it’s a robotic arm that understands where you are in its proximity and adjust to make sure that you can always see the content on screen perfectly, using the face tracking from Centre Stage. Due to the price point, I’m sure a fairly decent size screen will be at the end of the arm, it would also explain the additional technology needed to move around precisely and reliably, even over time with the weight of a screen. It’s not just a stationary arm, because Apple has shown they could build that decades ago, I guarantee it’s movements are what the robotics are for.
Now, if there is a market for this, who knows. It really depends on how they stick the landing. Realistically, I can see this in kitchens, living rooms, garages and shops for sure, but the final package has to be compelling enough to justify that price.
This isn’t a robot that will get you a beer, it’s a robotic arm that understands where you are in its proximity and adjust to make sure that you can always see the content on screen perfectly, using the face tracking from Centre Stage. Due to the price point, I’m sure a fairly decent size screen will be at the end of the arm, it would also explain the additional technology needed to move around precisely and reliably, even over time with the weight of a screen. It’s not just a stationary arm, because Apple has shown they could build that decades ago, I guarantee it’s movements are what the robotics are for.
Now, if there is a market for this, who knows. It really depends on how they stick the landing. Realistically, I can see this in kitchens, living rooms, garages and shops for sure, but the final package has to be compelling enough to justify that price.
My imagination tells me this will be a telepresence robot. It will have sensors and cameras similar to the Apple Vision Pro. The screen will display your face if you're accessing it using an iPhone or iPad, or your persona if you're connecting from an Apple Vision device. For best results, use Apple Vision, because then you'll see everything in 3D as if you're actually there. Feel free to look around. The motorized arm responds quickly.
Put it in a conference room and you can attend a physical meeting as if you're actually there. Turn your head to face the person who's talking, or the person you're talking to. If there's more than one of these in the meeting, you'll see those other remote users' spatial personas instead of their face on a screen.
Put this on a robot than can walk (or roll) around, and you could use it to tour a production line, or inspect different parts of your house. You could knock on your kid's door and ask them why they're not answering your texts and why they haven't done the laundry yet.
I don't know if that's what Apple has planned, but it's something I can imagine that would be useful in this form factor.
It’s an existing product category, like the Amazon Echo Show (since 2017) and the Google Nest Hub (since 2018).
Personally I use an iPad that is mounted on the wall.
Well, they don't have a robot arm and are subsidized by ads.
Amazon reportedly loses billions on its device business.
Also, Apple sells monitor stands for $1000, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I can't with HomePod.... but if they produced that mock up I'd buy it. If they brought that design back to the iMac I'd buy it - was imo, the best design they ever did. A built in telescoping mount what everything.... and they ditched it for a slab design they still use that's boring and uninspired....and has a chin.