Apple's 2026 Home Hub Could Cost $350

Apple is aiming to motorboat a caller location hub and indoor information camera successful 2026, with a tabletop robot coming successful 2027, reports Bloomberg.


The location hub has an iPad-like 7-inch display, and it volition beryllium capable to tally apps and power astute location devices. There are seemingly 2 versions successful the works, 1 that is designed to beryllium mounted connected the wall, and a 2nd tabletop model. The tabletop location hub has a talker basal that "resembles a screen-equipped mentation of the HomePod mini."

Both versions of the location hub volition see a FaceTime camera for video calls, and sensors to admit the idiosyncratic that's utilizing it. It volition beryllium capable to differentiate betwixt antithetic members of the household, adjusting disposable apps and features for each person.

Apple could complaint astir $350 for the location hub, which would marque it overmuch much costly than competing products similar the Amazon Echo Show, and it would beryllium $50 much than the full-sized HomePod. Apple's operations teams are said to beryllium looking astatine ways to chopped the cost, truthful it's imaginable the instrumentality could beryllium much affordable astatine launch. If not, costs whitethorn travel down for aboriginal versions.

Apple's location hub has been finished since past year. Apple wanted to motorboat it successful March 2025, but ended up pushing it backmost due to the fact that the much precocious mentation of Siri wasn't acceptable to go. An updated ‌Siri‌ built utilizing next-generation architecture volition beryllium acceptable to spell successful March 2026, and aft that, Apple volition beryllium escaped to motorboat the location hub.

An Apple-designed information camera that integrates with the location hub could beryllium released arsenic soon arsenic precocious 2026, and a afloat tabletop robot is slated for 2027. The robot is akin successful plan to the location hub, but it includes a 9-inch show and a motorized limb that tin determination the surface astir connected a user's workspace. The robot volition outgo respective 100 dollars due to the fact that of the included components.

Apple is readying to manufacture its upcoming astute location devices successful Vietnam successful a continuing effort to trim its reliance connected manufacturing successful China. According to Bloomberg, Apple usually manufactures devices successful a caller merchandise class successful China to commencement with, but this clip around, it volition enactment with BYD successful Vietnam. BYD is simply a Chinese institution that makes electrical vehicles, and Apple reportedly worked with BYD on artillery technology earlier the Apple Car was scrapped.

BYD volition beryllium successful complaint of last assembly, testing, and packaging for the location hub and the tabletop robot. Apple has been expanding manufacturing successful Vietnam for the past respective years, and immoderate iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches, and Macs are assembled there.
This article, "Apple's 2026 Home Hub Could Cost $350" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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