Let's set the record straight first: Apple has never announced a smart display capable of consolidating all smart home controls into a single, easy-to-use device. That's why talk of a delay or postponement of an unofficial product feels a bit odd. That said, Mark Gurman—the main purveyor of rumors surrounding this mysterious product—has his connections in Cupertino, as he proved at many times.
Apple and home automation, a project still in progress
Apple needs to launch into new markets to compensate for the now sluggish growth in iPhone sales. And since the Vision Pro will not be this growth driver, the manufacturer would have the ambition to push its pawns in the home automation sector where it already has a small foothold, between the Apple TV, the HomePod, HomeKit and its participation in the development of the Matter protocol. This idea of a connected screen therefore makes sense, but all the pieces of the puzzle still need to be put in the right direction.
Unfortunately, it won't happen this year. According to the Bloomberg snooper, this connected screen should have already been launched commercially. It will have escaped no one's notice that this was not the case, and the fault lies with Siri. The assistant was supposed to integrate new customization functions, drawing on application data to better answer the user's questions.
The postponement of these Apple Intelligence features, probably until 2026, has the mechanical effect of also pushing back this famous connected screen. The device will be controlled mainly by voice, it therefore relies essentially on Siri and App Intents, these application functions that the assistant can use.
Also according to Gurman, Apple hoped to launch this new feature at the same time as the iPhone 17 this fall, but ultimately we would have to wait until next year to tighten the screws around Siri. In the meantime, testing continues among Apple employees. And this would only be a first step for the apple company, which would also consider designing a sort of iPad connected to a robotic arm.
Source: Bloomberg
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