Apple Planning to Offer iPad Smart Home Dock Before HomePod With a Screen
Apple has worked on a dock accessory designed for the iPad that would provide a way to transform the device into a smart home display, similar to Google's approach with the Pixel Tablet, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Earlier this year, Google announced that it will offer a charging dock for the upcoming Pixel Tablet that allows it to transform into a smart home display like the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. The dock features an integrated speaker and magnetically attaches to the back of the Pixel Tablet. In a press release, Google described the dock for the Pixel Tablet as follows:
The dock keeps your device charged, makes your tablet helpful 24/7, and unlocks a whole new set of experiences in the home.
The enhanced audio from the speaker lets you enjoy your favorite show or have an impromptu dance party. When your Pixel Tablet is docked, you can enjoy hands-free help from the Assistant or a photo frame of your memories.
The Pixel Tablet also gives you easy control of all your smart home devices, so you can turn the lights off in the house, and set the thermostat to the perfect sleep temperature without getting out of bed.
Writing in his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that he thinks Apple will bring similar functionality to the iPad next year with a dock accessory that will be sold separately, serving as an interim solution while the company works on a standalone product for the home that combines a display and a smart speaker:
I'm told Apple is working to bring similar functionality to the iPad as soon as 2023. I reported last year that Apple is exploring a stand-alone device that combines an iPad with a speaker hub. The idea is to offer something that users can place on a kitchen counter, in the living room or on their nightstand. But Apple also has worked on an iPad docking accessory that it could sell separately and would accomplish much of the same thing.
A dock could allow the iPad to be used to control smart home accessories and make FaceTime calls using the iPad's front-facing camera with Center Stage in a more simplified way at home, effectively serving as an introduction to Apple's future smart home display and "HomePod with a screen" devices. Apple has been rumored to be working on a new operating system called "homeOS" for its future smart home devices, which could factor into the plans for an iPad dock designed around home usage.
With Apple's recent re-introduction of the full-size HomePod and a new HomePod mini apparently on the horizon for 2024, it seems like Apple's aspirations for the smart home are only getting started. Most recently, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is planning to release a redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch display in the first half of 2024.
Popular Stories
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID.
iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports.
Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3.
The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System > Software Update....
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music.
In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.
CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
