Apple announced a new second-gen HomePod speaker this week, and now there are new rumors that an iPad-based smart display is coming next. If a new report from Bloomberg is accurate, Apple’s next iPad could double as a smart display.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports and rumors about an Apple smart display product, but with a new HomePod, the company could be gearing up for a big push to take on Samsung, Amazon, and Google in our homes.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that a new range of Apple smart displays is on the way, starting with “a low-end iPad” to control all those smart home gadgets. It’ll reportedly mount to walls and surfaces with magnets and have a FaceTime camera, but don’t expect much more than basic smart home controls. Gurman states that it’s more of a home device than a tablet.
This sounds somewhat similar to Google’s new Pixel Tablet, which should debut at Google I/O in May, although that product also sounds like a full-featured tablet that’ll come with an optional smart dock. Then, there’s also Amazon with its slew of Echo Show smart home products, like the big Echo Show 15.
We’re unsure if Apple’s rumored device can detach from its mounting bracket and be used like a regular iPad or if it’ll even run iPadOS, so we’ll have to wait and see. Considering Apple supports Matter, the new universal smart home standard, it only makes sense to start releasing more products in the category.
The report mentions that Apple could even offer bigger smart home display options at a later date, but with any report like this, only time will tell.
via TechRadar