It seems like Apple appears to be moving closer to launching a new smart home hub device, with a potential release window set for the end of this year. The device, described as a square-shaped tabletop screen akin to a compact iPad, has been in development for some time as part of Apple’s broader AI strategy. While it won’t be the company’s most advanced smart home product, it could lay the groundwork for more ambitious devices in the pipeline. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that this version — codenamed J490 — will likely debut before the company introduces a more premium offering equipped with a robotic arm and AI-driven interactivity. Despite delays tied to Siri and App Intents integration, internal testing has already begun, signalling the project is gaining momentum.
Gurman states, “This device, code-named J595, has become a major priority at Apple as part of its scramble to make AI-centric devices. The idea is to have a smart home display, sized like a small iPad, that can move around a person’s desk on the end of a robotic arm.” While the more advanced robotic model is still a year or two away, the initial version is designed to be a more accessible alternative. According to Gurman, “A lower-end version — a smart screen code-named J490 that doesn’t have an arm — has been delayed due to problems with Siri. I expect J490 to finally hit the market by the end of this year at the earliest (it remains up in the air), with the robotic version following a year or two later.”
The J490 will reportedly feature a 7-inch display with bezels and a top-mounted camera. It is expected to support Apple Intelligence features and may run on a new operating system called homeOS. Apple is said to be banking heavily on video features like FaceTime, positioning the hub as a household communications device, in addition to acting as a control centre for HomeKit and other smart home integrations.
It’s clear that Siri’s development remains a bottleneck. Gurman notes that Apple has had to delay parts of the project due to “problems with Siri,” which have also impacted the wider rollout of Apple Intelligence. The AI assistant’s evolution is expected to stretch well into next year, potentially delaying the arrival of the more futuristic models like the J595.
According to Gurman, some of the more experimental features for the J595 have been put on hold to streamline development. “To get the J595 ready faster, I’m told that Apple has pulled some bolder features from the device that could reappear in subsequent models,” he adds.
