Concept image of the future Siri smart-home hub
Two future iPad-like devices that rely on future Apple Intelligence features will come to market only after the long-promised major Siri upgrade.
Apple is said to be working on two different “home hub” devices for release in the near future. One is expected to be a mountable iPad-like screen to control smart-home devices, while the other is envisioned as a tabletop device with a robotic arm.
A new report from Bloomberg suggests that both are currently waiting on the delayed revamp of Siri before coming to market. A revamp that incorporates on-screen awareness, which will be essential for the smart home products to function properly.
Responsibility for completing the long-awaited Siri upgrade has recently been handed to Apple Vision Pro leader Mike Rockwell’s team.
The two distinct devices have been code-named J490 — the wall-mounted iPad home hub — and J595 for the robotic-arm mounted interactive tabletop screen.
The former is now expected to arrive either near the end of 2025 or in the first half of 2026. It is also currently undergoing internal employee testing.
The more ambitious robotic arm product, J595, is now expected to follow in the second half of 2026 or early 2027. However, it will probably be missing some of its more innovative features when it first ships.
The current focus of the teams behind the products is to get them to market as quickly as possible after last year’s showcased Siri upgrade finally arrives. Apple has acknowledged that the more contextual Siri, which relies on Apple Intelligence features that depend on app intents, has been delayed.