Apple's Work on Robots: What We Know So Far

With the Apple Car canceled, Apple is exploring new markets where it might be able to find new revenue streams, and personal robotics is apparently one area the company is investigating.

Apple Robot Thumb 1
This guide highlights everything we know about Apple's interest in robotics, and we'll update it with new rumors going forward.

The Robot Rumors

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is looking for its "next big thing," and robotics are one area of focus. Apple has engineering teams working on various in-home robotic devices and the AI software and functionality that might be able to make a home robot useful.

Apple's work on robotics takes place in the hardware engineering division and in its AI and machine learning group under AI chief John Giannandrea.

Table-Top Robot

As of August 2024, Apple is moving forward with plans to create a tabletop robotic device. Apple is said to be prioritizing development of the device, and its development is being overseen by Keven Lynch, who has also worked on the Apple Watch. Apple is already tapping suppliers for the tabletop robotic device.

HomePod G4 Feature
It has a large iPad-like display that's mounted on a "thin robotic arm" that lets the display tilt and up and down and rotate a full 360 degrees. The tabletop device would serve as a "home command center," a videoconferencing machine for FaceTime calls, and a home security monitoring tool.

Apple plans to take advantage of Apple Intelligence and Siri for the robot, and it will be able to respond to verbal commands, recognize different voices, and orient the display to face users in the room.

Apple is said to be aiming to launch the device in 2026 or 2027, and the company wants to get the price down to around $1,000.

Mobile Robot

Apple is considering a mobile robot that would follow users around the home, presumably serving as something like an iPad on wheels. A robot would likely be able to place ‌FaceTime‌ calls, monitor the home and the people in it, carry out simple tasks, and answer queries.

Apple is said to be exploring AI algorithms that would be used to help robots navigate cluttered spaces in homes, and while Apple wants to design a robot that would clean and do chores much like Rosey in the Jetsons, it's too complicated for now. Gurman says that such a robot is unlikely this decade due to "extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges."

Secret House Facility

Apple reportedly has a secret facility that is designed to look like the inside of a home, and that's where it is testing future home products.

Other Home Devices

There are some more realistic products that are in the works, with rumors suggesting that Apple is developing an iPad-like home hub device that would serve as a central way to control smart devices. Apple has also been rumored to be working on a version of the Apple TV that integrates HomePod speakers and a camera, and there have been rumors of a ‌HomePod‌ with a display.

Apple's Hiring Efforts

Apple's work on home robotics is ramping up, with the company adding new hires to its robotics research and engineering teams. Apple is seeking robotics specialists that will have "the opportunity to work with a small team of highly skilled engineers and scientists to bring new experiences to Apple products."

Robot Research

An Apple research paper from Apple provided some insight into Apple's robotics work. Apple showcased a lamp-like robot prototype with lifelike movements. The robot was depicted interacting with people, responding to weather inquiries, providing lighting for iPhone photography, offering reminders, and dancing to music.

Apple's Competition

Amazon has a $1,600 "Astro" robot that it sells by invitation. Astro is able to navigate the home and remotely check specific rooms, people, and things when the user is away from home.

Amazon Astro
The robot is able to send an alert if an unrecognized person is detected, or if there are sounds like an alarm. Astro has a built-in display and can be used for watching TV, placing calls, setting reminders, sending messages, and more. Astro uses Alexa, and Amazon suggests that it can be used to "remotely care for aging loved ones."

Astro is also able to carry "a variety of accessories" such as a Ziploc container, a blood pressure monitor, and a Furbo Dog Camera that provides treats for a pet.


Sony has experimented with robots, and is best known for the Aibo robotic dog. Priced at $2900, Aibo is designed to act like a real dog with dynamic movements, lifelike expressions, curiosity, and an interest in human interaction. Aibo is able to learn tricks, play with toys, and listen to commands.

There are a number of other home robots on the market, but the best known may be the wide range of robot vacuums like the Roomba that are able to navigate the home to automatically clean up dust, dirt, pet fur, and other debris.


Robot Launch Date

Apple's work on personal robotics is in the early stages, and the company has small teams that are exploring different concepts. It is not clear if some kind of robot will ever launch, but rumors suggest the above mentioned tabletop home hub could come out in 2026 or 2027. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple's robot projects are still in the prototyping stage, with no launch planned until 2028 or later.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
terminal macos tahoe

Apple's Terminal App Gets Colorful Redesign in macOS Tahoe

Monday June 16, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted. The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...

Top Rated Comments

Harry Haller Avatar
16 months ago
"Apple is looking for its next big thing..."

How about reasonably priced ram and ssd upgrades.
That would be a big thing.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
16 months ago
They will never make a robot that follows you around, because they want to sell you one for each room.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr_Ed Avatar
16 months ago

They will never make a robot that follows you around, because they want to sell you one for each room.
No, no. Following you requires you purchase the wheels @ $499 each ?
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EugW Avatar
16 months ago

But it doesn't do dishes. ?
I already have a robot that does dishes.



Attachment Image
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrysisDeu Avatar
16 months ago
Cancelled in 12..11..10..years

Robot vacuum market is super saturated and developed. More than EVs, so good luck.

Home robots and humanoids are hot areas for startups both in the US and in China. Again.. good luck
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThomasJL Avatar
16 months ago
Yet another pathetic attempt by Tim Cook to make it seem like he is all about innovation and making products to best help consumers, when in fact he's actually the opposite: an MBA degree-holding corporate suit who is practically only concerned with maximizing profits to please shareholders.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)