Apple’s Secret AI Robot Could Be Your Next Desktop Companion — Here’s the Full Breakdown

Word on the street is that Apple’s planning a desktop AI companion robot, and it’s just one piece of an “amazing” new product line that has the tech world buzzing.

During a recent all-hands meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook dropped a classic teaser, saying that while he couldn’t spill the beans, the company’s upcoming products were incredible and there was a lot to look forward to.

Well, thanks to renowned tech leaker Mark Gurman, we now have a much clearer picture of what he meant.

The news was big enough to send Apple’s (AAPL) stock on a midday surge, closing up 1.6%.

Let’s dive into the details.

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(Apple Daily Chart, Source: TradingView)

Meet Your New Desk Buddy: The Apple AI Robot

Forget what you think you know about Apple’s hardware.

The centerpiece of Apple’s new AI strategy is reportedly a desktop robot designed to be a “virtual companion.”

Imagine an iPad mounted on a slick, movable robotic arm that can swivel and turn to track you around a room.

Apple sees you placing this on your desk or kitchen counter to help with work, watch media, or manage your daily tasks.

Here’s what we know about the hardware so far:

• It features a horizontal display around 7 inches, close to the size of an iPad mini.
• The robotic arm can extend the screen about half a foot (15 centimeters) in any direction.
• Some people who’ve seen the prototype compare it to the iconic “Pixar Lamp.” This isn’t a total surprise, as Apple published a paper back in January showing off a similar lamp-style robot.

Don’t get too excited just yet, though. The timeline for this product isn’t until 2027 at the earliest.

(Source: Apple Paper)

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The Brains of the Operation: A Revamped Siri and a New OS

• Multi-person Conversations: Actively join and participate in discussions with multiple users.
• Continuous Interaction: Maintain ongoing engagement throughout the day.
• Contextual Memory: Remember past interactions for improved understanding and relevance.

A cool robot is nothing without smart software, and Apple is working on a major overhaul to make it happen.

The star of the show will be a completely new version of Siri.

This isn’t your parents’ Siri. This new assistant is designed to:

• Actively join and participate in multi-person conversations.
• Interact with you continuously throughout the day.
• Remember past interactions for better context.

Behind the scenes, Apple engineers have two competing projects to power this new Siri:

• “Linwood”: An internal version built on Apple’s own foundational models.
• “Glenwood”: A version that uses external technology.

Interestingly, Apple hasn’t decided which model to use and has been testing Anthropic’s Claude. In a sign of the times, Apple’s own development teams are also heavily using ChatGPT and Google Gemini to build and test features for the robot.

Both the robot and the upcoming smart home display will run on a brand-new operating system called “Charismatic,” which is built for multi-user interaction and focuses on a simple interface of dials and widgets.

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Apple’s Big Play for Your Smart Home

Before the robot arrives, Apple is set to release a standalone smart home display by the middle of next year.

Think of it as Apple’s answer to the Google Nest Hub.

It’ll look similar but with a more square shape, thin bezels, and rounded corners. It will rock a 7-inch display on a hemispherical base and can also be mounted on a wall.

Initially, this display won’t have the robotic arm or the super-smart conversational Siri.

(Google Nest Hub)

But that’s not all for the home.

Apple is also getting serious about home security to compete with giants like Amazon Ring and Google Nest.

They’re developing a home security camera codenamed J450 with features like facial recognition and automated task execution. The idea is for users to place these cameras around the house to power automations, like turning off lights when a room is empty.

Apple has also tested a doorbell that uses facial recognition to unlock your door.

But Wait, There’s More: What’s Next on Apple’s Roadmap?

• Ultra-thin iPhone: Expected next month.
• AI Glasses: Details TBD.
• Foldable Phones: Development confirmed.
• 20th-Anniversary iPhone: Special edition alongside regular releases.
• Improved Head-Mounted Display: Next generation of Vision Pro.
• Hybrid MacBook/iPad Device: Large foldable computing device.

As if a robot and a home security system weren’t enough, Apple has a ton of other hardware in the pipeline.

Here’s a sneak peek at what else is coming:

• An ultra-thin iPhone, expected as soon as next month.
• AI glasses.
• Foldable phones.
• A special 20th-anniversary iPhone.
• An improved head-mounted display (think Vision Pro 2.0).
• A large foldable device that’s a hybrid of a MacBook and an iPad.

It’s clear Apple is pushing far beyond its current product lines and into entirely new categories.

From home automation to robotics, the next few years are set to be some of the most transformative in the company’s history. Apple’s AI-powered desktop robot could be the first of many ambitious moves into our daily lives.

References

• 财联社 (Cailianhe) – Official Website
• Mark Gurman – Bloomberg Articles
• Apple – Official Website