Apple has been speculated to be developing a new type of product — a home accessory that will run on a software variant of tvOS and will sport a touch display on top. According to a new report, this purported device may have artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities courtesy of Apple’s latest A18 processor. It may also include support for hand gestures, FaceTime, and other video conferencing platforms, helped in-built cameras on the device.
According to a 9to5Mac report, the purported device carries an identifier “HomeAccessory”. This leak corroborates a previous report which also hinted at a code discovered at Apple’s backend that referenced a new identifier category “HomeAccessory17,1”. It is reportedly codenamed J490.
Apple’s rumoured in-development device may be powered by an A18 chipset which also powers the new iPhone 16 series. As a result, it is speculated to have support for Apple Intelligence – the company’s suite of AI features for iPhone, iPad, and other devices. If this comes to fruition, it would be the first Apple HomePod device to do so.
In addition to AI capabilities, the purported HomePod with touchscreen is also said to feature a square display rather than a rectangular one which is commonly seen on tablets. The screen could reportedly come with a customisable lock screen with multiple clock faces, similar to the Apple TV interface. Notably, references for a customisable lock screen with touchscreen support were reported to be discovered in a tvOS beta update.
The report suggests it may also have an in-built camera that would support video conferencing apps like FaceTime and others. With this camera, the device would reportedly be able to recognise hand gestures which may be used to control it.
Additionally, it is also speculated to enable user identification, allowing them to make personal requests — a feature that already exists on the HomePod and can be used with voice commands. It may also have media playback capabilities and could also work as an AirPlay receiver, the report adds.
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