Apple engineers are now looking into a mobile robot that can help users around the house, according to “people familiar with the situation” who spoke with Bloomberg chief correspondent and Apple expert Mark Gurman.
Gurman also reported on Wednesday that Apple engineers are working on a separate advanced tabletop home device that moves displays around robotically.
The robotic smart display is “much further along” in development than the mobile robot, according to Bloomberg’s sources, but the work for both products is still in its early stages. It’s unclear if either project will be released.
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The news shows that Apple has been under pressure to find fresh sources of revenue, the report said.
Apple reportedly told top execs that the company’s future centered on three areas: the home, cars, and mixed reality.
With Apple’s 10-year electric car project coming to a halt this past February and the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s first mixed reality headset, hitting shelves in the same month, the only category left for Apple to conquer is the home.
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Apple’s past home products include the HomePod smart speaker, which sold 13.5 million units in 2022, according to Statista.
Apple’s first quarter results for 2024, announced in February, show that the iPhone is Apple’s biggest revenue driver, bringing in $69.7 billion of revenue in that quarter, or more than half of Apple’s total revenue.
In the smart home sector, Apple faces competition from household robot market leaders like iRobot, Neato Robotics, Samsung, Ecovas, and Panasonic.
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