Apple is preparing to embark on a new experience in the field of smart homes, starting with a smart screen that it may launch next year. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, who wrote in his Power On newsletter, the screen will use a new operating system called homeOS, which is based on the tvOS of Apple TV.
Gorman states that the screen will run Apple applications such as Calendar, Notes, and Home.
Regarding the design, Apple has tested prototypes with magnets for wall mounting, which will support Apple Intelligence, something that Apple’s HomePods do not currently do.
Leaks about this device have been circulating for some time about form factors that range from a HomePod with a screen to a screen attached to a robotic arm that rotates to face you in video calls, but products along these lines have seemed more realistic recently.
Other recent leaks indicated that the upcoming “HomeAccessory” device will be square-shaped, and users may be able to use hand gestures from afar to control it, and the MacRumors website reported that there are clear software references to the device and the homeOS operating system.
A screen like this looks more realistic than Apple’s robotic screen idea, and it can also be less complicated and less expensive than trying to use an iPad as a dedicated smart home controller.