Apple targets smart home market as its next big bet

Although Apple has had a fairly lackluster presence in the smart home industry, it’s looking to change its fortune. A new report says the company wants to conquer the space and is refocusing its efforts to do so.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is deploying a new aggressive strategy aimed at capturing the smart home market. To help achieve this mission, it is prioritizing the sector by creating a new Home Ecosystem team, which it has moved over some engineers from its canceled car project. Overall, the plan appears to be driven by three key components: artificial intelligence, screens, and software.

The first part of this strategy includes Apple Intelligence, which will be used to supercharge home automations. It’s also said that the AI will be used for precise control of applications, devices, and media.

The second part of the strategy involves smart displays. Apple is reportedly working on a new smart display that’s like an affordable iPad. People will be able to use the display for Apple TV Plus streaming, FaceTime calls, browsing the web, and accessing apps like Calendar and Notes. It was also previously reported that the company had a tabletop robot in development. This device is said to be a swiveling robotic limb with a smart display attached. It will use AI to detect who is looking at the screen, what people are doing, and who is speaking. The tabletop robot will focus on home security monitoring, advanced videoconferencing, and media playback with high-quality audio. Gurman predicts it could cost around $1,000.

As for the final part of the strategy, Apple is creating a new smart home operating system called homeOS. According to the report, the software is built on the underpinnings of tvOS.

Whether Apple’s strategy works remains to be seen. Its smart home offerings have paled in comparison to the likes of Google and Amazon. However, Google and Amazon don’t exactly have a tight grasp on the market either, so there is room for Apple to wiggle its way in.