Apple moves forward with tabletop robot: report

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is moving forward with creating a tabletop robot that has a display similar to an iPad and a robotic limb, Bloomberg reported.

“Several hundred” people are working on the device, the news outlet added, citing people with knowledge of the matter. It uses actuators to move the display up and down and rotate it 360 degrees and is being thought of as a smart home command center, video conferencing device and remote-controlled home security tool, the people added.

There has been an internal debate at the Cupertino, Calif.-based company over the robotic device and whether to move forward with it. The marketing team expressed concern whether people would pay for such a device, while the software engineering team cited issues with staffing needed to create the software.

However, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, have both championed the device, Bloomberg added.

The device could come to market as soon as 2026 or 2027 and be priced around $1,000, the news outlet added.

It was reported earlier this year that Apple was looking into home robotics as an avenue for growth.

Tech companies have tried to crack the robotics market in recent memory with mixed success. Amazon (AMZN) launched its Astro robot in 2021, with the $1,600 invite-only robot aimed at helping take care of elders, home security and a virtual assistant.

However, Amazon made no mention of Astro at its 2023 annual device event.

Apple is also working on several other new products, including augmented reality glasses; smart glasses akin to Meta’s (META) Ray-Ban glasses; a version of its popular AirPods headphones that have cameras; and a foldable iPad, Bloomberg added.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.