Apple's Smart Home Robots in Early Testing, No Launch Before 2028 [Kuo]

Apple is quietly testing the waters in robotics, aiming to integrate both humanoid and non-humanoid designs into its future smart home ecosystem, according to recent report from TF International Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. These projects are still in the early proof-of-concept (POC) stage.

While industry debates often center on the merits of humanoid versus non-humanoid robots, Kuo's supply chain observations suggest that Apple is less concerned with a robot's physical appearance. Instead, the company appears to be emphasizing how users interact with and perceive these machines. In practice, this means Apple is prioritizing sophisticated sensing hardware and advanced software—the core technologies that will power its next-generation robotics—over purely aesthetic design features.

The current phase of development is the POC stage, a lesser-known step where Apple evaluates whether a product idea and its underlying technologies are viable before committing to full-scale production. Unlike well-known development phases such as New Product Introduction (NPI), Engineering Verification Test (EVT), and Mass Production (MP), the POC stage remains behind the scenes. It serves as an internal testing ground, and not every project that enters this phase makes it to market. Notably, while Apple's rumored foldable phone is also reported to be in POC, the Apple Car remains a prominent example of a project that failed to progress beyond early-stage testing.


Based on current progress and Apple's typical development cycles, Kuo predicts that mass production of its robotics offerings will not begin until 2028 or later.

Interestingly, Apple has been relatively open about sharing details of its robotics research during these early stages. This level of transparency is unusual for the company and may serve as a strategic move to attract top talent in robotics and artificial intelligence—fields critical to the development of their next-generation smart home technologies. Apple recently released a fairly long video demonstrating a robotic lamp that could be the basis for a rumored robot arm desktop device Apple is rumored to have in development.

While the full realization of these robotics projects remains a few years away, the early signs point to a thoughtful integration of robotics into everyday life. Users can expect a gradual rollout of innovations designed to enhance connectivity and convenience within the smart home landscape, starting with a new wall-mounted smart display that will allegedly be able to control appliances, handle videoconferencing, and use AI to navigate apps.

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